FLEW LIKE AN ARROW.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13967, 27 July 1909, Page 2

FLEW LIKE AN ARROW.

BLERIOT'S JOURNEY FROM FRANCE TO ENGLAND. A PRIZE FOR BRITISHERS. By Electrio Telegraph.— Copyright. LONDON, July 26. Bleriot's 20-h.p. machine is described as the lightest and most compact in existence. It flew like an arrow, lue weather was calm at the outset, but a strong we«.t wind was encountered in mid-channel, and it required the utmost care in steering. Bleriot was overturned at Dover. Ho returned to Calais aboard the destroyer Es,copettc, where be was accorded a great ovaHe received a telegram from M. Depasso, a Deputy representing the Parliamentary, group of aerial locomotion, heartily congratulating him as the first conqueror of the channel and among tlie other conquerors of the air. Dcpasse added: "Hosannah for the peace of the world!" „.. • Bleriot wins the Daily Mail prize 01 £1000, When in mid-channel ho was unaware of his whereabouts. Then he found himself near Deal. He> couk have landed on the beach, but turned to beat up the coast towards his apnointed objective. Nearing Dover he was seriously troubled with? defective air currents and compelled to stanor o« to sea. Then, steering for a gap in the cliffs, he again encountered adverse air currents. After passing over battleships and cliffs, an eddying wind behind Dover Castle turned the monoplane round two complete circles. Bleriot stopped his machinery and descended rather precipitately. The strength of the wind averaged ten to twenty knots from the start. Hearing of Bleriot's success, Baron de Forest increased his offer of £2000 for the first to cross the Channel, the flight to be made by a Britisher in a British-built aeroplane, to £4000. The Daily Telegraph estimates that Bleriot's speed was forty miles an hour. The Morning Post s»y» the distance of twenty-six miles was covered in thirty-threo minutes. M. BLERIOT AND MR. LATHAM. (Received July 27, 8.23 a.m.) LONDON, July 26. The Times says upon the whole it is probable that Bleriot is working on right lines. There are limits for the extension of aeroplanes in the direction of weight-carrying, and this department must be left to the dirigible, which has the great advantage that its power increases with size at a greater rate than the. resistance offered by •ir; whereas the limitation upon the increase in sisje and power of aeroplanes are inexorable, since the weight of the heaviest bird that flies is inconsiderable. Bleriot's monoplane is being exhi- ; bited in London for the benefit of the 1 London hospital. With its wings folde< it occupies the space of a mediunniaed ' motor car. Bleriot was banqueted at, jjbe Savoy, 1 to-night, and received Captain Wynd- ' ham's gold cup. 1 The jubilation in Paris is described 1 as "the Bleriot fever." 1 Levavasseur, the inventor of the ' monoplane in which Mr: Hubert Latham attempted to cross the Channel - last week, rose thrice during the night, - and finally decided that the weather ■ 1 was unfavourable. He did not awaken 1 Mr. Latham until he saw M. Bleriot > in mid-air. ' ' Mr. Latham hurriedly got out the ' monoplane, but was dissuaded from : starting owing to the rising wind. The Imperial College, jCenungton, : the Northampton Polytechnic, and tbo ■ Regent Street Polytechriio have cpjn- - menced aeronautic classes. ' Mr. Astor has contributed £1000 to : the Morning Post's air ship. j A PERTH INVENTION. . I (Received July 27. 10.65- a.m.) » 1 PEfctfEH, July 27: A local dentist claims to have in- " vented an aeroplane excelling all other ; types. ' EXCITEMENT DOWN SOUTH. Per Press Assoriatioti. . } DUNEDIN, July 27. ! Some little time ago excitement was I created in the country '"by a report that 1 a mysterious light ' Bad been seen at ' night near Stirling moving about in ' such' a manner as to give 'the. impress sion . that something in the nature of ' an air ship was manoauvxuig -amongst ' the hills. Information hW now been ' received from Kelso that at., noon on Friday the school children and others beheld in the air a strange machine, s which they described as shaped like a i boat with what seemed like the figure 1 of a man seated in it. The "air snip" 1 approached from the direction of the > Blue Mountains, circled high over the - school, and then disappeared in the ! direction whence it came. To-day it is reported that the niys- " terious visitor was again seen on Satur- : day evening by several people. i