The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-07-28
A GREAT EVENT
6le!iot Crosses the English
CHAINS! Sunday
IN A FLYING MACHINE

and Landed at Dover in England
| Where He Greatly Surprised the
People by the appearance of Hi.
Strange Craft
TIE sleepy seaport town OF Dover.
England. says cablesran. ezpe7-
fenced the leenes. thrill known IN q
generation when a. sunrise Sunday
morning white-winged. biCd-like
machine with l,udly humm!ng motor
swep. ou: from the haze obscu-ins
,he sea toward the distant French
coast, and. ci.cling twice above the
high chalky cliffs OF Dover. aligh:e;s
on English soil.
A calm Frenchnan. Ble7iot. q
por,ly and red-nustaehed maa OF 81.
descended from the saddle. !!mpios
oa bandaged foot. which had been
burned OF his previous overland
flight. Immediately two compat.!oIs.
WHO had been waving big French
tag as sigma, for the landing Dlsee.
fell upon him enthusiastically. en-
5racins him. shouting AID pounding
him on the back They. with few
English soldiers and others who hap
peaed by chance to be on the scene.
were the only persons to witness the
finish Of most remarkable feat.
Bler!ot left Les Ba.aques. France.
three miles from Calais. abon. 4.30
a. N. Sunday on one OF the smallest
monop!anes ever used. He crossed
the channel IN little less than
half hour. twice as swiftly az the
fastest maii steamer. His speed aver
aged more than IS miles an hour.
sometimes II approxina:ed so miles.
He kept about $50 feet above the sea
level and 70. 10 minutes. while about
-!d-chaanel. was out Of sight OF both
coas,s. and also OF the French ie-
s,roye- which followed him. with his
wife and friends aboard. The wind
was blowing about 20 miles an hour
and the sea was choopy. The aviator
wss swa,hec In single garment OF
drilling. impc7vious 70 the wind.
which covered him from the top Of
his head 70 his feet. only his face
showing. He also wore cork life
belt.
An eye witness OF the landing thus
describes il:
VERY early IN the morning wire
less message was received from Cal
.is ,ha, Bleriot intended to make
the flight. Then IN quick succession
came :he news that he had left and
was fast making Dover.
Like Great Hawk.
''Eastening to the clir. arrived
there Just 9 moment before the si--
shtp. which was dying fast. Ike a
gigantic hawk. Bler!oc swocped over
head. glancing from right to left,
and then turned his machine tc the
east and came TO the ground in the
meadow. II circled with consum-
mate ease and made the landing
GRACEFUL: but. even though 1t touch
ed the land lightly. Il was slightly
damaged
Rr his achievement Sunday Bier
lot won the prise Of $4,000 offered
by the London Daily Mail tor the
h.s, flight across the English chaa-
| mel. and stole march on hts r:v-.s
Huber, Latham and Count de Lam.
bert. both OF whom had hoped tc
make the attempt.
Bie-io.. who speaks little En-
slisa described his remarkable i!eh'
very modestly.
II arose al 5 O'Clock. he said
and went to the aerop!ane shed
Finding everything in order on the
rial spin. deci:ed TO make the
aight. The French torpedo boa; de
,t-over. which was n attendance
sas slgnaled. and it put out abou
our miles. Then | rose into the al
aad pointed directly 70 Dover. Ate
| zen minutes | was out OF sight o
land and had LEFT the warsh!p we!
behind. For few minutes coul;
! 20, see either coast. nor any boa;
tried 10 keep 1t an average heish
Of $50 feet might easily hav
zone higher. This was about n
light height. ] thought. TO clear tn
Dover cliffs easily.
The machine dipped toward n
water several times. The first oh
| :ec,s | saw were ships OF the In
;lish coast. then I observed Deal.
yecrei 10 the southwark towaT
Dover Castle and then saw friend
Gcurishing a flag in valley sui,abl
:or landing.
And Then Owed Down.
II made two circles while Lesser
ing the speed and then d!ved dowr
but / came 81 contact with II
; ground sooner than expected. Bot
the machine and myself were bad!
shaken.
"A few persons quickly assemble
and was helped out. as my !nJure
foo, was painful. am extreme
glad 10 be here.
N. BIer:ot's friends took hi
: quickly in an automobile 20 the o
b Lord Warden hotel by the pier fro
! which mail boats depart In I!
: meantime. his wife arrived or I!
S destroyer. She embraced him. wee
. ing. but they were soon sitting
breakfast. the center OF a prof
gathering Of French people. +
! mayo. and other Dover officials ca
Cd early and welcomed ". Bleriot
g the name OF the city and nation