The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-09-24
French Aviator Goes From st.
Raphael to Bixerta in Z
Hours So Minutes.
DISTANCE Is 558 MILES
Trip Is Longest Oversee Flight
and Most Dangerous Ever
Attempted.

BIxERTA, Tunis. Sept 23.-ROland @.
Garros. the famous French aylstor. made
to-day the most perilous and hardest
night he has set attempted In his success
sion Of remarkable aerial voyages. With
out any means provided to insure safety
he few across the Mediterranean Sea
from Saint Raphael. France. to this port.
a distance Of 55s miles. which IL Z once
the longest oversea flight that has ever
been accomplished and the most danger
Gus.
Garros left Saint Raphael at 5 :52 this
morning and arrived here at ! AS, the
total time being 7 hours and So minutes.
while his average speed for the whole
distance was abou: 20 miles an hour.
Garros flew across the Mediterranean
once before. but It was between points
only 100 miles apart. Even that was
considered a marvellous performance for
aviator, motor and machine.
He announced his intention Of attempt
ing the night several days ago and when
the officers Of the army aeroplane corps
heard Of his plan the Minister Of the
Navy was Induced to offer to lend the
6NlAtOT several tOIpcuO Oout ucobiOy 81 -,
the fastest In the French navy. to insure
safety.
II was hoped that the aviator would
accept the use Of the destrOyers and, sta
ton them along the route Of the flight,
with the commanders Of the vessels under
orders to pick up his trail when he came
into sight and follow him at full speed
until he got within sight Of another de-
stroyer. which in turn would follow him
ready to pick him up II he fell into the
sea.
Declined All Assistance.
Garros. however. declined the prof
fered aid. He Is his own machinist. and
he said that his motor could last for
the Journey. and he could carry enough
petrol for the Night without endangerins
himself. II he fell. he said. there would
probably be some fishing boats near
enough to take him to shore, but he
secuted the possibility Of any mishap.
He even scorned suggestiens which
were made BY his AWAITING friends that
he EQUIP his aeropiane with noaters. 90
that Il would not sink IL he fell into the
sea. All France was aroused to great
interest in the flight because Of the fame
OF the aviator and the audacity of the
flight.
Garros's former flight over the Mediter-
ranesn was accomplished in the fall OF
1912. On that occasion he few from Tunis
to Sicily. a distance OF 100 miles. and the
next day continued his journey to Rome.
making the total distance covered 400
miles in two days.
Garros came to this country in 1910
and appeared at the aeroplane meet at
the Belmont Park racetrack with an
astonishing butterfly Of machine, which
hoped about the enclosure a few yards
at time at a tremendous speed. He
then toured the country. At New Or
leans. In December. 1910. he had one of
his narrowest escapes from death. He
went after the altitude record. and when
he was 7.i25 feet high his engine went
bad and he had to glide back to earth.
Frost covered his goggles. so he had to
make the last half OF his glide by In
stinct, but in spite OF this he landed
back In the rscetrack from which he had
started.
Held Altitude Record Three Times.
On another occasion. in France. he
went up 10000 feet In binding storm
ITO demonstrate that his light type of
machine was better for rough flying than
heavier aeroplanes' He landed back
without mishap
Garros has held the altitude record
OF the world three times. He won II
the first time for a flight on September
4. 1871. when he ascended 13,934 feet (:
the second time was on September 6.
1912, when he flew 49, 900 feet high. and
the third time was on December II. 1912.
when he ascended 19.O32 feet at Tunis
In June. 1912, he won the Grand Prix.
worth $4,000. by beating his competi-
tors In a flight OF 2S2 miles.
M0n nf G0rros's 0renf /Hnkf Do ~ Z