LOUIS BLERIOT FLEW ACROSS THE CHANNEL

 

Cortland Standard, Monday Evening, July 26, 1909.

FLEW ACROSS THE CHANNEL.

   All hats off to the French aviator, Louis Bleriot. For the first time the English channel has been crossed by an airship. The feat was performed by the Frenchman at about daylight on Sunday, July 25. He left Les Baraques, three miles from Calais, at 4:30 a. m., and landed safely at Dover in a less than a half hour later, the crossing time being about half that of the swiftest mailboat. His speed averaged 45 miles per hour, but some times ran as high as 60 miles an hour. A French torpedo boat with the aviator's wife on board tried to accompany him, but was quickly left behind by the speedy airship. The departure and arrival were wholly unexpected to the public generally who were greatly disappointed at their failure to be on hand. The ship maintained a distance of about 250 feet above the water all the way across. The motor worked perfectly.

   By the successful flight M. Bleriot wins the prize of $5,000 offered by the London Daily Mail for the first flight across the English channel. His rivals, Hubert Latham and Count de Lambert, had hoped to make the trip yesterday too. Bleriot generously stated on arrival that if Latham crossed successfully yesterday he would divide the prize with him since both trials would be on the same day, but there was too much wind as the day advanced for him to try it. Both sent the radiant Bleriot telegrams of congratulation on his success.

   These are great days in the development of aviation. Each day brings something new, and nothing seems to be impossible. If Solomon was on earth today we wonder if he would say that there is nothing new under the sun.

 

FLOATING BAG SHATTERED.

   One of the special features apparently sought for by the inventors of the dirigible airship or balloon has been its use in time of war as a means of spying upon the enemy's forces and movements. It has been prophesied that good marksmanship would put an end to this, but many have not believed it. The fact was, however, successfully brought out with a howitzer in Germany last Friday. A captive balloon was sent up to an altitude of 4,000 feet on the military range at Griesheim. Volleys from rifles and the fire of machine guns were directed against the aerial target without the slightest effect, but the second shell fired at it from a howitzer totally destroyed the balloon. If the balloon had contained two or three spies around with cameras, field glasses and note books they would probably have come to grief under the bombardment of the howitzer. The success of this experiment with the gun will be likely to dampen the ardor of any would-be balloon spies in the future.