160 



ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1910. 



The events which have attracted, most attention have been the cross-country 

 flight of H. Farman, from Bouy to Reims, 17 miles, without landing, October 

 30, 1908 ; of Bleriot, October 31, 1908, from Toury to Artenay and return, with 

 landings ; of the same man from Etampes to Chevilly, 26 miles, July 13, 1909, 

 and his flight across the British Channel, July 25 ; the two unsuccessful at- 

 tempts of Latham to perform the same feat, July 19 and July 27, 1909; the 

 flight of Farman. July 23, from Chalons to Suippes, 40 miles; of his flights at 

 Rheims of 112 miles, August 27, and of 150 miles at Mourmelon, November 3; 

 of Orville Wright, at Fort Myer, July 27 and 30; of W. Wright, at New York, 

 October 4; of Curtiss, at Rheims, August 28 and 29; of Latham, over Berlin, 

 September 27; and of De Lambert, over Paris, October 18; as well as a speed 

 of about 90 miles an hour, down wind, at Blackpool, attained by Latham, 

 October 22, 1909. 



These feats have not been accomplished without some deplorable accidents. 

 Several aviators have been killed or injured by the fall of their machines, and 

 many of the latter have been smashed. It will be remembered that Lieut. 

 Selfridge was killed at Fort Meyer, September 17, 190S. In 1909 Eugene 

 Lefebvre was killed at Juvissy, September 7; on the same day Enea Rossi was 

 killed at Rome while testing a machine of his own invention ; while on September 

 22 the distinguished propagandist of aviation in France, Capt. L. F. Ferber, 

 was killed at Boulogne by an unlucky landing. On December 6, A. Fernandez, a 

 French aviator of Spanish birth, was killed at Nice by the fall of his biplane, 

 similar to Wright's, caused by the explosion of his motor when at a height 

 estimated at 500 meters. 



The tendency has been to develop special experts for exhibition flights. Some 

 200 of their flights, which are thought the more memorable for one reason or 

 another, will be found in the following list : 



Chro-nolor/ii of memorable fights — Motor Aeroplanes. 



WILBUR WRIGHT. 



