New-York tribune., 1911-01-01
A SOLDIER OF FORTUNE
John B. Moisant Took Chances
His Whole Lifetime.
WOULD NEVER SAY DIE
His Hurried Purchase of q Ma
chine to Fly Around Liberty
Statue Typical.

Only four days ago John 3. Moisant had
thrilling brush with death that would
have forced into retirement from so danger
Gus a sport a man OF lesser nerve. That
was last Tuesday, when he made spiral
glide downward from a height Of nine
thousand feet with frozen carburetor
and a dead engine. after being blown five
miles from his course by a forty-fve-nile
wind. He landed at q speed OF a hundred
miles an hour in the midst Of tree
studded area But those who for the last
few months have been following the career
of the fearless aviator could hardly expect
his career TO be terminated by anything
short Of death or disability.
who's Moisant?' every one asked last
summer, when the news was flashed around
the world that an unknown man had
crossed tho English Channel with pas
senger. the first to perform that feat, far
surprising the feats OF Bleriot, De Lesseps
and the unfortunate English aeronaut
Rolls, who later met death at Bourne
mouth. The next day 1t was learned that
he was not Spaniard. as at first reported,
but a native American, from Chicago. a
young architect. who had learned to fly
only month before and had hitherto done
nothing to attract attention.
Crossing the Channel.
To make the feat still more surprising,
Moisant was totally ignorant OF the
geography of his course. He had never
been in England, was obliged to rely en-
tirely on the compass, and the crossing of
the Channel was accomplished in the teeth
Of strong westerly wind
The Channel fight was an incident In
the aerial voyage from Paris TO London.
Moisant left Jssy on August II in COM
pany with Hubert Latham and reached
Amiens in two hours. Latham's aeroplane
was wrecked and the next morning Moisant,
leaving Amiens at an early hour, headed
for Calais. His mechanician. Albert Fileux,
who had accompanied him across the coun-
try, took his place in the machine when
the motor was set in motion for the dash
across the Channel. Thousands who had
gathered TO watch the daring aeTonaut
were amazed and urged him not to make
the attempt in the face Of the half gale
that was blowing
Moisant cared nothing for tie warnings
of the people, and even the fact that there
was no torpedo boat 10 follow in his wake
but only a slow moving tug, did not deter
him. He made The trip in thirty-seven
minutes. When he descended his eyes were
bloodshot and greatly inhamed as a result
OF the heavy rainstorm into which they
drove on approaching the English coast
The high wind beat the rain into the faces
Of the men like hail, and almost blinded
them.
An average height CT between 800 and 400
feet was maintained over the water. The
aeronaut expected to land at Dover. but
was forced by the wind few miles north,
and made the coast near Deal. The cold
was intense, and both Moisant and his
mechanican were benumbed Moisant
seemed 10 take his feat as If It were a
daily occurrence. When he revived suff1-
GENTLY he laughed and said TO a reporter:
This is my first visit 10 England"
He continued his fight To London. but
met. with a series of mishaps. and ii was
three weeks after he left Paris before he
reached the British capital.