GREAT AVIATOR'S LETTER

Evening Star, Issue 14307, 4 March 1910, Page 8

GREAT AVIATOR'S LETTER

The burial of M. Leon Delagrango took place at Orleans before an immense concourse of people. The President of the Council and the Minister of Public Works were represented at the ceremony, which was attended by all the official world of Orleans. A letter which Delagrango wrote a little more than a year ago to a German journalist, presumably for publication, has a mournful significance. Jt deals with Delagrange's superstition. The aviator confesses to "being superstitious without being superstitious." For instance, he was born on Friday, 13th March, and had a belief that Friday, the 13th, was his lucky day. As yet all his successful flights had been made on the day after Friday—Saturday. His success, in fact, appeared to be confirmed to Saturday. "Last Saturday, a week ago." he wrote, ''l made my first fine flight for two months at an altitude of fifty feet. It lasted ten minutes. The next dav.

Sunday, before tho brothers Wright I thought I should be able to repeat the performance, for nothing had been changed in my motor, and the weather was splendid. Alas, Sunday caitio, and I did not make a good flight. In the wav of talismans I always go up with my gre-v cap and I smoke cigarettes, as in" fact I always do. In my opinion there is nothing hotter in the way of a talisman than a good motor in the aeroplane and a heart well set in tho pilot." Then comes a curious postscript: "Here is a story which may interest you, at any rate if the prophecy comes' true. Before 1 had my first machine, at the end of 1006, a fortuneteller predicted for me a terrible accident. She saw me falling with frightful rapidity against a barrier with something like a wheel whirling around at a great pace (a propeller). Tho crowd rushes forward and bears me away three-parts dead, and in the end I manage to stand, if not plump, at least on my foot or feet, for my machine is completely wrecked. Well, well, I have already had four aeroplane accidents at thirty-five miles an hour, one against the motor-cab —but I have not had a scratch."