The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1911-01-05

ATTITUDE.
New Orleans, Dec 31.-John B.
Moisant, one OF the most daring aud
skiIlfuI OF American aviators, and the
man who won the Statue OF Liberty
flight In New York last October, fell
from his monoplane 100 feet above
the ground at Harahan, near this
city, today. He landed on his head,
and was alive but unconscious when
picked up. He was placed in an
automobile and rushed to a special
train bound for New Orleans, hut
/ died on the way. He is the Thirty
ninth aviator killed in 1910.
Leaving the city park aviation field
at 9:35 o'clock this morning, full OF
life, vigor and hope, his eyes spark
ling in anticipation OF adding to his
country's glory by bringing the
Michelin cup to America, Moisant flew
over New Orleans to meet death 20
minutes later near Harahan, II miles
away.
Tonight he was to have been
presented with a handsome loving
cup bearing the legend, "John B.
Moisant, the glory OF Central Ameri-
ca" contributed by the Central
American colony In New Orleans.
Moisant, during his stay here, had
been preparing for a flight for the
Michelin 81, 900 prize for the longest
sustained flight in 1910. He post
poned his efforts until the last day
of the year. He read in the papers
this morning that Maurice Tabute-
aux had made a new record-362.66
miles in one Highland that Far
man was to try to beat that today.
He also read that Hoxsey was going
after the record at Los Angeles.
'I'll beat them ALL he said, conf
IDENTIFY this morning.
The rules of the flight for the Mich
elm prize provide that it shall be
made in a circle over a measured
course. Moisant had picked out
section at Harahan, twelve miles
from here. The winds there are
variable but it was the best locality,
he believed.
He rose from the aviation grounds
at 9 O'Clock and landed safely at
Harahan a few minutes later. He
was using the 5O-horse power Bleriot
monoplane, the same with which he
won the Statue of Liberty fight. At
tached to the machine was thirty
five gallon tank of gasoline in addi-
ton to the regular reservoir.
After Moisant, his brother and his
mechanician had gone over every
part of the craft with the utmost
care, testing every bolt and stay, he
strapped himself into the little cock
pit between the planes and gave the
word to start the engine. The start
was perfect. The monoplane scared
up and up and the small crowd which
had gone out to see the flight cheered
loudly.
After few preliminary tricks, Moi
SAINT settled down for what everyone
expected would be a monotonous cir
cling of the course. He planned, if he
should break the record, to have that
fact signalled from the ground and
then to finish his flight at the avia-
ton field in New Orleans.
Four times he circled the field at a
height of about 200 feet. Suddenly
something went wrong. The engine
was working regularly, but the mon
oplane became unmanageable. 1t
sagged in front and went through
strange motions.
The machine bucked and pitched
and plunged downward. Moisant
could be seen trying to manipulate
the planes so as to lift the weight OF
the engine, which is placed forward,
up to an even keel. He threw himself
backward as far as possible, his
weight being the only thing that
kept the Bleriot from diving to the
earth.
The monoplane came down as If
the aviator was trying to glide to
earth. Suddenly, when the machine
was 100 feet above ground, Moisant
slid out OF it and fell like a stone.
The strap which held him to his seat
had broken and he lost his hold.
The aviator landed on his head
and shoulders, and the Mortified crowd
rushed across the field to where he
lay beside the wreck of the mono
plane. He was still alive, but died
few minutes later while being rush
ed to the city on a special train.
Moisant narrowly escaped death
last Tuesday. He had gone up o.
600 feet in an effort to break the
elevation record. At this height his
engine froze and he was forced to
glide to the ground.
A strong wind swept him toward a
partially cleared tract OF scrub forest,
half a mile from the aviation ground.
AS he was about to be dashed against
st the trees, his engine thawed out in
the warmer atmosphere, He managed
to skid along the surface of the
ground, got the engine working
properly again and then, without
alighting, assembled, circled over the
forest and returned to the field.
Los Angeles, Cal, Dec. 31.-Arch
HOxsey had been the star performer
at the big meet that began last Satur-
day. Day after day he took out his
machine and assembled. There had
not been day when the intrepid air
man had not gone beyond the range
OF human vision, disappearing be-
| Hlnu neecy CLOUDS, or swinging IN
ever widening circles until he crossed
the mountains or hung over the sea.
His prolonged absence from the field
day after day gave rise to the saluta-
ton OF one friend to another on the
grounds:
HAS anybody seen Hoxsey?"
No one felt tear for him, however,
as he always came back, returning
toward earth in spectacular and ter
rifying series OF spiral dips and would
land directly in front of the grand
stand. He was the iavorite OF the
crowds and was always greeted with
applause when he came out and with
a wave OF his hand started on his
altitude trials.
HIS ALTITUDE FEATS.
IN hNpIou 10 Of H0voor hroI-o ~