Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-27
LATHAM. LANDING IN 50-MILE GALE,
sMASHES FENCE, BUT ESCAPES INJURY
French Aviator Sails Successfully for Two Hours Strikes Current
of Cold Air and Pnges Through the Barbed Wire on the
Property of the Pacific Electric Railroad Company

gar. At $50 it was in its tent on the
aviation field. The extra parts were
got out and the mechanics IN
structed to do all they could to repair
the damage before morning. Latham
then returned to Los Angeles.
At the Alexandria last evening the
Frenchnan explained the cause Of the
accident.
WuuRLED OUT or COURSE
"The affair was caused primarily be-
cause ! was flying too close to the
ground when / went over the blutt on
top of which the aviation course les
he said. "Ns / sailed out over the fiat
lands / struck a current of very cold air.
Coming as ! did. from fairly warm
atmosphere into one much cooler, my
machine descended rapidly. At the
same time I was caught in an uueX-
Dectcd counter current of air, Whlch
whirlcd me out of my course. Beln@
very near to the ground, I was unable
to get enough tip to the tail Of my ma
chine to lift it before striking the fence
"I did my best to avoid it, he con-
| tinued half apOlogeticaily, but it was
/ impoesible. IT was a mtscaIculatlon on
my baritone which l could have cor
rectcd easily had 1 been a few feet
higher in the air at the time of its oc-
|CurrenCe."
Latham had been trying to land in
the teeth Of the gale for a half hour
before the accident occurred. Time ana
time again he circlcd the course. COM
, ing to within hundred feet of earth
and then shooting up again. unable 10
land safely. He was beginning to run
short of gasoline and cylinder oil. His
motors, which had been working per
fectly, missed occasionally. The crowd.
not realizing the predicamcnt Latham
was in. cheered as he circled above It's
head. The aviators and eXperlenced
officials on the field, knowing the dan
ger. watched anxiOusly as he fought
his way through the turbulent air. :.
'Tf he should come to the ground
with that wind blowing he undoubt-
edly would be overturned remarked
"IIe never can do it safely" echoed
another.
HUNDREDS EXPECT TRAGEDY
Then Latham disappeared from view.
The crowd a t the upper end OF the held
rushed to the edge of the bluff ana
began to climb doWn.s a dusty horse
man came galloping across the field to
the Judges stand, bringing the first
news of the accident. 1t was not an
nounced until he had been sent back
to ascertain that the aviator was not
hurt.
on his return with the news that
Latham had escaped without even a
scratch the annOuncerS all dlohS tli0
line told of the accident, at the same
announcing that the Antoinette was
out Of the meet only temporarily and
would probably be in action again by
Wednesday.
The latter statement provoked a
cheer, for since the meet opened Sat
urday the French aviator and his long,
mysterious airship have won the respect
and appreciation of the public on ac-
count of its durable qualities and its
ability to fy-if not to land-in almost
any kind of weather. Latham did not
appear to receive the plaudits of the
crowd-being busily engaged in getting
his machine to pieces. but the sincere
sympathy Of the committee and of his
fellow aViators was conveyed to him
by members of the field committee.