The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-08-20
Young American Flies Across the Eng
.lish Channel Carrying
A MAN ALONG WITH Hin
John B. Moissant, Young Chicago
Architect, Accompanied by Mech
anician, Makes His First Visit to
Ensland'' in Spectacular Man
ner.-Course Unknown.

ner,-Course Unknown.
~ 1t has been reserved for an Amer
ican citizen to perform one of the
{ most daring feats in the history OF
) aviation. John B. Moissant, of Chic
ego, flew across the English Channel
from Calais, France, to Tilmanstone,
England, Wednesday with a passen-
ger, and by this achievement far sur
PASSED the feat of Bleriot, Delesseps
and the unfortunate English avia-
tor, Rolls, who afterwards met his
death at Bournemouth.
The two man fight from France
to England was the more astonishing
for it was only q month ago. that
Moissant learned to fly, and he made
so few flights and was so little knoH'
: among cir men that even his ma
tionality was not disclosed. He was
reputed to be Spaniard, and it was
only when he landed in England that
j. was revealed that he is a young
Chicago arcnltect.
To make the feat still more sur
prising, Moissant was totally ignorant
OF the course. He had never been
in England, and was obliged to rely
entirely on the compass.
The Channel fight was an Incl
dent in the aerial voyage from Par
is to London. Moissant left 1ssy
yesterday with Hubert Latham and
reached Amiens in two hours. La
tham's aeroplane was wrecked and
this morning Moissant, leaving
Amiens at an early hour, headed for
Calias. His mechanician, Albert FL
lex, who had accompanied him
across the country, took his place in
the machine when the motor was set
! in motion for the dash across the
Channel.
Moissant, cared nothing for the
warnings of the people and even the
fact that there was no torpedo boat
III his wake, but only slow NOV
ing tug, did not deter him. He made
the trip in 81 minutes. When he de-
scended his eyes were bloodshos, and
greatly inflamed, as result of the
heavy rain storm, which they drove
Z into on approaching the English
Z coast.
An average height Of between 800
and 400 feet was maintained over
the water. The aviator expected to
land at Dover, but was forced north
by the wind and made the coast near
Deal. The cold was intense and both
Moissant and his mechanician We're
benumbed. Moissant seemed to take
his monumental feat as though 1t
were a daily occurrence.
When he revived sufficiently ne
..anghed and said to an interviewer:
This is my first visit to Eng
land"
Describing his accomplishment he
said:
This is only my sixth, fight in
an aeroplane. I did not know the
way from Paris to Calias when
started. And 1 do not know the way
to London. I shall have to rely on
the compass. T would like to land
in Hyde Park if can find it.
'.My mechanician, who weighs 1872
pounds, has never been in an aero
plane before this, and did, not know
where was taking him when we
left Paris
;Moissant is 35 years old. He first
visited Paris some months ago and
became interested in the study OF
eviatian. He had two machines
built after his own designs and found
the subject so fashionable that he
determined to become practicable
air man. His fight to-day was made
on Bleriot machine, which weighs
about 500 pounds.
Fileux, the mechanician, a burly
Partisan clad in overalls, did not
know where he was going when
Started, but says that he felt quite
at home, as he had the greatest con-
fidence in the pilot.