Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-08-04
|BIER|OT'S FLIGHT
ACROSS CHANNEL
IT WAS VERY EASY AFTER HE
ONCE STARTED ON HIS
I WAY.
OUT OF SIGHT OF LAND
FOR BRIEF SPACE OF TINE.
His Story Of First Flight Over Eng.
lish Channel-French Awaited
Falling on His
Arrival.

| Dover, Eng, July 25. - This
sleepy seaport town experienced the
keenest thrill known In genera
ton when at sunrise today a white
birdlike machine, with loudly hum
ming motor, swept out from the
haze obscuring the sea toward the
distant French coast, and circling
twice above the high, chalky ellis
Of Dover, alighted on English soil.
Louis Bieriot had succeeded In
crossing the English channel In an
airship.
Bieriot, portly and red mustash-
ed. calmly descended from the sad
die, limping on a bandaged foot
which had been burned on his pre-
vious overland fight.
Friends Call On Him.
Immediately two compatriots,
who had been waving q big tricolor-
ed flag fell upon him enthusiastic
cally, embracing him, shouting. and
pounding him on the back. They.
with few soldiers and others who
happened to be on the scene. were
the only persons to witness the an
ish OF a remarkable feat.
Bleriot left Les Barreques. three
miles from Calais, about 1880 a. M.
on one OF the smallest monoplanes
ever used. He crossed the channel
in little less than half an hour,
twice as swiftly as the fastest mall
boat. His speed averaged more
than as miles an hour; sometimes 1t
approximated 60 miles. He kept
about $50 feet above the sea level
and for about 10 minutes In mid
channel was out OF sight Of both
coasts and the French torpedo boat
destroyer whoch followed. him with
his wife and friends aboard.
The wind was blowing about 70
miles an hour and the sea wai
choppy. The aviator was swathed
in single garment Of drilling, i'm
hpercious to the wind. which covered
him from the top OF his head to his
feet. only his face showing. He also
wore a cork lifebelt.
BY this achievement Bleriot won
the prize OF $1,000 offered by the
London Daily Mail for the FIRST
fight across the English Channel
and stole a march on his rivels. HUI.
bert Latham and Count de Lambert
both Of whom had hoped to make the
attempt today. Bleriot described
his remarkable fight very modestly
81 arose at o'clock" he said
"and went to the aeroplane shed
Finding everything In order on tn,
trial spin l decided to make, thu
flight. The French torpedo boa
destroyer which was In attendanc,
was signaled, and 1t put out abou
four miles. Then rose in the ali
and pointed directly to Dover. Ate
ten minutes I was out of sight o
land and had left the warship wei
behind. For few minutes I coul'
not see either coast, nor any boat
tried to keep at an average heigh
OF $50 feet. might easily hav
gone higher, but II would have serv
! ed no purpose. This was about tn
right height, thought, to clear tn
Dover hills in safety.
THE machine dipped toward tn
water several times. put on NOR
petrol once. I estimate that tn
propellers were going 1900 to LAO
revolutions a minute.
: Sees Friendly Flag.
THE first objects saw were tn
] ships of the English coast; then
observed Deal. and I discovered tbs
the wind, which was southwest, wa
carrying me thither. veered to tn
southwark to, Dover castle, and the
saw friends fiourlshing a flag In
valley suitable for landing. mad
two circles while lessening the spec
and then dived down, but came
I, contact with the ground sooner tina
! expected. Both the machine an
: myself were badly shaken up.
"A few persons quickly assemble
and l was helped out, as my injurs
foot was painful. ] am exceeding