The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-20
Av|ATORS FAIL
TO CROSS ALPS
Reach the Required Altitude,
but Are Handicapped by
Heavy Winds.
OPPORTUNITIES REMAIN
FOR OTHER ATTEMPTS
Peruvian Believes He Would
Have Accomplished Feat,
Save for Storm.

BRIG, Switzerland, Sept, 19-
Though the weather was unpropitious
for the bold undertaking, Mr.. Wey
mann, the American, and George Cha
vez, the Peruvian. attempted the across.
the'Alps aeroplane flight today. Both
failed. but not until they had given
pretty exhibitions of high flying that
promised better success in fair weather
During the night a stiff breeze was
blowing in the Simplon pass and the
mountain peaks were hidden In dense
fog. There seemed little prospect that
the competition would begin today,
However, after daylight the wind had
gone down and although 1t was still
cloudy the intrepid Chavez and Wey.
mann decided to risk flight
They. got away With encouraging
cries from an enormous crowd that was
disappointed yesterday and mad feared
That bad weather would compel anothe-
postponement today.
Great Height Attained.
Chavez left the starting grounds
little quadrilateral plateau overlooking
the Rbone valley, first, and INN ediately
began to rise in sweeping spirals until
he had reached an altitude above the
towering mountain wall opposite Then
be disappeared over the granite shoul-
der that marks the entrance to the
Saline gorge. moment later the
watchers at that point saw the mono
plane wheel and gradually descend, un
til it alighted on a little grassy slope
at the foot of the sheer cliffs.
Weymann, who started a few min
utes after Chavez, remained in the
air only eight minutes. He ascended to
N pf q Iuh
he encountered a battling wind.
In landing at the bottom of the |
Rhone valley no bent a wheel of his !
biplane.
Chavez reached an altitude of 7546 |
feet, when he was caught in violent |
wind. He observed that the summit of |
the simplon pass, was obscured by
rather than chance landing farther on
the rocks. He announced that he might
try again later in the day.
Others Will Make Attempt.
The other aviators who propose to
try for the across the Alps prize are
Cattaneo and Paillette. Tine American
uses a biplane and the others mono.
planes. The terms of the competition
provide that the flight may be made
any time between today and September
26 The start must be near this point
dl LHe Ueau OF Tue unOne valley ana
the aviators must fly over the Simplon
pass and down across Lake Maggiere
to Milan, Italy. To clear Simplon pass
1t will be necessary for the aviators to
maintain an altitude of some 1000 feet
III the first half hour of the flight The
total distance to be covered is seventy
five miles, and smoking fires and other
signals will point the way,
The height of 1916 feet, attained by
Chavez, is within S63 feet OF the Peru
Wan s world altitude record. which has
been officially placed al S4O9.
Relating his experience Chave said:
My motor was running perfectly and I
was $50 feet above the summit of the
S!mplon pass when the wind forced me
80 return. Never before had l encoun-
tered such air currents. My machine
was caught in swirling eddles and bobbed
like cork in torrent. almost throwing
me from my seat"
The wind blew strong throughout the
day. preventing any further attempt at
making the flight over S!mpon pass