The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-28
Aviator Escapes Death By
 His Thrilling Nerve
NEARLY 5000 FEET IN AIR
Orleans In Stiff Wind Which Makes the Flights Very
 Dangerous

New Orleans. December N.-Spiral glid- ing down from an altitude of almost 5000 feet with a frozen carbureter, a dead en- zine, blown five miles from his course by 4o-mle an hour wind. John B. Moisant, international aviator, swept down to within 20 feet of stump strewn, tree studded area at the rate of hundred miles an hour this afternoon at the avia- tion field. His engine thawed in the warmer level only in time to allow the daring aviator to start his propellers and thread a perious passage from among the trees, rise and settle with a grace full swoop onto the field amid the cheers of several hundred people. who had risen in their excitement and started to rush where Moisant was thought to have fallen to wreck and possible injury
 Aviators, press representatives and off cials crowded about the little aviator and congratulated him on his escape. He coolly explained that owing to his high altitude his carbureter had stuck and only the downward rush, resulting in suf- ficient pressure against the beveI blades of the propellers to keep them turning revived motor had saved him from wreck.
 Moisant Is Not Excited
 Moisant, despite his narrow escape from possibly injury and death and wreckage of his 50-horsepower Bleriot monoplane was the least excited person on the field and was inclined to regard the incident as one of the many that are apt to hap pen to the airman and nothing to cre- ate any great exciteemnt.
 Other aviators here prnounce Moisant's s feat of making the glide in the strong wind and of threading his way safely out him as one of the most wonderful they have ever seen.
 Moisant's altitude establishes the rec ord for the New Orleans meet so far. the actual unofficial figures being given out as being S03S feet, but all agreed that the real figures was nearer 5000 feet, as showed by an aneroid barometer.
 This beats Roland Garros' altitude of 7125 feet, made three days ago, by almost a thousand feet.
 Second Ascent Made
 Despite his narrow escape and over the protest of hii brother, A. J. Moisant, the little aviator ascended in his Bleriot a short time fter in the teeth of a wind which was hen blowing 30 miles an hour and made a second beautiful flight in order to p event the crowd being disap- pointed.
 On his first flight Moisant remained aloft 32 minutes, 2S 2-5 seconds, while on his second aerial journey he rode the wind for minutes, 2-6 seconds before de- scending.
 Rene Simon, the young French aviator, not to be outdone by his intrepid teanl- mate. ascended in the stiff wind and rode serenely to a height of several hundred feet, remaining aloft 8 minutes, g sec- onds.
 After Moisant's second flight Simon, de- termined to go up as often as did the Chi cagoan, again started his motor and soar ed upward for minutes, seconds. Both times he received an ovation for his dar- ing.
 At times, in the higher attitudes, said the aviators, the wind approached 50 miles an hour and could be plainly seen by the spectators, was sufficiently strong to hold the monoplanes. capable of 50 to 70 miles an hour in still air, almost stationary at times, for two or three min- utes. No other flights were made.
 Flights at Los Angeles
 Los Angeles, December 27.-Aeroplane racing was begun today when Eugene Ely defeated Phillip O. Parmalee by near ly half a mile in the eight and three- quarters mile contest. The race was feature of rather dull day. The avia- tors sped oyer the course in a ten-mile breeze. Ely's time was 10:05 2-5. Parma lees time was not taken.
 Ely, in speed test earlier In the day, went once around the one and three quarters mile track in 1:5S 1-5, or about 53 miles an hour This is record for the field.
 Glenn Martin, an amateur aviator from Santa Anita, Cal, fell 70 feet during a practice flight today but was unhurt. Mar tin lost control of his planes and was dashed against the fence enclosing the field. His machine was wrecked.