The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-18


 < obliged to descend at o'clock < < about a mile from Sitting Bourne. Y < His descent was due to a slight % < defect in the machine, a small pin < < being displaced. He intends to re- <- < sume his flight as soon as possible. < ' Sitting Bourne is about 35 miles Y \ from London. Y
 
 Deal England August 17.-It has been possrved for an American citizen to per form one of the most daring feats in the history of aviation. John B. Moissant of Chicago flew across the English channel from Calais to Tilmanstone today with passenger and by this achievement far surpassed the feats of Bleriot, DeLesseps and the unfortunate English aviator Rools, who met his death at Bourne mouth F
 The two-man flight from, France to England was the more astonishing, for it was only a month ago that Moissant learned to fly and he made so few flights and was so little known among air men that even his nationality was not dis closed. He was reputed to be Spaniard and it was only when he landed in Eng land today that 1t was revealed that he is young Chicago architect
 To make the feat still more surprising, Noissant was totally ignorant of the geography of his course. He had never been in England and had to rely upon the compass while the crossing of the channel was accomplished in the teeth of a strong westerly wind.
 The channel flight was an incident in the aerial voyage from Paris to Lon don. Moissant left Issy yesterday with Hubert Latham and reached Aniens in two hours. Lathams aeroplane was wrecked and this morning Moissant, leav- ing Amiens at an early hour, headed for Calais. His mechanician, Albert Fileux, who had accompanied him across the country, took his place in the machine, when the motor was set in motion for the dash across the channel. Thousands who had gathered to watch the daring aviator were amazed and urged him not to make the attempt in the face of the half gale that was blowing.
 Warnings Unheeded
 Moissant cared nothing for the warn ings of the people and even the fact that there was no torpedo boat to follow in his wake, but only slow moving tug, did not deter him. He made the trip in H minutes. When he descended his eyes were bloodshot and greatly inf1amed as rebult of the heavy rainstorm into which they drove on approaching the English coast. The high wind beat the rain into the faces of the men like hail and almost blinded them.
 An average height of between 300 and 300 feet was maintained over the water. The aviator expected to land at Dover but was forced by the wind few miles north, and made the coast near Deal. The cold was intense and both Moissant and his mechanician were benumbed. Moissant seemed to take his monumental feat as though 1t were a daily occur | renee.
 When he revived sufficiently he laugh 1 ed and said to an interviewer: This is my first visit to England"
 Describing his experiences he said , s.This is only my sixth flight in an aero plane. I didn't know the way from Paris to Calais when I started and I do not | know the way to London. I shall have to rely on the compass. I would like to land in Hyde Park if can find 1t.
 My mechanician, who weighs 1S2 | pounds, had never been in an aeroplane before and did not know where I was taking him when we left Paris. The people tried to dissdade me from making | the flight from Calais in the gusty wind | but in spite of the pitching during the crossing of the channel the greatest diff . ficulty encountered in the trip was land ing, the sea and land winds causing dan gerous cross-currents.
 Nothing Impossible
 Asked how he came to attempt such flight as that from Paris to Lon don, Moissant said that the idea was discussed in aviation circles in\ Paris and was generally regarded as an im- possibility. He scoffed at this notion and said that not only would he at- tempt it himself but he would also carry a passenger He was surprised to hear that Latham had started on the flight but determined to follow him in suite of Lathams big advantage. Moissant, who is 35 years old, Is of slight build but seemingly of very jo, vial temperament. He first visited Paris some months ago and became interested in the study of aviation. He had two machines built after his own design and found the subject so fas- cinating that he determined to become practical air man. His flight today was made in Bleriot machine, which weighs about 800 pounds. He himself weighs about 15O pounds, so that the total weight amounted to about 115O pounds.
 Fileux. burly Parisian clad in over als, did not know where he was go- ing when he started, but says that he felt quite at home as he had the greatest confidence in the pilot If the weather Is favorable Moissant will re- sume his flight tomorrow morning
 Moissant accomplished the flight from Paris to Calais and the Journey across the channel to Deal with an ease and brilliancy rarely surpassed. He then prepared to continue the trip to Lon don, the completion of which will bring him the cup and prize offered by a London newspaper for the course and the proceeds of the subscription raised an England for Grahame White. which the unsuccessful competitor in the Lon don Manchester night generously oi