The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-15
ANOTHER TLrINa MAN KILLED.
Travelled 200 Yards and Rose 60 Fee
When the Machine Collapsed.


When the Machine Collapsed.
Mr.. Percy 8. Pitcher. young English In
ventor. has Just met his death. like the Ger
man. Otto I.ilienthal. through the collapse OF a
flying machine. He was only 80 years Of age,
had been an officer In the Royal Navy.
and. for some time had been Mr.. Hiram
s. Maxim's assistant In his expert
ments in Rrial navigation. Mr.. Pitcher
had already made several machines. on the
lines worked upon by Lilienthal. before the ono
that proved fatal to him. and had worked out
plans for propeing them by oil engines. His
experiment was made at Lord Braye's country
place near Mar ket Marlborough, in the pres-
ence o. several persons i ana demPonstratsd
could be startet from the ground and would
stay up in the air for. time. A description Of
the apparatus and OF the accident is given in
Engineering.
in the soaring expsriments the propulsion
Of the machine was EFFECTED BY line dragged
carrying the soarer. and as the velocity In
lie had command OF a lie rope which he could
slip II necessary and then soar down 10
the the EGnn wnd hf sonssvs Gas
Of sp!nnakor silk. called , aeroplanes. stretched
cane ,fb aTes s,s.d Tho to fore s,ur edge Of
i iorcs when II adSancnT In addition there is
smaller tail plane; also framed on cane. with a
contrary Slope 10 De really u Tuluer. out actlnH
in the vertical plane. There. were six cordage
guys from the upper edge OF the tailpiece to
the heads OF two masts which rose from the
framed body OF the sourer. When in flight the
iegs and boiy OF the aeronaut were quite free.
and his weight was supported on his elbows
the tailpiece were determined and fixed un-
altsrably before leaving the ground, and
any modification OF slope required during
flight was effected by the aeronaut muscuarly
altering the position OF his centre OF gravity in
relation to the soarer. The weight OF the man
and on the upward tail formed a continuously
balanced. but also continuously varying set OF
forces. and all the time there was the horizon
ia pull Of the propelling rope.
On Saturday two attempts to start failed
through the towing rope breaking. In the
yards. and attained an altitude OF between a.
feet and SO feet. and was beginning to descend
when Encouragement occurred. The apparat US
was precipltate to the ground the fore edge
striking and entering the soil and turning over
The moor aeronaut entangled among the
cordage. the framing and the silk. had both
legs fractured and his skull confused. so tina,
he never recovered consciousness and died on
Monday mi rning.
What really occurred is supposed to b.
himself forward to depress the fore edge OF this
| aeroplanes. and greater surface OF tho tai
was thus suddenly exposed more directly r.
the force ot the air The soarer being still
under propulsion, the increased pressure or
the tail broke the tail guy cords. and Their.
which supported the weight of the man. IT sud
denly pointed earthward and fell withou
resistance through about 30 feet. There ar,
other hvDctheSes put forward to eXplatn tn,
accident in detail after considering them all
we think what is here stated is what did really