Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-27
H0XSEY, FREEZING,
SCARS 1l,474 FEET
PaSadenan Establishes the First
ReCord-Breaking Flight
Over Land and Sea
Continued from Page One,

from q trip to the clouds bringing "a
record of two miles plus 914 feet sealed
In an air meter.
The instant he had landed members
of the committee grabbed the baro-
graph from its holdings near the aVia-
tors seat, and with recording clerks
and timers present the box was opened.
A few seconds showed that HoXsey
had won his fight. His record was IL, ,474
feet.
The record he beat 1O499 feet.
Height made over previous record,
975 feet.
Legagnieux of Pau, France, was the
holder of the record, made December
0. Airmen at the time predicted that
1t would stand for years, but HoXsey
judged differently.
"I'll smash that record or something
else will smash" lie said with half
grin few minutes before 1 o'clock as
his biplane was being brought from its
hangar onto the field.
FAILED ON PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS
Twice he had tried and failed. Twice
the wind and cold had driven him back
once from 6200 feet and the second
time from more than 1000 feet. This
time he was determined that nothing
should stop him.
Braving II thirty y-mile-an-h hour gale,
caused other aviators to fear to ven
ture forth, HoXsey donned his sky
climbing apparel, carefully inspected
his machine and pulled himself into
his seat.
Previously he had confided to Walter
Brookins, his companion in daredeVh
stunts, and to Roy Knabenshue, the
Wright manager, that the record was
to fall.
Ii Of HnXCnV'G
flight that sets it apart from any pre-
vious achievement in aviation is the
fact that for a great distance he traV-
eled miles out over the ocean.
After reaching height of about 5000
feet he encountered cold clouds and a
fifty-mie wind blowing from the north.
In an endeavor to outrun this WIND ne
turned his craft oceanward and traV-
eled southwark to Redondo Beach. All
the way he faced terrific wind that
chilled him. From Redondo Beach he
continued on to Playa del Rey still
lighting the keen norther. From the
aviation field down to the latter point
Hoxsey met the hardest conditions OF
the entire flight. The trip in the teeth
of the gale required more than forty
five minutes, and still the much sought
for calm had not been reached.
CIRCLES FAR OUT OVER OCEAN
Hoxsey circled over the ocean, far
out from Redondo Beach, and after
failing to strike a warmer current ne
came back over land, thus, establishing
the first record for altitude record
breaking flight over both land ana sea.
Turning the prov of his ship land
ward, Hoxsey was still firm in his de-
termination to get the altitude rec
ord, and his performance from the mll-
ute he returned from over the water
to the time he looked into his oaro-
graph and dimly saw that ne nad
passed the 5000 mark was the hardest
kind of a fight that man has ever put
nm against the elements of nature IN
the realms of the upper air.
In this amazing flight of more than
two vertical miles from the thousands
of watchers to whom he was now losl
10 sight HoXsey was freezing for the
Greater part of the trip. After reach-
ing 1000 feet above the ground ne louhu
the air much colder, and with each sue
ceeding turn the atmosphere grew
sharper and the penetrating mist chung
to his machine, TO his clothing ana MS
hands and face like frost.
ITnder conditions such as these slip
in the handling of his craft, a false
turn. misplaced Judgment in the move
ment of the planes-any one OF these
would have meant certain death. Inere
would have been no escape. But HoX-
sew didn't think of these things. lie
kept plowing on.
SAYS 81 WOULD HAVE GONE HIGHER
Strangely enough the highest point in
his fight was reached directly over
aviation field. Though he had failed
to find the warm currents he mao
sought, he kept up his struggle until
he knew he had won.
When he was satisfied that he hao
beaten the record by good margin
he arame down, and almost his first
words were:
"I would have gone higher, but it was
too cold"
When Hoxsey was at his greatest
height he was invisible to the nakec
eve. At 5000 feet he was just specs
against the blue Sky and another cir,
Gle of the course carried him out ol
the range of vision. The telescope OF
the Judges stand was kept trained OF
him, however, during every minute ol
the flight.
Parmelee, in a Wright craft, ascendec
TO the no mean distance of 5000 feel
while HoXsey was making his sensa'
tionaI flight. Latham in his Antoinettt
and Elv in a Curtiss craft continued
to circle the field. With the increasing
wind however, Ely came down, leaV'
ing the field to Parmelee and Latham
FINALLY Parmelee landed and Latham
alone was in the air. In the judges
stand it was whispered around tina
Latham would not land for fear O
damaging his machine. Several times
the French aviator tried to come down
but the gathering wind under the grea
wings of his craft bore him upward
TO turn off the motor and drift dow
meant that the machine would b'
caught and whirled in a somersault
said the judges.
WRECKED TRYING TO DESCEND
At any rate, Latham stayed up. HI
had been up two hours and rumor
were floating about that his oil suppl!
was giving out.
But the plucky Frenchman did no
give up Below the aviation field, OF
level ground out of the sweep of th
wind, he might have landed, but h
did not want to come down off th
field Latham circied to the east ent
of the course and dropped down t
swing around the bluff to the othe
side of the field. Here it. was the un
lucky gust of wind caught him and il
a fash he dropped to the ground
The fall was not more than fort!
feet and the aviator was uninjured
though the craft was demolished. Th
blades of the propeller were cut of
clean from the hub from contact will
tho barbed wire. All of the underpin
ming of the craft was wrecked and al
that was saved was one wing and tn
body of the car in which the aViato
sat ,
Ten minutes after Latham had suf