recorded European aeroplane flight, leaving the ground for a distance
of 12 yards. On November 12, of same year, he remained in the air for
21 seconds and traveled a distance of 230 yards. These feats caused
a great sensation at the time.

While the Wrights were achieving fame for America, Henri Farman was
busy in England. On October 26, 1907, he flew 820 yards in 52-1/2
seconds. On July 6, 1908, he remained in the air for 20-1/2 minutes.
On October 31, same year, in France, he flew from Chalons to Rheims,
a distance of sixteen miles, in twenty minutes.

The year 1909 witnessed mighty strides in the field of aviation.
Thousands of flights were made, many of which exceeded the most sanguine
anticipations. On July 13, Bleriot flew from Etampes to Chevilly, 26
miles, in 44 minutes and 30 seconds, and on July 25 he made the first
flight across the British Channel, 32 miles, in 37 minutes. Orville
Wright made several sensational flights in his biplane around Berlin,
while his brother Wilbur delighted New Yorkers by circling the Statue
of Liberty and flying up the Hudson from Governor's Island to Grant's
Tomb and return, a distance of 21 miles, in 33 minutes and 33 seconds
during the Hudson-Fulton Celebration. On November 20 Louis Paulhan,
in a biplane, flew from Mourmelon to Chalons, France, and return, 37
miles in 55 minutes, rising to a height of 1000 feet.

The dirigible airship was also much in evidence during 1909, Zeppelin,
especially, performing some remarkable feats. The Zeppelin V.,
subsequently re-numbered No. 1, of the rigid type, 446 feet long,
diameter 42-1/2 feet and capacity 536,000 cubic feet, on March 29,
rose to a height of 3,280, and on April 1, started with a crew of nine
passengers from Frederickshafen to Munich. In a 35 mile gale it was