The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-08-18
John B. Moissant Crosses Eng
lish Channel With Passen-
ger, Startling Aviators and
Setting Brand-New Mark.
NOVICE AT BUSINESS;
DARING IS UNEXCELLED
Didn't Know Where He Was
Going, but Was on His Way
in PariS-LOndon Flight
Drops in a Strange Land,
FLIES THROUGH STORM

n EAL, England, Aug. lit has
l. 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 a
passenger. and by this achievement
far surpassed the feats of Bleriot, De
Lesseps and the English aviator, Rolls,
who afterward met his death at
Bournemouth.
The two-man flight from France to
England was the more astonishing in
that il 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 it
was only when he landed in England
today that IL was revealed that ne is
a young Chicago architect.
To make the feat still more surpris-
ing. Moissant was totally ignorant of
the geography of his course. He had
never been In England and was obliged
10 rely entirely upon the compass while
crossing the channel in the teeth of a
strong westerly wind.
Paris 10 London
The channel flight was an in
cident in the aerial voyage
Issy yesterday with Hubert Latham
and reached Amiens in two hours.
Latham's aerOplane was wrecked and
this morning. Moissant. leaving Amiens
at an early hour. headed for Calais. His
meehanician, Albert Fileaux, 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 10
watch the daring aviator were amazed
and urged him not TO make the attempt
in the face of the half gale that was
| blowing.
Doesn't Heed Warnings.
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 a slOW-moV-
| ing tug, did not deter him. He made
| the trip in 81 minutes. When he de-
| seconded, his eyes were bloodshot and
| greatly inflamed as a result of the
/ heavy rainstOrm into which he drove
on approaching the English coast.
The high wind beat the rain into the
| faces of the men like hail and almost
| between 500 and 400 feet was main
tanned over the water. The cold was
intense and both Moissant and his me
chanician were benumbed. When ht
| revived sufficiently he laughed and
said to an interviewer:
Hiss First Visit.
This is my first visit to England
This is only my sixth flight in al
| aerOplane. 1 did not know the wa!
from Paris to Calais when I starte'
and I do not know the way to London
shall have TO rely on the compass.
would like to land in Hyde Park II
can find it.
my mechanician, who weighs is
pounds, had never been in an aero
plane before and did not know wher
1 was taking him when we left Paris
1.-THE people tried TO dissuade m
from making the flight from Calais Il
the gusty wind. but in spite of tn
pitching during the crossing or tn
channel. the greatest difficulty en-
countered in the trip was landing, tn
CONTINUED ON Page TNVO.)