The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-01
Famous Aviator Is Just Pre- pairing to Make Long
 Distance Race
MACHINE FLOPS OVER
 IN TREACHEROUS WIND
Moisant's Neck Is Broken as He h Thrown Head First From a Blerfot AeropIane and Death Fol-
 lows Quickly


 this morning, full of life. vigor and hope. his eyes sparkling in anticipation in ad- ding to his countrys glory by bringing the Michelin cup to America, John E. Moisant,, one of the worlds most daring and skillful aviators. flew over New Or leans, but to meet death riding the wings of the wind near Harahan, Il miles above the city, just 20 minutes later.
 Tonight at the hour when he was to have been presented with a handsome loy- Ing cup, bearing the legend, John B. -aoisant, the glory of Central America,'' contributed by the Central American col- ony In New Orleans. the pucky aviator lies In the morgue a martyr to the science of aviation and to desire to add | to his country's fame.
 Alfred J. Moisant, president of the h. ternational aviators, bade his brother a cheery farewell just before he ascended at the City Park. Accompanied by press representatives and mechanicians in an | automobile, MT. Moisant followed the night Of his brother to the place up the | rlver where the cup trial was to take place, only to be met by the stunning news that John B. Moisant was dead Cause of the Accident l The added weight of an extra gasoline 'ank' the use of strange machine, and the deadly prank of 15-mile wind at the l moment when he had pointed the nose of ms machine at sharp downward angle combined in sending Moisant down 10 | death. Thrown from his machine by its | sudden inclination, Moisan described a grim curve through the air. and, head hrst like diver, shot down, landing on his head His neck was broken
 Rene Barriers 5o-horsepower Bleriot monoplane, which Moisant was using, is a total wreck
 Il The story of the accident is best told by c, s. eieaf,bol, N1Josi, iscss< a F,.:. of the Aero Club of A,nerica& &wi,o wa a | within few feet of where Moi lnt struck l the ground MT. Wood was 1resent in Paris few months ago when' Moisant made his wonderful flight with q passen- | ger over that city and was present in England when Charles Rolls fell to his death. Mir. Woods story of today's trae- | edy follows. Statement By c. F. c. Wood c. F. Campbell Wood, one of the repre- sentatives of the Aero Club of America. who was within five feet of Rolls, the English aviator. when the latter was killed, was on the ground when Moisant met his death. MT. Campbell Wood is- sued the following statement:
 At the time Mosant was killed tb,s morning he had just completed a pre- liminary trial prior to making his att tempt for the Michein cup of 1910, compe- tition for which closed today He was about to land at the spot agreed on for the start of the big event The wind was at his back at the time, and although if is usual for aviators to land against the wind, and considered much safer to do so, Moisant had often landed with the wind at his back when it blew stroneer than 1t was blowing today. The accident cannot thus be entirely attributed to this fact although it had its share in determining 1t. Moisant was driving q machine other than his own, for 1t wan Barriers blue-tailed Bleriot that he had selected among the machines of the team to make his trial for the Michelin cup. The primary reason for this change wau that it carried the most effective motor at this time, and that most likely to keep going through the long hours necessary for d successful attempt
 Yesterday Moisant had placed between the landing wheels of this machine c very large projectile-shaped gasolino tank in which to carry the fuel necesa sary for the long flight. This tank ws9 only partly filled this morning befofo Moisant left the City Park race track. the arrangements being that he WIS to land at the place where he met his death and have his tanks filled at that spot so as to start with a maximum amount o9 gasoline and lubricant in the cup con- test.
 Two Laps of Course
 'Moisant had made two laps Of the course in his preliminary trial and ap- preached the landing spacs for the nrot time at an altitude of about 200 feet. Ho appeared to delay coming down untn within POO or 300 feet of the, ,designatsA spot and then made an extren1ey sharp dip. When about 50 rect of the ground he stopped his motor, and would no douht have landed without mishap. notwith- standing his comparative unfamiliaritv with the machine and the unusual ccldi- tions of equilibrium brought about in it by the addition of the large tank had nol at tldl iis'dnt strung sust o1 Wiu0 struck under the tail of the craft aDd lifted it up.
 "The angle of descent instead of di. minishing, was thus suddenly increased to an almost vertical drop and the ground was too near for recovery. The monos plane at that moment appeared to pivot around the big tank placed between tho wheels, and struck the ground on ito propeller, smashing itself beyond repair. 1t was known, however, that 1t was con cussion which hurled Moisant out of hn seat. the terrific angle at which the me- chine descended in the last few moment1 in itself being sufficient for this. '
 Il plainly SAW Mcisant being projected out of his seat as If from catapault before any part of the machine touched 1 the earth. The macline fell so straight \