The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
.HOXSEY AND MO|SANT
 HAD NOTED CAREERS
Both Were Young and New at
 the Game
HOXSEY WAS FEARLESS
Hut Noisan4 Was Considered Reckless and Took Unreasonable Chances. Ely and Willard Talk About
 Dangers of Aviation

Hoxsey was one of the most intrepid or the Wright flyers. He was absolutely fearless and at times disregarded the in- structions of his employers and explain ed all sorts of daring stunts In the air. climbing to the highest attitudes when he knew that his supply of gasoline might give out. Hoxsey and Ralph Johnstone, who lost his life at Denver a. month ago, although members of the same camp, were the greatest rivals. On October s, when both were competing in the meet held at Belmont park, they each mount ed into the air at the same time, trying for the altitude record. Both men dis appeared in the skies and were lost for several hours. One of Hoxsey's first &C., cidents occurred at Milwaukee on Sep tember 16, when eight persons, five men and three women, were injured when ne swerved sideways in his machine and plunged into a crowd of spectators. The biplane was brought to an abrupt stop and Hoxsey was only slightly injured.
 On october &, apparently with the case and enjoyment that a motorist takes in making a country trip over good roaos. he set a new mark for cross-country flying when, without stop, he covered a distance of 95 miles from Springfield, Ill., within sight of the Mississippi river and had difficulty in landing.
 Narrow Escape at Baltimore
 Hoxsey had a narrow escape from death on November while flying at the aviation meet held in Baltimore. He was after altitude records and had
 pyt1a h felt the engine jumping and decided to come down. He started to glide but had gone only a short distance when the pro- peor stopped The 10000 spectators on the ground saw that something was wrong as the machine began to descend with frightful rapidity. He managed, however, to direct his course to plowed field and made sort of gliding finish.
 The machine struck the ground with great force and threw the aviator out. He was stunned and lay for few min utes unconscious, but before the relief party, which was sent out. found him, he had recovered and was little the worse for his experience.
 When Johnstone was killed at Denver, Hoxsey remarked Well, we don't any of us know who will be the next" Former President Roosevelt succumbed to the temptations of flying and made a trip with Hoxsey at St. Louis on De- tober H. The colonel grew so excited that Hoxsey was compelled to warn him to sit still or they would both be plunged to earth.
 ] Hoxsey's yagaries- in the air were at tributed to his mood. He did not seem to care what happened apparently. It was a dip here, tilt there and a swaggering flambouyant dash with luxuriant proba- biIities of smash-up over wonder. One of Hoxsey's most daring and favorite stunts when he wanted to thrill a crowd was to execute letter "Z in the air
 | Both New Men
 John B. Moisant and Arch Hoxsey, both young and comparatively new avators had astonished the world by their per- formances in the air before their fatal accidents yesterday. Moisant had been an air man for a few months longer than Hoxsey. He first won fame when, in a Bleriot machine he distanced all other competitors in a race around the Eiffel tower, Paris. His later performances follow:
 September 6, complete aeroplane trip from Paris to Crystal Palace in Lon don, carrying passenger in voyage across English channel. This was the first Paris to London flight, feat many had attempted.
 T October 19, crash ed to ground during the international meet in New York while 200 feet above Belmont park, es caping without scratch, although his machine was wrecked.
 October 30, buys an aeroplane to re- place one smashed and 10 minutes later starts on a winning flight over New York around the Statue of Liberty winning a s10,o00 prize
 December IS, freezes in the air dur ing a flight at the Memphis meet and has to be lifted from his machine and carried to fire.
 December 27, glides from an attitude of almost 5000 feet with a frozen zine dead and buffeted by a gale he successfully descends
 December 31, makes his final flight al New Orleans, crashing to his death when his machine went wrong.
 Hoxsey's Greatest Feats
 Arch Hoxsey has been an aviator for only a few months having joined the Wright team last fall. Some Of his greatest feats were:
 October 2. flies from Springfield. Ill.,. to St. Louis, setting new American rec ord for sustained flight.
 | October II, makes ascension at St. Louis with former President Roosevelt as passenger.
 December 26, breaks worlds altitude record at Los Angeles, reaching height of 11,474 feet.
 December 30, makes second attempt of $10,575 feet, 76 feet above worlds record of Lagaganeux.
 December 31, falls to death in flight at Los Angeles while making altitude flight at Los Angeles.
 Both Friends of Ely 4r
 Los Angeles, January 1.-(Special.)--- One of Arch Hoxey's best friends was Eugene Ely, who was on the Dominguez field at the time of the fatal accident Ely also knew Moisant very well and II characterized Hoxsey as very cautious aerial navigator and Moisant as a reckless daredevil.
 "Once a man becomes an aviator he cannot stop,' said Ely tonight Some keen at it for the sake of public opin- ion others for the fascination con- : nected with the work. It gets in the blood and one cannot stop. I would hate to get mine (meaning death) in an aeroplane, not so much because of fear, but the experience of one never helps y another. The cause of these accidents seldom become known. Still, guess, we will all get 1t sooner or later. For myself I have no fear of dying anu I