Evening star., 1923-07-15

Oh LONELY TOdO where We nedrd
voices shouting to each other in
French.
perhaps they are Graham Whites
mechanics" said to Perris.
This guess proved to be right. and
upon inquiry from the men We found
that Graham White had had engine
trouble, and had alighted in some
garden not far from where we stood
1t was a little country village
though I cannot recollect its mans
or whereabouts, and after tramping
across fields, we saw house with
lights shining from all it's windows.
1t was the village rectory, remote
from the world and all the excite
ments of life, until, out of the dark
ness, a great bird had dropped into
the garden, with the noise of It
! dragon. From the wings of the bird
a young man, dirty, half dazed
freezing cold. and drunk with
fatigue, staggered out, banged at the
, door, and asked for food and a place
to sleep. The clergyman's wife and
the clergyman's daughter rose to the
occasion, as Englishwomen do in
times of crisis. They dressed them
selves, made some coffee. cooked
some boiled eggs. lighted big fires,
and unfroze the bird man. He was
already abed, after a plea to be
called at the first CLEAN of dawn,
when we arrived. Presently other
! motorists arrived, all cold and hun
cry and muddy.
Before the dawn Graham Whit
was down from his bed, thoroughly
bad tempered and abominably rude
j for which there was ample excuse.
as word was brought that Paulhan
was we'll ahead, although he. too,
| had dropped into a field. Perris and
/ urged him not to fly again before
daybreak, but he told US to go to the
devil, and insisted on getting away
| in the darkness. We took to the car
again, waited until we heard the
roar of Graham Whites engines, AMI
saw him pass overhead like a great
| black bat. Then we chased him
again and lost him again. He came
to earth with more engine trouble IT.
a ploughed field not long after dawn.
A little crowd of people gathered
correspondents who had started from
London at the same time as our
selves-now disheyeled. pale ami
dirty in the bleak dawn.
-
A MOTHER historic event was the
~ all-round-England race, which
became a duel between two famous
Frenchmen, Vedrennes and Beau
mont. The first named was a rough.
brutal, foul-mouth mechanic with
immense courage and skill. The
second was a naval officer OF most
charming and gallant personality.
Beaumont came back to BrookIands
after his successful and wonderful
flight only a few minutes ahead of
Eedrennes. A great crowd Of men
and women, in which there were a
nummber of pretty ladies wSo had
motored out early from Londo had
assembled at Brooklands to cheer
the winner, but, as always a,1ong
English crowds, their sympathy was
excited by the man who had just
missed the first prize. When We'd
rennes appeared in sight there was
a rush to meet him. He stepped
out of his machine. and looked fierce
ly around. When some one told
him that Beaumont had arrived
first he raised both his clenched
fists and cried out a foul and fright
full oath-fortunately in French.
,, Then he burst into tears, and. look
ing round in a dazed way, asked ii
there was any woman VINO would
kiss him. A little French woman in
the crowd stepped shyly out, and
Vedrennes flung his greasy arms
about her and kissed her emotion
ally. 1t was characteristic of the
French soul that in the moment of
his tragic disappointment he should
have sought a woman's arms, like
a boy who goes to his mother in dis
tress. 1 have never forgotten that
little episode, and I have seen sim
liar things in time of war.
1t was Alfred Harmsworth and
the Daily Mail which put up all the
prizes for these record making flights.
and the man who was afterward
Lord Northcliffe deserved all the
| honor he gained for his generous
and far-seeing encouragement Of
aviation.
The Daily Mail had an immense
staff of correspondents on both sides
of the channel for the first channel
flight and a wireless installation by
which they could signal to each 9th
er. Without any assistance of that
kind 1 had to KEEP my eye on both
sides of the channel. which I crossed
almost every day for about fort
night Latham was vague about the
possibilities of his start. He might
go any morning at dawn. But
morning after morning passed and
the French destroyers which had
been lent by the French government
to patrol the channel in case, he fell
in again prepared to steam away.
Several orrespondents-Engl and
French-used to spend the night on
Calais tugboat lying off Sangatte
and I Joined them there the night
before Latham assured us all that
he would go next day. Something
happened at that time to Latham
think his nerve gave way tempora-
rily, owing to the strain of waiting
and continued engine trouble. He
went about looking depressed and
wretched, and he was as white as
sheet after an interview with the
commander of a French destroyer,
who informed him that he could
wait no longer.