No. 31. [From The Times, Feb. 21, 1902.] 



THE WRECK OF " SANTOS DUMONT NO. 6" 

 AT MONACO, 14 FEBRUARY 1902 



M. SANTOS DUMONT'S ascent and accident of Friday, the 

 I4th inst., have an interest beyond the personal one, which. 

 of itself, is of a high order. Not for the first nor for the second 

 time has he shown that he is a man of rare presence of mind, as 

 well as of indomitable courage, and to tempt the air in travel 

 requires both these qualities in a high degree. It may be said 

 that each ascent of M. Santos Dumont marks a step in advance 

 in the dawning history of aerial locomotion, and is fraught with 

 lessons to the attentive onlooker. To M. Dumont himself each 

 fresh ascent, whether the public term it a success or a failure, 

 is full of lessons on a quantity of matters of detail of which the 

 uninitiated can have no perception. Indeed, the more complete 

 the apparent failure the greater is the value of the experience 

 to the air pilot, provided he escape so as to be able to utilise 

 the experience himself. The apparent failure but real achieve- 

 ment of last Friday did not occupy more than five minutes 

 from start to total wreck. By the luck which always accom- 

 panies courage, M. Santos Dumont has got off this time with a 

 wetting, and he may be trusted to give effect to his experience 

 without any unnecessary delay. But while he alone, by previous 

 preparation, is able to learn fully the lesson that the accident 

 has taught, the spectator, by intelligent observation, may pick 

 up a few of the crumbs of learning. 



Owing to the kindness of his Highness the Prince of Monaco, 

 I was able to accompany the steam launch of his yacht 

 "Princesse Alice" both on the day of the accident and on that 

 of the previous ascent. I was thus able to observe and to 

 photograph the balloon at pretty close quarters both in success 

 and in failure, and I think that the observations which I have 



