Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-08-18
ASSOCIATED Press)

DEAL, England, Aug. T.-lt has
been reserved for an American citizen
to perform one of the most daring feats
in the history of aviation.
John B. Moissant of Chicago few
across the English channel from Calais
to Tilmanstone today, with passen-
ger, and by this achievement far sur
passed the feats of Bleriot, De Les
seps and the English aviator Rolls,
who afterward met his death at
Bournemouth.
The two-man fight from France to
England was the most astonishing In
that ii was only a month ago that
Moissant learned to fly and was so
little known among air men that not
even his nationality was disclosed. He
was reputed to be a Spaniard and 1T
was only when he landed in E1pgland
today that it was revealed that he Is
a young Chicago architect.
To make the feat still more surpris-
ing, Moissant was totally ignorant of
the geography of his cruise. He had
never been in England and was obliged
to rely entirely on the compass while
crossing the channel in the teeth or
a strong easterly wind.
The channel fight was an incident in
the aerial voyage from Paris to Lon
don. Moissant left Issy yesterday with
Hubert Latham and reached Amiens
in two hours. I4atham's aeroplane was
wrecked and this morning Moissant,
leaving Amiens at an early hour,
headed for Calais. His mechanician, AL
bert Fileux, who had accompanied him
across the country, took his place In
the machine when the, motor had been
set in motion for the dash across the
channel
Thousands who had gathered to
watch the daring aviator were amazed
and urged him no1 to make the at
tempt in the face of the half gale that
was blowing.
Moissant cared nothing for the warn
ings of the people, and even the fact
that there was no torpedo boat to fol-
low in his wake, but only slow NOV
ing tug, did not deter him. He made
the trip in 81 minutes. When he des-
ended, his eyes were greatly infiamed
as a result of the heavy rainstorm he
drove into as he approached the Eng
lsh coast. An average height of be-
tween three hundred and four hundred
feet was maintained over the water.
The cold was intense and both Mois-
SAINT and his mechanician were be-
numbed. When he revived sufficiently,
he laughed and said:
FIRST VISIT TO ENGLAND
'This is my first visit to England.
This is only my sixth flight in an aero
plane. l did not know the way from
Paris to Calais when / started, and
| did not know the way to London. l
shall have to rely on the compass.
NV mechanician, who weighs 1S2
hounds, had never been in an aeroplane
before and did not know where was
taking him when we left Paris The
greatest difficulty encountered in the
trip was landing the sea and land
winds causing dangerous cross-cur-
rents"
Asked how he came to attempt such
a flight as that from Paris to London,
Moissant said that the idea was dis
cussed in aviation circles in Paris and
was generally regarded as an impos-
sibility, He said that not only would
he attempt it himself, but would carry
a passenger also.
Moissant, who is S5 years old, is OF
slight build, but seemingly of very
jovial temperament. He first visited
Paris some months ago and became in
terested in the study of aviation.
His flight was made in Blertot ma
chine which weighs about 800 pounds.
He himself weighs about 150 pounds, so
that the total weight amounted to
about 1850 pounds.
LATHAM MEETS WITH MsHAPs
Hubert Latham, who started from
Issy, suburb of Paris, to race Mois-
SAINT to London, had series of acci-
QenIS, LIl0 leiSb dL faAAiCho
in the total wrecking of his machine
as he was preparing to resume the
fight. Latham escaped unhurt but is
out of the race.
The last stage of Moissant's flight,
the trip across the channel, was accom-
plished in strong breeze, the wind
being so high that experienced aviators
looked on the start as foolish. 1t was
such a wind as repeatedly deferred
Bleriot, Latham and others from at
tempting the passage of the straits,
and correspondents who had witnessed
the earlier attempts to cross the chan
mel confidently wired their papers that
Moissant would not start before even
ing, when the wind was predicted to
fall.
Nevertheless, as soon as he could
arrange for French torpedo boat to
follow him across the channel, Mois-
SAINT launched his aeroplane from the
cliffs near Calais at 10:45 this morning
and started for the English shore.
The breeze was still strong and the
monoplane which like-other Bleriot ma
chimes appeared to spectators less
steady in the air than the heavier bi-
nlane. pitched and rolled so danger
ouslv that spectators believed it in
imminent danger.
4 Moissant, however, though one of the
= Youngest aViators, managed his ma
chine with the greatest skill and as
the Bleriot with it's guide passed out