The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1910-09-30
SHOOTS OVER
ALPINE PEAKS
pIuCky Performance Of Aviator
George Chavez
TRIES FOR PRIZE OF $4,000

With Terrors Of Voyage Past, He
Falls Victim to Puff of Wind When
Only Thirty Feet From Ground
He Is Badly Injured and Machine
Wrecked In Making Landing on Ital-
ian SolI-Doesn't Remember Falling
Domodossola, Italy, Sept. 25.-The
great feat of crossing the snow capped
Alpine barrier between Switzerland
and Italy in heavier than air machine
was accomplished by George Chavez,
the young Peruvian aviator.
But the plucky hero of the exploit
lies In the Domodossola hospital badly
injured as the result of an accident
which occurred Just as he had COM
pleted the most arduous and nerve
racking portion Of task he had set
out to accomplish-a flight from Brig
in Switzerland, across the Alps, to
Milan In Italy, In all a distance OF
about seventy-five miles.
Both his legs are broken, his left
thigh Is fractured and his body is bad
ly confused, but the physicians in at
tendance are of the opinion that the
hurts will not prove fatal, and that
unless unlocked for complications en-
sue Chavez will be about In two
months.
The accident happened as Chavez
was endeavoring to make a landing
here. The Alps had been crossed
most successfully and the aviator was
descending gracefully with the power
of his monoplane cut off. When 1t
was about thirty feet above the ground
a sudden gust of wind seemed to catch
the monoplane, which turned over and
fell, carrying Chavez with it.
When the crowds that had been
watching the descent ran up they
found Chavez lying bleeding and I'M
conscious beneath the twisted wreck
age. ~.
Fifty miles away, and over country
that has none of the hazards of the
Alps, lay Milan, the goal Chavez was
seeking in an endeavor to win prize
of $50 900 offered by the Italian Avia-
ton association for the fight. Chavez
had lost the race.
The weather at Brig was clear and
bright when Chavez made his start.
Leaving the ground with his motor
running at full speed he rose In
sweeping circles until he had reached
an altitude sufficient for him to clear
the Resti shoulder to the southeast
ward of Brig This obstacle having
been overcome the Peruvian aviator
headed his monoplane straight for the
snow capped crags OF the Flatchorn.
Constantly ascending. Chavez reached
the Simplon Kuhn, where, at an alti-
tude of 1900 feet, he turned his ma
chine south over the terrifying Simplon
Pass, with the Kaltwasser glacier at
his left and the frozen peak of the
at his right. ~
After crossing the divide, instead OF
taking a short cut over the Monchers
Pass, a huge edged glacier, Chavez
turned the towering white mountain
head of Monte Leone, which rises
10 a height of 16, GAG feet, and passed
down above the Gondegorge, a deep
gulf between sheer walls, until he
reached the open valley of Vedre, and
hen descended easily toward Domo-
iossola, which is $50 feet above sea
evel. II was here that the accident
Some OF the spectators of the fight
Jay that after crossing the Simplon
Pass. Chavez followed the short cut
QUITE over the Monser Pass, which is
900 feet above the sea. If this be so
I is possible that the Peruvian beat
lis own worlds record for height of
271 feet.
The twenty-five miles between Brig
nd Doraodossola, which it took the
rmies of Napoleon fortnight to
negotiate, Chavez accomplished by
he way of the eagle in exactly forty
minutes.
From the high point at Monsera, he
1000 feet in thirteen miles,
is machine gaining momentum as 1t
ew over the tumble of lower peaks,
ullies and hills beyond. until its
peed was terrific as II approached the
erodrome here. This doubtless
aused the accident which turned the
beers of admiration by the waiting
rowd into cries Of horror, for the ma
hine came hurting TO the ground.
ist as II seemed that Chavez was
bout to alight in safety.
After treatment In the hospital
havez regained consciousness. He
lffered terribly from his hurts. He
lid he was unable 70 explain how the
,cideut occurred-that he could not
,member having fallen. The gen.
-al opinion is that II was due 70 a
light shift in the rudder while the
onoplane was going at a high rate of
,eed.
Although Chavez failed to win the
-ize Of $40 200. having failed to reach
ilan. some Of the members of the
Ration committee are in favor OF
rning over the purse TO him and
.orfsru a monument In Commence,