The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-23
The Chavez MonOplane in Which He
Crossed the Alps Today.

The Chavez MOnOplane in Which He
Crossed the Alps Today.
As the air man was seen slowly de-
scending great crowd gathered. Slow
ly and gracefully he neared the sur
face and was about 30 feet above the
ground when a gust of wind caught
and overturned the monoplane 1t fell
heavily, carrying the aviator beneath
it. Chavez was pinned under the mo-
tor and painfully hurt. He had faint
ed on striking the ground and was
bleeding profusely when released from
the wreckage. The machine was ruined.
American Gave 1t Up.
The American aviator, Mr.. Weymann,
also attempted the fight, leaving the
tableland at Brig at l o'clock this af-
ternOOn. Later word was received that
he had descended after being in the
air four minutes The weather for the
competition was excellent. The morn
ing opened clear on the surface and
the haze that had gathered on the
mountain tops was early blown away.
BY noon the wind had died out.
Chavez believed that the favorable
opportunity which he had awaited
since Monday morning had come and
he decided to make the start He got
away at 1:29 o'clock and rose to a
height estimated to be nearly 1000
feet. He passed swiftly over the
mountain tops, clearing the summit of
Simplon pass at 1916. At that time his
monoplane was moving as steadily as
a railroad train.
After negotiating Simplon pass,
Chavez followed the route over Condo
Gorge, one of the grandest and at the
same time one of the most savage of
the Alps. He reached here at 2:11
o'clock.
But for the mishap in alighting
there is little doubt that he would have
EnCCPSSflIIiNr continued fO
the remainder of the course presents
comparatively little difficulty.
There is general regret that fate
which permitted him to make what
has been described as the most reck-
less flight ever attempted should have
dealt less kindly with him when he
had reached the zone of easy flying
and the prize was in sight.
With the exception of Chavez and
Weymann the aviators abandoned the
competition this morning. The time
limit Of the contest will expire to-
morrow. Chavez's most notable feat
up to today was in establishing a new
altitude record. On September 8, he
rose to a height of S.271 feet
Chavez crossed the Simplon pass at
las and thus accomplished what has
been regarded as one of the most dar-
ing feats proposed for the air men. He
had waited patiently for favorable
weather along the route, where strong
winds are the rule. This morning both
sides of the Alps reported clear wealth
er, but the top of the SimplOn pass was
obscured in haze.
Rose to Great Height.
Chavez determined to make the at
tempt and rose to a height estimated
at nearly 1000 feet. 1t was known that
It would be necessary for him to at
tain nearly this altitude to clear the
Simplon pass. the summit of which
rises 6,592 feet.
He maintained apparently this alti-
tude for at least a half hour and fol-
lowed over the road built by Napoleon
in 1900 over the Simplon pass. He as
complished the eight miles that
brought him over the top of Simplon
and then sailed gracefully over the is
miles down to Dom Odossola. Arriving
at DomodossOla he had left the hardest
part of his journey behind him, having
escaped the high peaks and the jumDle
of rocky gorges on the side of the
summit
The remaining distance to this city
offers less difficulty but takes the avi-
ator over Lake Maggiore and sue
cession of plains to the goal.
Distance Is IS Miles.
The distance from Brig. Switzerland,
for the aviator who should make the
to Milan, is 20 miles and the prize was
for the aviator who should make the
800 feet above sea level at the head of
the Rhone valley near Brig, Switzer-
land. In addition to reaching a height
that would bring him over the Simp-
plon pass and in doing which he must
suffer severely from the cold, the avi-
atOr was required to guide his fraiI
craft over wide chasms, notably the
Gorge of Ysette, where safe descent