Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-08-18
IS GUARDED Only BY
SLOW MOVING TUG BOAT
John 8. Moissant Makes Voyage in
Thirty seven Minutes at Height OF
Between Three Hundred and Four
Hundred Feet Above Water-Both
Men Arc Benumbed by Cold.


DEAL, ENG., aug. lit has Deen
reserved for an American citizen 10
perform one of the most daring feais
In the history of aviation John .
Moissant. of Chicago. flew across the
English channel trCm Calais to I'll
manstcne today, with passenger. and
by this achievement far surpassed the
feats Of BleriOt. De Lesseps ami the
unfortunate English aviator Rolls, who
afteTward met his death at Bourne
mouth.
The two-man flight from France t,
England was the more astonishing. COR
il was only month ago that MoIs-
SAINT learned to fly, and he made so
few flights and was so little known
among airmen that even his national-
ity was not disclosed
lie WIS reputed to be a Spaniard.
and it was only when he landei in
England today that it was revealed
that he is young Chicago architect.
To make the feat still more surprising.
Mcissant was totally ignorant of the
geography of his course. He had
never been in England and was
obliged 20 rely entirely on the com
Lass
The channel flight was an Incident
in the aerial voyage from Paris to Lon
Hubert Latham. and reached Amiens
in two hours. Latham's- aeroplane
was wrecked, and Moissant, leaving
Amiems at an early hour. headed for
Calais. His mechanician, Albert
Fileux, 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 chan
mel.
No Heed to Warning.
Moissant cared nothing for the
warnings of the people and even me
fact that there was no torpedo 5O1t
to follow in his wake. but only a SLOW
moving Jug, did not deter him. He
made the trip in 81 minutes. When
he descended his eyes were bloOdsh't
and greatly inlammed, as a result Of
the rain storm into which they drove
on approaching the English coast. An
average height Of between 300 and 400
feet was maintained over the water
The aviator expected to land at Dow
er. but was forced by the wind few
miles north and made the coast near
Deal.
The cold WIS intense and both Mois-
SAINT and his mechanician we're be
numbed. MOiSsant seemed 10 take his
monumental feat as though it we're a
daily occurrence. When 10 revived
sufficient he laughed and Said TO an
interviewer:
This s my first visit 10 England.
Describes His Experience.
Describing his experiences, he Said;
This IS only my sixth flight in an
ae:opIane did not know the way
from Paris to Calsis when I started,
and do rot know the way 20 London
shall have to rely on the compass. I
would like TO land in Hyde Park il
I can find it.
My ,nechanician, who weighs ~
pounds. had never been in ar aero
plane before and did not know where
was taking him when We left Paris
Moissa1t is IS years Of age He
first visited Paris some months ago
and he sccame interested IN the study
Of avis.ion. He lad two machines
built afer his own designs and found
the subject so fascinating that he
determines to become practical air
man. His fight today was made on 2
BIcriot machine. which weighs abort
500 pounds,
FTIcux. tho mechanism. a bury
Partisan. clad ia overalls, did not know
where nc vas going when he started
hut SAYS that h. felt quite At h'me. a.
he had he greatest confidence IN the
pilot.