The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-03-02
.DELAGRANGE'S MISHAPs.
Frenchman Killed In Monoplane Flight
Was Prominent Aviator.

Was Prominent Aviator.
Leon Delagrange. the Frenchman
who was recently killed when his
monoplane broke in midair at Bor.
deaux, France, was we'll known as IN
aviator, not only as having Mt various
times held the record for speed and
distance, but also for his daring. His
career was marked by several serious
accidents before the fatal one, but he
continued his exploits. earning the
reputation Of a man who would run a
good deal Of risk rather than disap-
point the spectators who had gathered
to see him fly.
Well known already as an automo-
bilist, Delagrange took up aviation in
the early stages Of the sport and made
his first public ascent ut Bagatelle,
France. on March 16, 1907, in a b.
plane. He was satisfied then with a
flight Of thirty feet, but a few days
later he took a passenger up and &C.
complished 453 feet.
On Nov. 5. 1907, he met with his first
accident at 1ssy, France. His machine
fell and was smashed, but he escaped
with a few bruises and cuts. At Issy
also in the following May he had a
narrow escape, as with Farman he was
competing for the Armegaud prize OF
$1,000 for a fight of fifteen minutes.
He was travelling fast near the ground.
and his machine swerved toward the
crowd of spectators. He at once shut
of power and in descending crashed
into a motorcar. The machine was
smashed to atoms, but Delagrange es'
capped almost uninjured.
Again he was hurt in the next spring
In an exhibition fight at Milan before
Queen Margherita Of Italy, but so lit
tie was he unnerved that eleven days
later he gave another exhibition be-
fore her majesty, remaining In the air
for 16 minutes II seconds and cover
ing a little over eleven miles. For this
performance, a record at the time, he
received a special gold medal.
At Issy, on Sept. 6, 1908, Delagrange
made another record. He few fifteen
and two-ifth miles in 20 minutes and
"a As seconds and came to the ground
only because his petrol was exhausted.
At that time this beat Wright's and
Farman's records by twelve minutes.
In May last year Delagrange, at Ju-
vissy, won the Lagatineri prize, making
three and sixteenth miles in 10 min
utes IS seconds. At the Rheims COM
petitions in August he used for the
first time a monoplane, but achieved
no great success, being placed tenth
for speed and eighth for distance. On
one occasion his propeller broke, and
he was badly bruised. He then visited
Denmark and flew for fifteen minutes
for King Frederick at Aarhus.
His first sensational flight, however,
was made on Oct. 26, 1909. At DON
caster, in England. he covered six
miles in I minutes sc seconds, at a
rate at times of over fifty miles an
hour. He also established a speed rec
ord Of l mile and $50 yards In 1 min
ute Al is seconds-that is, about fifty
four miles an hour. His machine on
this occasion was a Bleriot monoplane.
On Thursday, Dec. 80, 1909, he &C.
complished another worlds speed rec
ord. At Juvissy in trying to win the
Michelin cup he flew 124 miles in 2
hours SO minutes. an average speed of
f%orty-nine miles an hour.
Many honors were conferred on De-
lagrange for his achievements. mong
them were the Order Of the Legion of
Honor, an enamel medal by the Acad-
envy of Sciences, Paris, and the presi-
dency of the Aviation Club of France
for 1907. His pastimes consisted in
hunting, horseback riding and automo-
billing.