IN THE AIR.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10594, 25 October 1910, Page 2

IN THE AIR.

[By • Electbio Telegraph—Cop\bight.] ~£" (Per Press Associvtiok ) sß&ceived October 24, at 10.40 p.m. li'.Vs"--:■ • . New York, October 24. * There were 110 flights, and "500 spectators were disappointed. On tin.'second day of the international avia;sion- meeting at Belmont Park, Long Island, the winds were strong, and onlj two aviators (Grahame "White and Moissant) dared ascent. Both came to gncf though without personal injuries. AIRMAN AS A FILIBUSTER. Before Mr John B. Moissant.. em- I barked upon the supreme adventure of journeying from Paris to LouxJon with a passenger by aeroplane, liis career liad already been one of the most, romantic : character. The American newspapers - have published copious-accounts of his deeds-in Central America, which show him in a most heroic light..? • Though born in Chicago about 3o : yiears ago, Mr Moissant is of FrenchCanadian parentage. While still- a youth, he went to Salvador, where he and his brothers acquired large estates. They are said (as already reported) to have evolved a plan for the overthrow :of President Regalado. The Salva■doran Government, retorted by confis- ' eating the property of the Moissants. and the brothers had t-o fly the couns vfcry.v-- • • ■ i ;v:: Honduras was the next scsne of. Mr Moissant's. exploits. Here, it is Suid, he was engaged in a revolution to make General fiavila President. This at- ■ tempt was successful, but apparently Mr Moissant, who had taken a leading ' part in the country and accepted a commission in the Nicara'guan ariny at the hands of Zelaya, who was then President. This transitory potentate planned an' attack on the neighboring Government of Salvador, and Mr Moissant • was ulaced at the head of an x expedi-- - tion ~of Salvadoran malcontents .on boards a Nicaraguan gunboat. In the bombardment of Acajutla Colonel Mois- "• sant personally served the machine gun • and won a complete victoi-y. ■■■■■.. The last revolutionary adventure in :>s which Mr Moissant is credited:with pl;iy- & -ing a leading part was in March ias". j'ear, when he again became involved. •:f in an uprising against Salvador. He againt selected Nicaragua as a base of operations, and took a filibustering ex- -• petition, with a party of revolutionists, from the latter republic to invade Sal--1 vador. However, the "United States - Government heard: of the expedition and despatched a warship to-. intercept the filibusters, who were compelled to return .to Nicaragua. Throughout Central America Mr John • Moissant bears a reputation that savors of romance. At the time when he was in l Honduras it is related that a tramp steamer, loaded with a cargo valued at something like £20,000, was cast ashore during a storm and abandoned. The same night, in the teeth of the gale, Moissant made his way alone, in a. small boat and took possession of the vessel. ' *■ '.* In the morning the storm abated, and the - ship's captain, accompanied by... :members of the crew and an agent of : the line, rowed out to the ship, which had withstood the pounding of the sea and wind, and was held fast on a sun- ■ ken l reef ? in the outer harbor. They rt; were halted by a shot from Moissant s '- revolver. There was some parleying, and the ship's skipper rowed back to ■ ? shore to inform the American Consul - and • the authorities that Moissant claimed the ship and cargo as salvage, and' had threatened to ''blow the head of the first man 1 who tries to come

aboard." There was a second expedition to the ship, this time with the American Consul and some native soldiers, but Moissajit refused to be impressed by this display of force, and, to show his sincerity of purpose, shot a hole through the sombrero of the native commandant!. The expeditiou to recapture the stranded steamer returned to shore for reinforcements of artillery; but during the night another storm swept the harbor and completed the wreck of the tramp. Moissanb was rescued by tlis 'American Consul, who found: him lashed to the topmost rigging of the steamer, which emerged only a few feet from the -water.