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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0476.PDF
fyoHt] family and other Royal personages. Information arrived of Vedrines having reached Burgos, and when it was announced that permission had been given for him to delay his further journey the greatest disappointment was manifested amongst the huge crowds assembled. But it had to he, and led by King Alfonso's departure, they quietly dispersed under the circumstances. Lieut. Barone and another officer arrived by way of the air during the proceedings, and this in a large measure pacified the impatience of the public and probably unpleasant excitement was thereby avoided. In the meantime Garros, finding his motor was not working well, came down at Usurbil, about ten miles from his starting point. Starting once more, he was again compelled to alight at Andoain, and return to San Sebastian for a new propeller, then proposing to re-start the following morning. < .iliert passed over Tolosa at 6.53 at a good height, coming down at Olasagutia. Attempting to restart from this place, the fearful state of the taking-ofT ground upset his machine altogether, putting it completely hors de (omhal, leaving no alternative but to post pone until the next day any attempt at further participation in the race. On Friday morning early, in spite of the previous day's disappoint ment, a fair crowd again gathered at the finishing point for the race at Madrid, and this time they were not to be disappointed. Vedrines had got away from Burgos at 5.20 a.m., and safely surmounted the Sierra de Guadarrama Mountains, his route being over the Somosierra Pass. By eight o'clock his Morane- Borel monoplane was sighted as a speck in the distance, and by 8.6 a.m. victory was his, he having landed without further incident at the Getafe Aerodrome, where he was received by repre sentatives of the Spanish Royal Aero Club and Senor De la Torre, the Governor of Madrid, who congratulated him on behalf of Spain and the Government. In passing over the Guadarrama range Vedrines not only had to battle with treacherous gusts and dan gerous air-pockets through the mountains, but it was at this stage of his journey that a huge eagle made a direct attack upon his machine. Seeing the fearful danger to himself in this movement as the bird would most likely have come in contact with the pro peller, Vedrines instinctively made some sudden and confusing evolutions by dropping suddenly and then rising again, thereby JUNE 3, 1911. uDsettine the calculations of this very inquisitive bird of prey. For fully five minutes this little sport was in progress between the aviator and the eagle, the acrobatic manoeuvres of Vedrines at last causing the king of the air to abandon his agressive attack, much to the relief of Vedrines. In like manner Gibert was also the victim of a somewhat similar experience, and he, by means of a revolver, was able to scare his assailant away. • " Again in response to showers of praise, like the sportsmen which, have been begotten of aviation, Vedrines gave all the credit of his performance to the makers of the machine, MM. Morane and Borel. At least Vedrines will have the satisfaction of having secured the big monetary compensation, whilst to mark the splendid achieve ment personally of Vedrines, King Alfonso forthwith decorated him with the Cross of the Order of Alfonso XII. So interested was King Alfonso in the splendid feat accomplished, that M. Vedrines was commanded to attend the Palace, where he had a very lengthy interview with His Majesty, who evinced the greatest interest in the most minute details of the journey, finally pinning the decoration upon the aviator's breast. The official times for those who started on the last stage are as follows :— h. m. s. Vedrines: Paris-Angouleme 4 24 Angouleme-San Sebastian ... 5 56 San Sebastian-Madrid 27 5 16 15 41 Total 37 26 12 The actual time of flying works out at 14 hrs. S4mins., not allow ing for penalisations:— Garros: Paris-Angouleme ... Angouleme-San Sebastian Gibert: Paris-Angouleme ... Angouleme-San Sebastian 4 6 2S 30 38 24 58 13 42 22 Amongst Vedrines' replies of thanks to telegrams and congratula tions upon his great flight, the wording of that to the famous makers of the Gnome engine is very suggestive. It was simply as follows :— " 29,400,000 explosions without a hitch.—Vedrines." •a. V> - ., > " £, •fj&&gt;[ vf^t'd'.fr W)A 1 ' 5 V THE FUNERAL OF M ' BE?Jff«AU^ T.f |LATE FR^F, MINISTER OF WAR.-The passing o£ the coffin and chief mourners and offical representative-! V«=>"JK UI 478
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