The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-01-04
EXPERT AvIATcRs usJUDGED
THE AIR CURRENTS.
Moisant, at New Orleans, Falls Hum
dreds of Feet and Has His Meek
broiSen-Hoxsey, at Los Angeles. is
Dashed to Earth i'm Aeroplane and
Crushed by the Machine.

New York, Dec. 31.--John B. Mos
ant and Arch Hoxsey, ayiators extra
ordinary. were killed today. Both
fell out of the ktreacherous air Cur
rents with their machines-neither
from vast height--and Molsant.s
remaining minutes Of life were 60
Few as to count as naught. Hoxsey
was killed instantly.
Moisant met his death at e:55 a. M
attempting to aiipht In a field a few
miles from New : rleans, La. Hoxsey.
who went into the air early in tho
afternoon at Los Angeles, lay at 2.12
p. m crushed, 'lifeless mass in view,
OF the thousands who were watching
the aviation tournament.
Thus the last day Of 1910, in bring
ing the total number OF deaths Of
aviators to thirty, capped the list
with two of the most illnstrious of
those airmen who have been writing
the history of aviation in the skies of
two continents.
Moisant a Chicagoan by birth. az
ter an adventurous life in Central
america, became interested in ayia-
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 resourcefelness were exhibited
frequently. Finding himself without
a machine, he purchased one from
a friend for $4,000 and within ten
minutes, starting on his winning
fights from Belmont Park, N. Y.
around the Statue of Liberty, winning
prize of $4,000.
Today sudden puff of wind
caught him within 500 feet Of the
earth. turned his machine over and
a broken neck terminated his career.
AscilS fioAsey. after a years Gr uni-
form success with the Wright areo-
plane, had gained a name for daring
and competence In the air. Onl1sr:
within the week he had set a
worlds altitude record ak
feet. and then to show hi. go
for the earth, had sa,'eG nf
ly more than :. 900 feet abovE - 49,
Wilson. Today he ran afou%
same kind of boiling, treach.
wind when some 500 feet from the
earth. and a minute later a horrife6
crowd, aroused from its shock, was
rushing madly to where a broken
mass OF humanity lay beneath a torn
bit Of canvass and some broken
spars.
Both met death in almost the same
manner. Each machine was headed
for the earth and suddenly seemed
to stop, hover in the air, then turn
over on to its nose." and dive head
long to the earth-and to destruction.
Moisant's aefoplane was Bleriot
monoplane, and in addition to the
heavy engine in front Of the main
planes, he had fastened a tank hold
ing 35 gallons OF gasoline. Aviation
experts believe sudden puff Of
wind stopped his machine dead in
the air and the heavy weight ahead
dragged the light framework be-
hind it, dipping 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, break,
ing his neck. He died on a fat car
upon which he was being rushr d to
New Orleans
Hoxsey, likewise was returning
from a Journey into the clouds. He
was within five hundred feet Of the
earth and cheers were going up to
meet the conquerer OF the higher
air, when his machine seemed TO
stop, shudder and whirl over and
over to the ground. AS in the morn
ing's tragedy, the rear elevator, rend-
cred useless when the momentum
was gone, Tipped around, helpless to
aid the fated machine. Hoxsey
vainly endeavored to right his craft
by warping the main planes. and by
use of the rudder Vain attempts.
these, for. before sufficient momen-
tum was gaindd the frail structure
was crumpled upon the earth, the
heavy engine being torn loose.
Only a few farmers and aids saw
Moisant hurled TO his death, but Hox-
sey's end came before the Mortified
gaze Of thousands who had come out
In tho pleasant afternoon to watch
the birdman darting here and there
through the air.