Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-01
Moisant Lives But a Moment;
Hoxsey's Death Instantaneous

NEW ORLEANS. La, December al
A sudden puff of wind caught Moisant
within 800 feet of the earth, turned his
machine over and a broken neck ter
| minated his career
Hoxsey ran afoul of the same kind of
boiling, treacherous wind when some 800
1eet from earth. A minute later & hor-
rihed crowd. aroused from it's shock, was
rushing madly to where a broken mass
OF humanity lay beneath a torn bit Of
canvas and some broken Spars.
Both met death in almost the same
manner. Each machine " headed for
the earth and suddenly seemed to stop,
hover in the air. then turn over onto
its nose" and dive headlong to the earth
and to destruction.
Sudden Puff of Wind.
Moisants aeroplane was a Bleriot
monOpiane. In addition to the heavy en-
gine in front of the main planes he had
fastened a tank holding thirty-five gal
Ions of gasoline.
Aviation experts believe a sudden puff
of wind stopped his machine dead in the
air, and the heavy weight ahead drag
ged the light framework behind it, flip
ping the then useless rear elevator toward
the zenith in derision. From his posi-
tion. 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
fiat car on which he was being rushed
to New Orleans.
HoXSey likewise was returning from
journey into the clouds. He was within
800 feet of the earth and cheers were 60
ing up to meet the conquerer of the
; higher air. when his machine seemed to
stop shudder and whirl over and over
TO tho ground. AS in the morni .,g' S
tragedy. the rear elevator, rendered use
less when the momentum was gone,
fiipped around, helpless to aid the fatcd
machine.
HOXsay vainIy cndcaVored to right his
craft by warping the main planes and
by use OF tho rudder. Vain attempts
these for before sufficient momentum was
gained the frail structure crumplcd upon
the earth, the heavy engine being torn
loose.
Only few farmers aids saw Moisant
hurled to his death Hoxsey's end came
before the Mortified gaze of thousands
who had come out in the pleasant after
noon to watch the bird-men darting here
and there through the air.
The days pleasure ended when an an
nounccr. sadly lifting his megaphone
droned out the message:
Arch HoAsey has been killed. There
, will be no more flying today
Both DeAed Warnings.
Forecasts of the fatal accident wer.
| made i'm both instances.
| A ffteen-mile wind. with gusty inter-
walls. caused hangar attendants to shake
| their heads at Moisant He laughed ut
them and sailed up for a try at the long
distance sustained-fiight record and the
Michelin cup, with its attendant 81 900
| prize. Death was the victor In the long
contest 1t has fought with the daring
Chica goan.
When Walter X. Brookins and uox-
sey who. with Parmelee. alone were left
of the Wright exhibiting teams, wheeled
their machines out warnings were Of
| fered by half a score Of the flyers, each
| of whom bore record for daring In the
air.
| Its too full Of holes up there today -
they all agreed: Its just like Swiss
cheese: better stay on the ground
| Hoxsey, smiling as he had on the day
| when, in similar wind. he had gone
| far up into the blue to a new world s
| record for height. again took the air.
| His barOsraph. sun running when the
| crowds reached the heap of humanity
and canvas and broken sticks. showed
| the fatal drop started when the aviator
had come down 10 within 563 feet of the
ground.