The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-18
"A NEW -COMER
AMONG AIR MEN
So Little Was John B. Moissant,
Chicago Architect, Known.
That He Was Believed to
Be Spaniard-On Sixth
Flight He Startles World
by His Success.
Deal, England, August 17--Moissnnt
resumed his flight to London at 4:55
Especial to The Tines s-Dispatch.l

Especial to The eT1mes-Dispatch.1
Deal, England, August LIT has
been reserved for an American citi-
zen to perform one of the most daring
feats in the history OF aviation. John
B. Moissant, of Chicago, flew across
the English Channel from Calais to
Tllmanstone to-day with a passenger.
and by this achievement far surpassed
the feats OF Bleriot, De Lesseps and
the unfortunate English aviator. Rolls,
who afterward met his death at
Bournemouth.
The two-man flight from France to
England was the more astonishing.
for 1t was only a month ago that
Moissant learned to fly. and he made
30 few flights and was so little known
among air men that even his national
ity was not disclosed. He was reput-
ed to be spaniard, and 1t was only
when he landed in England to-day
that It was revealed that he is q
young Chicago architect.
Relies ON Compass.
To make the feat still more sur
prising. Moissant was totally ignorant
of the geography OF his course. He
had never been in England, and was
Obliged to rely entirely on the com
pass.
The channel fight was an Incident
IN the aerial voyage from Paris to
London. Moissant left Issy yesterday
with Hubert Latham. and reached
Amiens in two hours. Latham's aero
plane was wrecked. and this morning
Moissant leaving Amiens at an early
hour, headed for Calais. His mechan-
4 fcf To bar ,h1 nod
panied him across the country, took
his place in the machine when the
motor was set in motion for the dash
across the channel.
9foissant cared nothing for tho
warnings Of the people and even the
fact that there was no torpedo boat
to follow in his wake, but only slow
moving tug, did not deter him. He
made the trip in thirty-seven minutes.
When he descended his eyes were.
,bloodshot and greatly inflamed, as a
result OF the heavy rain storm into
which they drove on approaching the
English coast.
An average height OF between 500
and 400 feet was maintained over the
water. The aviator expected to land
tsDover. but was forced by the wind
a few miles North and made the coast
near Deal. The cold was intense. and
both AIoissant and his mechanician
were benumbed. Moissant seemed to
take his monumental feat as though
1t were a daily occurrence. When he
revived sufficiently he laughed and
said to an interviewer:
"This Is my first visit to England
His Sixth Flight.
{ Describing his experiences he said:
This is only my sixth flight in an
aeroplane. Il did not know the way
from Paris to Calais when started,
and I do not know the way to Lon
don. shall have to rely on the COM
pass I would like to land in Hyde
Park If I can find it.
my mechanlcian, who weighs 1872
pounds. had never been in an aero
plane before, and did not know where
I was taking him when we left Paris
MoissantRis Is thirty-f Ave years of age.
He first visited Paris some months ago
and became interested In the study OF
aviation. He had two machines built
after his own de igns, and found the
subject so fascinating that he deter
mined TO become a practical air man..
His flight to-day was made on a Ble-
riot machine, which weighs about 500
pounds.
Fileux, the mechanician. a burly
Partisan, clad In overalls, did not
know where he was going when he
started. !. but says that he felt quite at
home, as he had the greatest conf