All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

2Ö0 All About Inventions Moreover, whereas the French machines were able to descend and rise at will so long as there was a certain stretch of comparatively clear and fairly even ground to secure the necessary initial run, the Wright machine could only be sent aloft from set points equipped with the launching device. This was claimed to be an insuperable objection. Returning to the United States, the Wright brothers set to work to remove this disability, and within a few months had brought their machine fully into line with their con- temporaries in Europe. So far as Great Britain was concerned, she lagged far behind. It was not because she had not the brains capable of attacking the problem, but because the efforts of her pioneers failed to meet with appre- ciation. There was no stimulus here to act as a tonic to native endeavour such as existed in France. It was not until the Daily Mail, realising the future of aviation, entered the arena, and by means of the biggest prizes which have ever been offered in con- nection with the development of a new system of locomotion, roused Britain to excited interest. Tempt- ing awards were offered to the first men who flew across the English Channel, who flew from London to Manchester, and who completed a circuit laid all round the coasts. Curiously enough, however, although the awards were offered principally to encourage native efforts, it was the French designers, builders, and flying men who profited mostly from this generosity. Thus Blériot carried off the cross- Channel prize in 1909; Paulhan, mounted on a Henry Farman biplane, carried off the second prize of £10,000 by flying from London to Manchester in