The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1911-01-05
Associated Press Dispatch, Dec. 81.


IN. attempting to alight in field a
few miles from New Orleans, La.
Hoxsey, who went into the air early
in the afternoon at Los Angeles, lay
at PIP D. m, crushed, lifelees mass
in view of the thousands who were
watching the aviation tournament.
Thus thel last day of191O, in bring
ing the total number OF deaths OF
aviators to 35, capped the list with
two of the most illustrious Of those
airmen who have been writing the
history of aviation of the sky of two
continents.
Moisant, a Chicagoan by birth,
after an adventurous life in Central
America, became interested in avia-
ton in France less than year ago.
After soaring into public recognition
by his plucky flight from Paris across
the English channel to London with
passenger, Moisant's fearlessness
and resourcefulness was exhibited
frequently. Finding himself without
a machine he purchased one from a
friend for $4,000, and within ten
minutes starting on his winning flight
from Belmont Park, N. Y, around
the Statue OF Liberty, winning prize
of $4,000.
Today a sudden puff of wind caught
him within 500 feet Of the earth,
turned his machine over and brok-
en- neck terminated his career.
HOXSEY'S FATE SIMILAR.
Arch Hoxsey, after year of uni
form success with the Wright aero
plane, had gained a name for daring
and competence in the air. Only
within the week he had set a new
worlds altitude record OF 11,474
feet, and then to show his contempt
for the earth, had sailed majestically
more than 4 900 feet above the high
est mountain in California. Today
he ran afoul OF the same kind of boil
ing, treacherous wind when some
800 feet from the earth, and a min
ute later a Mortified crowd. aroused
from its shock, was rushing madly
to where a broken mass of humanity
lay beneath torn bit of canvas and
some broken spars.
manner. Each machine was headed
for the earth and suddenly seemed to
stop, hover in the air, then "turn
over onto it's nose," and dive head
long to the earth-and to destruc-
ton.
MOisant's aerOplane was a BleriOt
monoplane, and in addition to a
heavy engine in front of the main
planes, he had fastened a tank hold
ing 30 gallons ofgasoline. Aviation
experts believe a sudden puff of wind
stopped his machine dead in the air
and the heavy weight in front dragged
the light frame work behind it, flip
ping the then useless rear elevator.
From his position, partly back of
the main planes, MOisant was Tipped
out, clear of the machine, and struck
the ground on his head, breaking his
neck. He died on a fatcar on which
he was being rushed to New Orleans.
HOxsey, likewise, was returning
from a Journey into the clouds. He
was within 500 feet of the earth and
cheers were going up to meet the con-
querOr OF the .higher air, when his
machine seemed to stop, shudder and
whirl over and over to the ground.
AS in the mornings tragedy, the
rear elevator, rendered useless when
the momentum was gone, tipped
around helpless to aid the fated ma
chine. Hoxsey yainly endeavored to
right his craft by varying the main
planes and by use OF the rudder.
Vain attempts, these, for before sui
ticient momentum was gained the
frail structure crumpled upon the
earth, the heavy engine being torn
loose.
BOTH LAUGHED AT WARNINGS.
Forecasts of the fatal accident we're
made in both instances. A 15-mile
wind with gustly intervals, caused
hangar attendants to shake their
heads at MOisant, but he laughed at
them and sailed up far away at the
long distance sustained flight record
and the Michelin cup with it's attend
ant 81, 900 prize. Death was the vic
tor in the long contest it has fought
with the daring Chicagoan.
When Walter R. Brooklins and
HOxsey, who, with Parmelee, alone
were left OF the Wright exhibiting
teams, wheeled their machines out,
warnings were offered by half score
Of the flyers, each OF whom bore g
record for daring up in the air.
Its too full of holes up there to
day" they all agreed. It's just like
a nhnnSns or h.
ground"
Hoxsey, smiling as he had on the
day when, in a similar wind, he had
gone far up into the blue to a new
worlds record for height, again took
the air. His Paragraph, still running
when the crowds reached the heap o.
humanity and canvas and broker
sticks, showed the fatal drop started
when the aviator had come down tc
within 500 feet of the ground.
THE TOLL OF AVIATION.
With Hoxsey and Moisant today, &c
aviators and their passengers were
killed this year in falls from heavier
| than air machines, against five in the
two years previous. And those three
years comprise the working history
OF the sport, for it was in 1908 that
Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge
United States Army, fell with Orville
Wright in the first public trial OF an
aeroplane at Fort Myer. He was the
first passenger and the first man kill
ed IN a self-sustained machine. The
other American dead, all killed last
year, are tombstone, Hoxsey and
| MOisant.
Moisant dies before his victory in
the Statue OF Liberty tIght can be
confirmed by the International Aero
nautic federation, which still has
under consideration the protest OF
Claude Grahame- White, whom Mois-
ant defeated.
Hoxsey and tombstone, team.
mates and good comrades on earth