New Iberia enterprise and independent observer., 1911-12-30
MR. FOWLER FLIGHT AT
TBERIA PARK.

oXCellenU tAHlDltloh i""o
afternoon about three o'clock IN
the presence of about 300 people
who had assembled to witness his
departure from New Iberia and
all were satisfied that he had per
feet control of the machine. Mr..
Fowler made a jump from New
Iberia to Paradis, La, a distance
of 1O1 miles in about two and a
half hours and darkness having
overtaken him he was compelled
to alight at the above place. Un-
fortunately while making land
ING he disabled his machine to
such an extent that he had to 60
bv train to New Orleans to be
with his mother on Christmas
morning. The New Orleans press
had the following account OF his
arrival there which we reproduce
below:
81 expect to be the first person
to cross the Atlantic in an aero
plant" said Mr.. Frowler last
night. "The distance | would
choose is about 1850 miles, and l
think l ought to be able to ne
eotiate that in between twenty
five and thirty hours. That
would make the average speed
only ffty-three miles an hour II
the thirty hours were required,
and I am sure that under favor
able conditions | can fly at eighty
miles an hour speed. If no head
winds or contrary air currents are
encountered there ought not to
be a great deal Of trouble in de-
ing the trick. 7 could fly high
and there would be a minimum
danger from the air holes which
make low altitude aying danger
Gus. I am never afraid when
am sufficiently high in The air
The danger is when it becomes
necessary to fly at from 100 tt
$50 feet from the earth. 1or ther
the worst currents are encounter
ed.
II think that the vicinity Of
| New Orleans and this Gulf cOas
country is the most dangerous
| part of the country to attemp'
flying on account Of the lack o.
landing places. 1t is that whlcl
makes the business perilous, fo1
without safe landing spots th'
chances are 100 to / against th'
safety of the aviator He will
almost invariably smash his ma
chine, and the dangers of inJur.
to the operator are at the max
imum. In trans-oc ceanic filgh
| there would be no such difficultie
as these to be overcome, for Will
| the plane travelling in the patl
Of the steamships, landing coul'
be made almost always on tn
| decks il. necessary.
"Our trip from Houston her
has been one series Of mishaps
| due largely to the lack of SAT
landing places. I think that
have demonstrated the CONNER
cial possibilities Of the aeroplan
in this journey, however, although
it has taken almost three week
to negotiate the trip. flying
little at a time. The last lap, tn
one in which I reached Paradis
was made from New Iberia, a dis
tance of 1O1 miles, which I Gov
eered in two hours and five min
utes. It was impossible for m
to proceed on account of dark
ness, and in finding landin
place the landing gear Of my ma
chine was broken, so it was mes
essary for me to stop there. [
it had not been for the heav.
lowlying fog to-day l woul'
have flown into New Orleans, 'bu
I was warned by my associate
against attempting it"
| Mr.. Fowler made some inter
esting predictions concerning tn
future of the aeroplane.
Within the next half decade.
said he, I" it will be found that tn
aeroplane will be the leading med
ium of rapid transit for larg
commercial centers. A machin
will be developed which will car
| ry the mails and will be able t.
carry passengers up to the mum
ber Of ten with safety. Such ;
plane would require a seventy
five foot spread Of planes, and
think it would give satisfaction
and become popular. I am dem
onstrating the commercial posi-
bilities Of aeroplaning. In tn,
South l think it will be showr
that aeroplaning will be the rec
ognized means Of quick trave
over flooded districts and in coun
tries where roads are impossible
By that time they will cease to b
a novelty and will be almost az
much an industrial enterprise a:
the manufacture of automobiles
The motive power Of the future
will be electrical energy devel
oped by wireless apparatus at
various stations. The operators
will catch, as it were, this energy
in a sponge and operate their
machines by it. This will sup
plant the use Of gasoline engines
and will minimize the dangers Of
explosions in midair.
"The most unsafe part Of aero
planning in America is the almost
utter absence of suitable landing
and starting grounds. The cry
inc noo1 nf aviation boro Is thu