Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-10
BLAME FATE.
III H
Reputable AviatoIs Find No
Cause for MoisantsDeath
After Thorough Examination.
Make AsSertive Statements.
EngIishman Still Protests Statue Of
Liberty Award.

New York. Jan: S.--Four of the i'll
ternational aviators who were with
Moisant at New orleans when he fell
| to his death. have sent the The AsSo-
ciated Press q signed statement of their
| findings in an examination of his ma
chine, made on the spot Immediately
after the accident. Rene Simon. Rene
Barrier. Garros and Audemars all de-
clare that the evidence shows that
Moisant had shut off the power. that
levcry stay and control was intact and
that nobody will ever know why his
I"Wonderful and admired alrmanship
met defeat. But on one thing they are
emphatic. that Moisants mechanicians
Gerspach and Fcrlet. had taken every
prccaution. and that his death was in
no way due 10 any omission of these.
Albert FileuXs published statement
that Moisant's Bleriot had been toe
often broken and repaired and that il
was over weighted with gasoline when
he went up for the Michalen prize they
deny as an unfounded imputation of
neglect. F'ilcuX was the mechanic who
made the Paris London flight with
Moisant. and in a personal letter to a
New York newspaper man received
here tonight. Garros writes for his fell
lows, supplementing the statement to
The Associated Press in part as fol-
lows:
An determination of carelessneSs
causing death is a professional dishon-
or for those boys who are known in
France among the best men who ever
worked on aviation fields. What was
printed about them made them SO sor-
ny that they cried when they talked to
as about it. They deserve nothing but
praise for the way they prepared
Moisants machine, spending whole
days time changing every bolt ano
every wire of the controls for new
,nes."
The formal statement follows. In
spots the language rings little oddly
to American readers but the writer's
were laboring with an unaccustomed
language and they expressed the wish
that it be not altered insomuch as one
word.
I'VE have read with establishment il
several leading newspapers of New
York the report of an interview with
Albert Fileux. the late Hon. Is. Mois-
tnt's mechanician. Fileux, who was
discharged by Moisant during the re-
,ent Memphis meet. insinuates that tn.
men who replaced him lacked care OF
Utility in the preparation of the ma
'hine used by our regretted FRIEND
when he was killed. Fileux docs not
;eem to realize the responsibility OF
uch an insinuation. We shall be
obliged to you for kindly publishing
he following statement:
I'VE nave carefully examined the
wrecked Bleriot few minutes after
the accident, and We hereby certify
that all the controls of the machine
were absolutely intact
ut was said that the motor hao
stopped: tut Moisant had stopped il
himself: lie vas obviously trying t.
and IN little space specially prepared
or the purpose. a few feet frou4 the
fatal SPOT. In fact, we found tn,
ignition shut oft. What is the caus,
that defeated Mosant's wonderful ant
admired airm.nship everyone will tali
.oOut. but nobody can know, but We
are positive that nothing went wrong
with tie machine.
"Tae two mechanics who We're il
charge of it are Rene Gerspach. Wht
belonged to the works of Loui; Bier
lot, from the beginning until lie wa
selected to be Emil AubrunS man
1t is interesting to note that one o
the most remarkable features of Au-
bruins brilliant career is that he never
had dnv accident of any kind anf
never broke 4 piece Of say aeroplane
from the first day he used one. Au'
brun is the only known aviator in tina,
case, ard Gerspach was his mechanic
nearly all the time he flew.
When Auburn went home after Bel
mont Park. Gerspach asked permis-
sion to stay in America with Rene
Barrier and Moisant. Jeant Ferle'
worked in aviation in the very begin
nirg with Guyot, who n.ade great
name in Russia. flying the second ma
ehinc ever built for sale by 6leriot
Guyot gave up aviation after bat
fall. J. Ferlet was engaged by Rene
Simon, then at his debut and tool
| Gaze Of him all through his recent
campaign III Europe, which made nm
famous as the best prize fighter OF
France. Our mechanics are proving
their professional ability and deVotiol
to us every day. and we cannot allo"
| F:leux nor any one else any disgrace
full iusinuation about them.
(SignCd
| r. Fl. GARROS.
RENE BARRIER,
RENE SIMON,