AERONAUTICS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2618, 28 September 1909, Page 7

AERONAUTICS

AN AUSTRALIAN’S NOTES.

THE CHANNEL FLIGHT. (Special Correspondent of the Sydney “Morning Herald.”) LONDON, July 30. M. Bleriot’s swoop across the channel last Sunday morning i s easily the most dramatic success of the week, the drama of the thing was inherent no loss in its unexpectedness than in its thrilling audacity. Aerial excitement had been bubbling for a couple of weeks past, not only on the Dover Cliffs, but also round Calais, where not even M. Latham’s desperately awaited flight had so monopolised interest as to leave people unperturbed concerning M. Bleriot and the Comte do Lambert, both ot whom were daily engaged in experimental manoeuvres. Each of the three, indeed, had an eye on the others, and no one knew quite who would be the first to make the venture. As it turned out Air Latham was caught napping, literally and figuratively. Nothing suggested the possibility of a flight. Strong winds were blowing over England and France fairly continuously, and the last thing the aviators desired to encounter on their already sufficiently perilous voyage was a Channel wind. However, on Sunday morning M. Bleriot rose at 2.30, and found the elements unexpectedly quiescent. M Latham was still asleep. The wind had howled the night before. How was he to forsee this development? M. Bleriot wa« the early bird, with a vengeance, and, indeed, was soon in bird-like flight by way of experiment. At 4.35, the sun having risen, and tho “sunrise to sunset” conditions of the £IOOO prize being thus met, he gave the signal, and shot off the French cliffs at Baraques into mid-air, and with his little engine making 1200 revolutions to the minute was soon far out upon his venture. Mr Levavasseur, the inventor or the Latham machine, had strolled out on his verandah at 4.30 to inspect the weather. He wa s just in time to see tho rival flier, now a disappearing speck across the sea. M. Latham rushed out, heard the news, tried bravely to join in the cheers for Bleriot, got his machine out, and was insistent on starting, but was forbidden by his friends, who saw him to be in a half-frenzied state, and bordering on collapse. M. Bleriot’s description of his flight i s one short, sharp thrill. The French destroyer which was to accompany him had been warned, and set out at a speed of 26 miles an hour across Channel. The monoplane flew overhead at 46 miles an hour, overtook the ship, passed her 250 feet in air, and dashed out of range of her in an instant. M. Bleriot describes himself as lost at that moment. He had no compass, and no other guide. Beneath him was the sea, and nothing else was visible, neither France, nor England, or a solitary ship. He flies on at a venture, letting the aeroplane take its own course. Presently the greep of. the English coast comes into view. He sees himself to be far east of his appointed landing place, having evidently been blown out of his course by tho now fresh breeze. He steers west, his speed lessens, the wind’s violence increases. He makes for an opening in the cliffs. The next instant he has left the sea and is over dry land. He sees a French flag wave where lii s waiting friend is posted, just behind Dover Cliffs. He- makes the point, is blown round and round by the wind, stops the motor, and falls to earth. The Channel is flown —and Dover is in bed. No one has seen the wonderful flight into England save only the friend who awaited it, and a solitary policeman, who, patrolling the streets of the town, heard a whizzing noise in air, and, looking up, beheld a giganticbird flying at tremendous speed over the cliffs. Of course, M. Bleriot lias had a great ovation since. Paris has gone wild over him, and London has received him in honor. The little monoplane, which is like to become immortal, has been on view in London this week and thousands of us have marvelled at the frailty of the craft, and still more at tho audacity of the man who hurled himself through space upon it, and, doing so, swept down the sea barrier of England. On Wednesday we bad yet another aerial thrill, for M. Latham, for whom we are all sorry an for a brave and withal a disappointed man, mad© splendid flight across the Channel. Thousands of people lined the Dover Cliff s this time. They saw him fly superbly out of the mist towards ‘them. A mighty cheer of greeting went out to him, but at that moment lie wavered and fell, and dropped into the sea two miles from bis goal. He was rescued, of course, and will try again. Doubtless he will succeed. As for M. Bleriot, he is selling monoplanes as fast as he can make them, and we live in anticipation of wholesale windings of what was once the void of air.