The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-08-18
NEAR
HIS MACHINE
MoiSSant Wouldn't Leave the
Little Baby" Alone
DELAYED BY ACCIDENT
American Who Made Remarkable Rec.
ord Of Flying Across English
Channel with a Passenger Is
in London Now.

London Aug. ls.--John b. Moiaant
the Spanish-Aincriean aviator, met with
two accidents to-day IN his Paris.Lon
don fight, while on the last stretch
which damaQed his monoplane necessi-
tating his remaining until tomorrow be-
fore completing the trip. In ahghtine
the propeller was broken, the machine
almost crashing into tree. Aloisant
Immediately wired to Paris for a new
propeller
After the accident he was invited
10 spend the night with ncwiound
friends. but refused to leave his little
baby" as he called the monoplane He
sept in a haystack all night, and this
morning he bsgan testing the machine
for the final stage Of the fight.
Describing his experiences, lie said yes
terIay,
eTas is only my sixth flight In an
afeopane. did not know the way from
Paris 10 Calais when | started and | Do
not know the way to London. ! shall
have TO rely on the compass. would
like to land in Hyde park, If l can ind
it.
my mcchanician who weighs ls2
pounds, had never been in an areoplane
before and did not not know where /
was taking him when we left Paris.
The people tried to dissaude me from
making the flight from Calais IN the
strong rusty wind. but in spite Of the
pitching during the crossing OF the chan
mel, the greatest difficulty encountered
in the trip was landing. the sea and
land winds causing dangerous cross cur
rents"
Asked how he came 10 attempt such
a flight, Moissant said that tie idea
had been discussed IN aviation circles
in Paris aud had been generally re-
garded as an impossibility. he scotied
at this motion and declared that not
only would he attempt It himself but
be would also carry a passenger He
was surprised 70 hear that Latham had
started on the fight, but determined
to follow him in spite OF Latham's big
advantage
Deal, Eng. Aug. ls,-It was reserved
for an American citizen 70 perform onv
at The most daring fests n tho history
81 aviation. John Il. Moissant Of Chi.
eAgo yesterday flew across the English
from Salais TO IilnmnStone,
with passenger. and by this achieve
ment far surpassed the feats Of Bleriot,
DeLesscps and the unfortunate English
aviator Rolls. who later met his death
1T Bournemouth.
Two two-man fight from France was
the more astonishing, as IL was only
4 month ago that Moissant learned 10
ay. and he made so few flights and was
50 little known among air men that even
his nationality was not disclosed He
was replted TO be a Spaniara, and only
when he landed in England yesterday
was IL revealed that he was yonnE
architect from Chicago.
TO make the feat more surprising
MoissaDt was totally ignorant OF the
geography Of his course. lie had never
been in England and was obliged to re-
81 entirely on the compass, while the
srosang Of the channel was accomplished /
II the teeth Of strong westerly wind |
Moissant cared nothing for the warn
ngs Of the people and even the fact
That there was no torpedo boat to boil |
ow in his wake, but only a slow NOV
ng tug, did not deter him. He made
the trip in thirty-seven minutes When I
he descended his ewes were bloodsihot /
md greatly infiamed as result Of a |
leavy rain storm into which they drove
IN approaching the English coast. The |
Ugh wind beat the rain into the faces
# the men like hail and almost blind
d them.
An average height Of between 800 /
ind 400 feet was maintained over the
water The aviator expected to land at
loyen but was forced BY the wind a
ew miles north and made the coast near
)eal. The cold was intense, and both
and his meahinician we're be-
iumbed Moissaut seemed to take his
monumental feat as though it were
taily occurrence When he revived snf
ieiently he laughed and said to an in
eryiewer: This il my first visit to
ingland.n