Another new record has been added to the achievements of
the aeroplane, but unhappily at the cost of the airman's life. On Friday week M. Chavez succeeded in flying across the Alps by the Simplon Pass. The route chosen was that by the Gorge of Gondo, about twenty-five miles in length. Unfortunately, while planing down at a high rate of speed near Domodossola, M. Chavez appears to have attempted to check the descent by turning sharply up again to the horizontal, with the result that the framework of the wings broke, and the machine collapsed while thirty feet from the ground. M. Chavez broke both his legs, and died on Tuesday at Domodossola. The accident is attributed to the tendency to reduce weight while increasing the engine-power, and points to the need of building stronger machines. Three other accidents to aeroplanes occurred on Saturday and Sunday last in France, one with immediately fatal results to M. Poillot at Chartres ; another at Maubenge, where M. Fontenelle received fatal injuries ; and a third at Mourmelon, where Lieutenant Vullierme escaped with a broken ankle. Finally, Herr Plochmann, a German aviator, was killed by a fall on Wednesday at Habsheim.
