Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-07-19
FAILED TO CROSS
ENGLISH CHANNEL
Herbert Latham, French Aviator,
Met Disaster in His Attempt
To Fly from Calais to Dover.
MOTOR WENT BACK ON HIM.
Fell Into sea--When Picked Up Was
Calmly Smoking Clgarette-He
Will Try Again.

Z f.
Will Try Again.
Calais France, July 19.-- Herbert La
than, the French aviator, made
daring but unsuccessful attempt TO
cross the English channel in his mono
plane this morning, He got away splen-
didly under perfect conditions from
the top OF Chalk cliff at sangatte and
had covered half the distance ut an
average height5of 500 feet when the mo-
tor slowed down and he was obliged to
descend The air space of the wings.
however, kept the machine atioat and
the monoplane, lying like o wounded
bird. was stretched out on the water
when the French torpedoboat destroyer
Harpon which had kept abreast
throughout the journey, came alongside
and picked up the aviator NJ. latham
was not wet and still sat on the saddle
which is located above the wings and
Cigarette He Immediately announced
that lie was not discouraged by the
failure and would try again az soon as
the machine was repaired. The init
ries to the 1,1onoplane We're slight, the
principal damage beng caused when ~
was hauled aboard the torpedoboat. de-
$stroyer. The motor is intact. me
watchers on both shores had an anxious
half hour after the machine was lost
to view behind d thin veil OF fog on the
French side, and apprehension was not
8nlayed until the semtphore at Calais
reported that the Harpon was re-
turning with M.aI4atham, nnintured.
aboard On landing the aeronant was
given a frantic reception The faii ,
8of the motor is attributed to y = a .
carbuetter on the4i1nonoplanc which
when 400 feet In the air. began to
descend. When the machine was. 20o.
feet above the water NJ. Latham shut
off the power and the machine gllded
down gently, alighting on the waves
with hardly a splash.
In brief interview NJ. Latham La. ma
said:
II cannot say exactly what stnppedl
the motor. I tried to got the engine
working again but / could not and.
was obliged to fly gradually down to
the sea. I believe that previous to
the mishap L$1naintained an even flight
of 400 feet above the water ~ was
unfortunate that the motor STOPPED.
as everything else was favorable and
III was going well at the time. Never
mind, will have another Antoinette.
1nonuplane from Charlons, with which,
another ATTEMPT Will be made to cross
|ttteSchannel withinla week or q ID avs. Y
NJ Latham left Ca lais for Paris this
afternoon. q NV ~
Herbert Ia tiiain. who had been wait
Ing for more than Il week for "a favor
able opportunity for crossing the chan
mel for Calais to Dover made a start this
morning but after covering about 10
miles. and while at a great height, The
motor failed and the machine5fell into
the water. The French torpedo boat
a
at hand and rescued both Latham and
his monoplane. Lathanl's start WAS
made early this morning from the top
of the cliff at San Gate, and under
$propitious circumstances. Az dawn
the sky was overcast. but the wind
was hardly perceptible. and an auto
mobile was dispatched to Caia1s 10 ap.gg
5prise the ministers that q start would
be made between and o'clock w lille
the nonoplane was being taken out
and pushed to the top of the cliff a
crowd OF several thousand persons as.
senlbled to witness the start and the
entire population of the villages lined
the shore below. Latham was IN nigh
spirits as he carefully inspected every
mart OF the machine, and on making
several trials with the eight cylinder
motor found$t the machine perfect. There
was a wait of an. hour until the torpe5
do-boats strung out in a line toward
the horizon. Finally all was in readi-s
ness. and the lnonoplane was pushed
back 200 yards from the crest OF the
cliff, which has precipitous fall OF FOG
feet to the sea. Latham was clad in u
knickerbocker suit and had donned a
life preserver. He showed no signs or
nervousness as he shook hands with
Ids friends on mounting the saddle.
start the motor he cried to his
assistants and then with a nod of his
head and the word See you in Dover"
threw the starting lever. OFF. the ma
chine rising along the ground, Just
before reaching the cliff the machine,
with outstretched wings, rose grace
fully and sailed out over the SHINING
waters amid a roar of cheers from tho
cliff and shores. The monoplane after
leaving the cliff assembled gradually
until 1t probably was 800 feet above
the sea Then. straight as an arrow II.
continued its flight towards the Eng
fish coast. apparently under perfect
control at rate of about IS miles an
hour The black hulled destroyer Ha1-
pom kept almost under her aerial COM
RAMON and at the end of Is minutes
both disappeared in the haze on the
horizon.
AN VICTORIOUS RETURN.
When the torpedo boat destroyer en-
tered the harbor at half past nine with
NJ. Latham and NJ. Lebayasserr. the
Associated Press correspondent Wno
had slept on the Harpon. aboard. the
aviator recaived Il tremendous ovation
li,,,r 10