Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-21
Was Returning Rapidly from Military
Field at Centicle.
FRENCH WANT AERIAL FLEET
Minister of Marine Enthusiastic Con-
vert to New War Monster.
WOULD BE USED AS SCOUTS
For Price of Single Cruiser Thousands
of AerOpIanes May BE Had
MOIssant TO Compete in
No-stOp Race.

ROME, Aug 20.-Leutenant Vivaldi of
the Italian army was killed this morning
by fall from his aeroplane. He had made
trip in the early morning hours from
the military aviation field at Centiclle to
Cittavecchla, on the Mediterranean sea,
thirty-six miles from Rome. and was re-
turning to Rome when the accident hap
pened. few miles outside of Rome, for
some unexplained reason, the machine
dashed to earth.
At the time of the accident the aero
plane was maintaining a height of 1000
feet and the body Of Vivaldi was crushed
to an unrecognizable mass.
Duke Vlvaldi had just returned from
Chalons sur Msrne, France where he had
taken up aviation. He used Farman BIZ
plane. He started from Centocelle this
morning accompanied by Lieutenant Sa-
Vain in another aeroplane, but the latter
was unable to keep pace with him and re-
turned to Rome before reaching Cittavec-
CHA.
France May Build Air FLEET.
PARIS, Aug 2O.-AdmiraI de Lapeysere,
the French minister of marine, has become
an enthusiastic convert to the possibilities
of the aeroplane in naval warfare, in view
of the results attained in the Paris-London
| flight of Moissant the great cross-country
course just completed by French aviators
and other recent achievements in the air.
| In a statement today he expressed the wish
that the French government should take
first rank in the world in aerial naviga-
tion as 1t does now in submarine feats
and proposes the establishment of flotillas
OF aerial equipment at the French naval
station at Brest. Toulon and Bsserta to
protect the ports and locate the mines and
submarines OF a possible. enemy.
For the price of single cruiser" said
the minister, we may have thousands OF
| aeroplanes They will be our scouts"
| 1t is understood that Moissant, the
American aviator now on his way to Lon
don, will compete with Latham. Paulhan
and Farman for the special Mcclellan prize
OF $4,000 for no-stop flight from Paris
to Clermont-Ferand with a passenger.
In many respects this flight Is considered
| far more difficult than previous aeroplane
feats, not because merely Of the passenger
| and no-stop stipulations, but because the
flight must end on the summit of the Pey
de Dome. a mountain 4,S00 feet high. where
the strong and erratic air currents will
make landing extremely difficult.
The rules provide that the competitor
must. upon starting. make a complete
| circle Of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris,
and after completing the 217 miles straight
away course circle the spire OF the
cathedral at Clermont-Ferrand before
landing on the mountain top.
wind Too strong for MOissant.
| CHATHAM, England, Aug. 2O-John
Moissant. the Chicago aviator, who was
forced 10 descend at Rainham. four miles
from here. by an accident to his aeroplane
Thursday, ascended at $50 this morning on
the last leg of his flight to London.
A strong wind was blowing. Moissant
made a circle OF three miles toward Med
way, then was forced to descend. He an
nounced after his descent that he found
the wind too strong and would not be able
] TO make a new start for several hours