Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-23
AEROPLANE OVERTURNED;
AVIATOR PAINFULLY HURT
Gust of Wind Upsets Machine When
Dangers Seemed Passed.
WEYMANN STARTS AND STOPS
American Up Only Four Minutes.
Competitor Rises 1000 Feet Be-
fore Negotiating Simp
lon Pass.

DOMODOSSOLA, Italy, September %.
TO George Chavez, the Peruvian avia-
tor, belongs the honor of being the first
to fly across the Alps.
day in an attempt to win the prize of
$4,000 offered by the Italian Aviation
Society of Milan for a flight from Brig,
Switzerland, to Milan.
Chavez, however, was unable to COM
plete the trip, having sustained painful
injuries when he alighted here.
His machine was overturned He was
buried In the wreckage. It is not be-
lieved. however, that his injuries are Sc
rious.
Aeroplane Wrecked, Aviator Hurt.
AS the airman was seen slowly descend
ing, great crowd gathered. Slowly and
gracefully he neared the surface and was
but about thirty feet above the ground
when gust of wind caught and over
turned the monoplane
1t fell heavily. carrying the aviator be-
heath IT, Chavez was pinned under the
motor and painfully hurt
He had tainted on striking the ground
and was bleeding profusely when re-
leased from the wreckage. The machine
was ruined.
Ihe American aviator. Mr.. Weymann,
tableland at Brig at I:1O o'clock this
afternoon. Later word was received
here that he had descended, after being
In the air four minutes.
Weather Is Favorable.
The weather for the competition was
excellent. The morning opened clear
Dn the surface. and the haze that had
gathered on, l4s,. meuptain tops was
early blown away. By noon the wind
had died out
portunity which he had awaited since
Monday morning had come, and he de-
tlded to make the start He got away
at 12:29 O'Clock, and rose to height
estimated to be nearly 1000 feet.
He passed swiftly over the mountain
tops, clearing the summit of Simplon
pass at LAG O'Clock. At that time his
;nonoplane was moving as steadily as a
railroad train
After negotiating Simplon pass, Chavez
followed the route over Condo gorge,
Dne Of the grandest and at the same
lime one OF the most savage of the
Alps. He reached here at 2:11 o'clock
Difficulties All Behind.
But for the mishap in alighting there is
little doubt that he would have success
fully continued TO the goal. The re-
mainder of the course presents compare
lively little difficulty.
There is general regret that fate, which
permitted him to make what has been de-
scribed as the most reckless fight ever at
tempted. should have dealt less kindly
with him when he had reached the zone
IT easy flying and the prize was in sight
With the exception of Chavez and
Weymann, the aviator. abandoned the
competition this morning. The time limi,
Of the contest will expire tomorrow.
Chavezs most notable feat up to today
Was in establishing new altitude record
September 8 he rose to a height of s,27l
!eet.
Conditions of Contest.
The distance from Brig. Switzerland tt
Milan is seventy-five miles The priz.
vas for the aviator who should make
he first flight, starting from tablelanG
~ feet above sea level at the head o.
he Rhone valley, near Brig, Switzerland
In addition 10 reaching height tha
would bring him over the Simplon sum
nit and in doing which he must suffer
.everely from the cold, the aviator wa
.equired to guide his frail craft over wide
.hasms, notably the Gorge or Ysette
where safe descent would be quite i'm
possible and an accident must mean al
most certain death.
Aviation experts had predicted freely
hat the only alternative TO a successful
Eight across the Alps was the death O
he aviator.
Signal fires along the Napoleon roat
marked the way as far as Domodossola
The rest of the course was indicated o,
iags and buoys anchored on Lake Mag
.iore.
The summit of the pass at Monschers
vas Illuminated with oXhydrique lights
\ captive balloon showed the finish linz