Cheers for, M'sieu Salmet the Entente Cordiale and Mrs. Chard, the plucky Mayoress of Falmouth, who flew from Falmouth Manacles with M. Salmet on Monday, and arrived in state, towed by a tug, in Harbour in time for tea-
It was quite an exciting adventure, especially so to Mr. Chard, who was hurrying after the fliers in a tug, and saw them in the air five minutes before they had come to ground at Sandy Beach, through the engine misfiring near the Lizard. The Mayor, who had viscously shown his pluck by making a flight went in to the water up to his waist like the fishermen, in order to re-float the water plane- Mrs. Chard could have come to Penzance prosaically in the tug, but having had so much adventure preferred her seat in the monoplane, and reached Penzance looking as neat and comfortable as if she had just come out of a band-box.
M'sieu. Salmet had not eaten anything from 6 am. till 6 p.m., so that an airman's life is certainly not all "beer and skittles."
It was a matter of great regret that the Mayor of Penzance (Mr. A K. Barnett) was ill in bed, and therefore unable to extend a civic welcome to the "'Daily Mail" airman; but the honours were fittingly performed by Mayoress (Mrs. A- K- Barnett), assisted Councillor Howell Mabbott (Deputy-Mayor) and Mrs. Howell Mabbott. Commander Chambers, Mrs. Walter Borlase and party Superintendent Kenyon, Mr. Barrie Bennetts, Captain, Captain Beckerleg (harbour master), and others welcomed the flying man"' and all who could render assistance did so to safely harbour the novel craft in the floating dock.
M'sieu. Salmet said he would have flown until his cylinders burst rather than break faith with the people of Penzance; but having lady on board he had to think first of her safety and come down when the engine caught fire.
He must not be discouraged, however. His two predecessors also had misfortunes. Mr- Grahame White came to Penzance with a biplane, thinking to fly over the fleet, with King and Queen on board. Instead the flee flew away to Torbay, and the airman flying the Great Western line struck such tricky wind that he dropped in a field at Camborne and had to haul his machine in procession to Camborne railway station.
Mr. Gustav Hamel came to Penzance by train, to find his machine leaky shed. He had to "round up" a member of his staff and make various attempts to fly the first day, only succeeding at night in a thick fog in which he nearly struck the Trengwainton trees, and almost lost himself in the dense atmosphere. Next day, however, he gave a most brilliant flight, including St Ives, the Land’s End, and St. Michaels Mount. M'sieu. Salmet had bad luck and delays at Paignton but gave them a splendid display before leaving. He struck the beach and almost capsized when landing at Falmouth, but remained long enough to give some very fine exhibition flights, before essaying the trip to Penzance.
M'sieu. Salmet said that while Penzance townsfolk could wait to see him fly, there were thousands who had come by rail and road from all parts of West Cornwall, and this would probably the only chance of seeing him. (Some had taken a whole day's holiday; in one case a school was to be re-opened the next day; and everybody could not follow the example of a stalwart Vicar who after waiting all day determined to stay all night rather than miss the flight!).
A councillor said that if without running the unusual risks could he go up for five minutes, the people would be delighted. He replied that although some woodwork of the floats had been damaged, he had duplicate parts of his engine at hand; his mechanics could easily exchange these for parts which had not acted property, and if his machine were towed to Ponsandane beach he could off floats, on wheels, and give a flight after having had a meal.
Captain Beckerleg, however, pointed out that as it was almost high tide, he would have pebbles instead of sandy beach for three hours longer, and that he had better defer his flights until next day. This consideration, and this alone, turned the scales.
Both M'sieu. Salmet and his mechanics and helpers on the pier would have got the machine across to Ponsandane if it had been practicable to manage a flight and so avoid disappointing the immense crowd which had watched and waited all day for the water plane.
Up to this time the only Penzance resident who has ever been up in an aeroplane was Mr. F. A. Bewes, the athletic manager of Messrs. Lloyd's Bank, Ltd. Mr. Bewes took 25-mile walks to give him an appetite for tea, and climbed the Alps every summer to keep his muscles in order. He went up 500 feet at Hendon in a flying machine owned by an aviator who hoped to be the first flying man to cross the Atlantic. He found the sensation more exhilarating than fearsome; but the steep dive known as vol-planing was quite a novelty.
The only local lady who seemed determined to fly sooner or later was Mrs. Glave Saunders, who would have "gone up" with Mr. Hamel, but the fact that he had no passenger-carrying machine with him.
Mrs. Bainsmith of St. Ives, however, hoped to make a flight later on and her son was shaping a career with the view of joining the army flying corps.
M'sieu Salmet at first thought of taxying his machine from the Manacles to Penzance— i.e, instead of being towed by a rope he would run his machine like motor-boat; but it was thought it would be rougher riding for the Mayoress of Falmouth as the sea was choppy, and the engine somewhat erratic.
On Tuesday 28th April 1914 just on stroke of noon the whirr of a Gnome engine told us that the Salmet monoplane was crossing Penzance. It was soon seen circling over Market Jew Street with its pilot and passenger. The French pilot had kept his word and given Penzance a splendid view of his evolutions. A return trip was made a few minutes later.
