New-York tribune., 1911-01-09
NOTHING WRONG WITH
M0|SANT'S MACHINE
AviatorS Issue Statement After
Examination of His
AeropIane.
HIS MECHANlCIANS CAREFUL
Death of Aeronaut in No Way
Due to Any Omission of Theirs
Whole Day Spent
Tuning Up.

-Four o. the International aviators who
rere with Moisant at New Orleans when
ne fell 70 his death have sent 70 the AS
sociated Press a signed statement of
their findings in an examination of his
machine, made on the spot Immediately
after the accident Rene Simon, Rene
Barrier, Garros and Audemars all de-
clare that the evidence shows that Moi
eant had shut off the power, that every
,tay and control was intact, and that
nobody will ever know why his won
derful and admired airmanship" met de-
feat. But on one thing they are en-
phatic-that Moisant's mechanicians
Gerspach and Ferlet had taken every
precaution and that his death was in
90 way due to any omission of theirs.
Albert Fiieux's statement, published
here that Moisant's Bleriot had been
100 often broken and repaired, and that
II was overweighted with gasolene when
he went up for the Michein prize. they
deny as an unfounded imputation OF
neglect Fileux was the mechanic who
made the Paris-London fight with Moi
SAINT and in a personal letter TO New
Tcrk newspaper man. received here last
night, Garros writes for his fellows in
lart as follows:
"An incrimination of careicssness
causing death is a professional dishonor
FOR those bows who are known in France
among the best men who ever worked
on aviation fields. What was printed
about them made them so sorry that
they cried when they talked TO us about
f. they deserve nothing but praise for
the way they prepared Moisants ma
chine. spending a whole days time
changing every bolt and every wire Of
the controls for new ones"
The formal statement follows. In
places the language rings little oddly
20 American ears, but the writer's were
sboring with an unaccustomed lam
guagc, and they expressed the wish that
i be not altered III so much as one
word
We have read with establishment in
several leading newspapers of New York
thC report Of al interview with Albert
FileuX. the late John b. Moisants me-
ChaniCidn FileuX, who was discharged
by MolSant during the recent Memphis
meet insinuates that the men who re-
placed him lacked care or ability in the
preparation of the machine used by our
regretted friend when he was killed.
TileuX does not seem TO realize the
responsibility of such insinuation. We
shall be obliged TO you for kindly pub
fishing the following statement:
We have carefully examined the
wrecked Bleriot a few minutes after the
accident. and we hereby certify that all
rhe controls of the machine We're alb
-olutely intact II was SAID that the
motor had stopped, but Moisant had
stopped il himself, he was obviously try
ing TO land in a little space specially pre-
pared for the purpose. few feet from
the fatal spot In fact, we found the
ignition shut off What is the cause that
defeated Moisants wonderful and ad-
mired airmanship every one will talk
about, but nobody can know. But We
are positive that nothing went wrong
with the machine.
The two mechanics who we're in charge
OF II are Rene Gerspach. who belonged
30 the works Of Louis Bleriot, from the
beginning until he was selected to be
Emil Aubrun's man. 1t is interesting TO
note that one OF the most remarkable
features Of Aubrun's brilliant career Is
that ne never had any accident OF any
kind and never broke a piece Of any
aeroplane from the first day he used
one Aubrun is the only known aviator
In that case, and Gerspach was his me
chanic nearly all the time he flew.
When Aubrun went home, after Bel
mont Park, Gerspach asked permission
10 stay in America with Rene Barrier
and Moisant Jean Ferlet worked In
aviation in the very beginning with
Guyot who made a great name in Rus
sia, hving the second machine ever built
for sale by Bleriot. Guyot gave up ava
lion after bad fall J. Ferlot was en-
ga ged by Rene Simon then at his debut,
and took care of him all through his re-
cent campaign i'm Europe, which made
hin famous as the best prizehghter tslc)
Of France Our mechanics are proving
their professional ability and devotion
% US every day. and We cannot allow
Fileux nor any one else any disgrace
ful insinuatiOn about them.
Y. r GARROS,
RENE BARRIER,
GIMnN