Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-09-23
FLIGHT ACROSS THE ALPS.

Chavez Passes ONcT SiuipiOh ass Oh
route to Milan and Later is the VIC
tim of what May Prove a Fatal Ac-
cident-A Twenty - thousand = dollar
Prize offered the Aviator.
Brieg. Switzerland, Sept. 23.-George
Chavez. the Peruvian aviator, flew III
his monoplane over the Simplon Pass
today. en- route to Milan, Italy, 10 miles
away. He passed the Simplon Kuhn
at l AS. with the indications that, de-
spite bad weather and adverse winds,
he would complete the flight. The
pass is 7 200 feet high.
Today's was the fourth attempt
Chavez had made to fly over the Sim
plon Pass.
The course to Milan is over Lake
Maggiore and was marked by smoking
fires. A $4,000 prize awaits Chavez
If he reaches Milan.
Milan, Sept. 23.-Chayez reached
Domodossola, 80 miles from Brieg, and
well over to the Italian side OF the Alps.
He was flying at an altitude of only
l 900 feet when he reached DomoGos-
sola.
Milan, Sept. 23.-After successful
fight over the Alps and the crossing OF
the Simplon Pass, 1000 feet high,
Aviator George Chavez, a Peruvian,
was dangerously injured today near
Domodossola, about thirty miles from
Brieg. Switzerland, the starting point.
Chavez lost control Of his monoplane
through the benumbing of his hands
from the extreme cold. He was flying
at height Of from 5000 to 1900 feet
at the time, and the machine dashed to
earth at terrific speed.
1t looked as though Chavez would be
dashed to pieces, and those who witness
ed the rocket-like descent OF the mono
plane cried out in horror. When with
in 200 feet of the ground, Chavez, as
though by a miracle, regaiped partial
control Of the machine and prevented
its being dashed to pieces. As it was,
the machine struck the ground with
terrific force, and Chavez sustained a
broken left leg, while his right thigh
was severely cut and bruised. He was
taken to a hospital in DOmodossola,
where it is feared his injuries may
prove fatal.
Chavez's aeroplane was reduced to
splinters. When he regained con-
sciousness, he said that he was frozen
by the low temperature encountered in
crossing the pass. He didn't know
how helpless he really was until he at
tempted to manipulate his machine
while approaching Demodossola.
Chaves was in the air 40 minutes
Pailetti, French aviator, and Henry
Weymann, the American, followed
Chavez. Pailett, succeeded in
making a much better flight than
Chavez, reaching Stresa on Lake Mag
giore, % miles beyond DomodoSsola,
in safety.
Weymann, however, was forced to
descend at 1:16 after he bad been in
the airs few minutes.
Paietti came within % miles OF
reaching Milan, the objective point of
the ayiators, as they were contesting for
the $50, 900 offered for a flight over the
Alps from Brieg to Milan.
Pailetti and Weymann were both
favored with better weather than
Chavez encountered and the latter's
daring in rising in the face of strong
wind, was cheered by several thousand
spectators. Pailetti was also in bad
shape when he reached Stresa, He had
to be lifted from his machine.
Pailetti announced that as soon as
he had rested awhile, he would resume
his voyage. The rest OF the route pre-
sents no unusual obstacles.