Viva Salmet and the entente cordiale!
It was quite an exciting adventure, especially so to Mr. Chard, who was hurrying after the fliers in a tug, and saw them in the air five minutes before they had come to ground at Sandy Beach, through the engine misfiring near the Lizard. The Mayor, who had viscously shown his pluck by making a flight went in to the water up to his waist like the fishermen, in order to re-float the water plane- Mrs. Chard could have come to Penzance prosaically in the tug, but having had so much adventure preferred her seat in the monoplane, and reached Penzance looking as neat and comfortable as if she had just come out of a band-box.
M'sieu. Salmet had not eaten anything from 6 am. till 6 p.m., so that an airman's life is certainly not all "beer and skittles."
It was a matter of great regret that the Mayor of Penzance (Mr. A K. Barnett) was ill in bed, and therefore unable to extend a civic welcome to the "'Daily Mail" airman; but the honours were fittingly performed by Mayoress (Mrs. A- K- Barnett), assisted Councillor Howell Mabbott (Deputy-Mayor) and Mrs. Howell Mabbott. Commander Chambers, Mrs. Walter Borlase and party Superintendent Kenyon, Mr. Barrie Bennetts, Captain, Captain Beckerleg (harbour master), and others welcomed the flying man"' and all who could render assistance did so to safely harbour the novel craft in the floating dock.
M'sieu. Salmet said he would have flown until his cylinders burst rather than break faith with the people of Penzance; but having lady on board he had to think first of her safety and come down when the engine caught fire.
He must not be discouraged, however. His two predecessors also had misfortunes. Mr- Grahame White came to Penzance with a biplane, thinking to fly over the fleet, with King and Queen on board. Instead the flee flew away to Torbay, and the airman flying the Great Western line struck such tricky wind that he dropped in a field at Camborne and had to haul his machine in procession to Camborne railway station.
Mr. Gustav Hamel came to Penzance by train, to find his machine leaky shed. He had to "round up" a member of his staff and make various attempts to fly the first day, only succeeding at night in a thick fog in which he nearly struck the Trengwainton trees, and almost lost himself in the dense atmosphere. Next day, however, he gave a most brilliant flight, including St Ives, the Land’s End, and St. Michaels Mount. M'sieu. Salmet had bad luck and delays at Paignton but gave them a splendid display before leaving. He struck the beach and almost capsized when landing at Falmouth, but remained long enough to give some very fine exhibition flights, before essaying the trip to Penzance.
M'sieu. Salmet said that while Penzance townsfolk could wait to see him fly, there were thousands who had come by rail and road from all parts of West Cornwall, and this would probably the only chance of seeing him. (Some had taken a whole day's holiday; in one case a school was to be re-opened the next day; and everybody could not follow the example of a stalwart Vicar who after waiting all day determined to stay all night rather than miss the flight!).
A councillor said that if without running the unusual risks could he go up for five minutes, the people would be delighted. He replied that although some woodwork of the floats had been damaged, he had duplicate parts of his engine at hand; his mechanics could easily exchange these for parts which had not acted property, and if his machine were towed to Ponsandane beach he could off floats, on wheels, and give a flight after having had a meal.
Captain Beckerleg, however, pointed out that as it was almost high tide, he would have pebbles instead of sandy beach for three hours longer, and that he had better defer his flights until next day. This consideration, and this alone, turned the scales.
Both M'sieu. Salmet and his mechanics and helpers on the pier would have got the machine across to Ponsandane if it had been practicable to manage a flight and so avoid disappointing the immense crowd which had watched and waited all day for the water plane.
Up to this time the only Penzance resident who has ever been up in an aeroplane was Mr. F. A. Bewes, the athletic manager of Messrs. Lloyd's Bank, Ltd. Mr. Bewes took 25-mile walks to give him an appetite for tea, and climbed the Alps every summer to keep his muscles in order. He went up 500 feet at Hendon in a flying machine owned by an aviator who hoped to be the first flying man to cross the Atlantic. He found the sensation more exhilarating than fearsome; but the steep dive known as vol-planing was quite a novelty.
The only local lady who seemed determined to fly sooner or later was Mrs. Glave Saunders, who would have "gone up" with Mr. Hamel, but the fact that he had no passenger-carrying machine with him.
Mrs. Bainsmith of St. Ives, however, hoped to make a flight later on and her son was shaping a career with the view of joining the army flying corps.
M'sieu Salmet at first thought of taxying his machine from the Manacles to Penzance— i.e, instead of being towed by a rope he would run his machine like motor-boat; but it was thought it would be rougher riding for the Mayoress of Falmouth as the sea was choppy, and the engine somewhat erratic.
On Tuesday 28th April 1914 just on stroke of noon the whirr of a Gnome engine told us that the Salmet monoplane was crossing Penzance. It was soon seen circling over Market Jew Street with its pilot and passenger. The French pilot had kept his word and given Penzance a splendid view of his evolutions. A return trip was made a few minutes later.
Viva Salmet and the entente cordiale!
