New-York tribune., 1908-11-02
DR.. J. ?. THOMAS HURT,
WIND WAGON A WRECK
WIFE And SON WITNESS
THE ACCIDENT.
SwerUing to Dodge Motorcycle at
Norris Park, Machine CoIIapses
Beneath Him.

While experimenting with his wind wagon yes
terday afternoon. Dr. Julian P. Thomas, the
| aeronaut who has had many narrow escapes
from death in his balloon, met with an accident
at the Morris Park aerodrome of the Aeronautic
Society. which at the time believed by sew
eral hundred spectators. among whom were Mrs
Thomas and her son. to be fatal The physicians
and surgeons who attended him say his escape
from death was remarkable DR., Thomas is
now suffering from severe nervous shock and
probable injury to his spine.
The accident occurred at 80 o'clock after
Dr. Thomas had made several highly successful
| trials around the racetrack in his wind wagon,
in which he had expected to compete in the
aeronautical tournament tomorrow with Pro
| fessor William H. Pickering. of Harvard Uni
versity, who entered to drive his manpower
/ tricycle., ROW at ire park.
Dr. Thomas after testing the propeers Of his
wind-wagon, which act in operating his device
in much the way do prOpellers on a
motor boat. took a friend with him several
I times around the course. and much elated
over his control of the apparatus and the ability
| of the machine to make speed. He had oper-
ated it from his Office, in West Thirty-seventh
street to the racetrack a few days ago and
! said after making the successful preliminary
| experiments yesterday that before dark he
wanted to put the wind wagon to a more severe
| speed test
About forty motor cyclists who entered in
| the races o-norrow had been circng the course
during the afternoon and preparing to
! leave the racetrack. II was believed that the
course was clear and Dr. Thomas started in
his wind-wagon from in front of the grand
stand, unaccompaned.
The wind wagon cutting along at the
greatest speed it had ever made when Dr.
|
cycle which its owner had for the moment left
lying on its side. In attempting to swerve
quickly to the left to pass the motorcycle the
fore part of the wind wagon crushed beneath
Dr. Thomas. who pinned to the earth under
the rear portion of the apparatus and the heavy
machinery.
He was carried to the clubrooms Of the Aero
nautc Society. on the grounds. in uncon-
scfous condition. Dr. William Greene of New
Rochelle member of the society. made hasty
examination and two surgeons were called. DR..
Thomas remained unconscious for several min
utes and the physicians decided that he had
suffered no internal injuries, but still feared
that serious spinal trouble would result. owing
TO the way in which he had been caught under
the heavy weight
While consulting about their patient. Dr.
Thomas opened his eyes and said to Albert c.
Triaca, "Old man, will you please hand me a
cigarette?" Accommodated, DR.. Thomas puffed
calmly and with evident satisfaction II had
a bad spill which l am afraid has broken the
machine" ne said. The wind wagon was q
wreck His friends asked him about himself
suggesting that the wind wagon might judicious-
ly be permitted to wait
The physicians had decided that DIR. Thomas
should be taken at once to some hospital.
81 won't" said DIR. Thomas firmly L shall
wait here until l gain little strength and
will then go home with my wife and boy, in my
automobile" Arguments could not shake his
determinat tton, and at o'clock last night the
party left the clubhouse for the home of Dr.
| Thomas accompanied by DIR. Greene.
Dr. Thomas has been repeatedly in the public
eye since the craze for ballooning made itself
manifest in this city Many of his balloon flights
have been daringly picturesque, and that they
should have thus far resulted without serious
accident TO him and his friends is considered re-
markable by aeronauts here.
He first began wind wagon experiments in
December 1906. when ne attracted a large crowd
n upper Broadway by driving the machine to
74th street He stopped by bicycle po-
Hceman and asked whether he had license
No
We'll. YOU ought 10 have one"
"What'll I ask for? | don't know what sort
Of a machine this is yet he replied The police
man was obdurate. and the doctor was COM
PEELED to push his wind wagon home.
At his home. at the Hendrix Hudson Apart
ments. at 10th street and Riverside Drive. Mrs.
Thomas. said last night that her husband was
resting as we'll as could be expected. and that
DR. Greene was unable to say how seriously the
spine had been injured and probably would not
know for several days Or. Thomas sent out
word that he would send a skilled mechanic to
the Morris Park racetrack the first thing this
morning with instructions to put the wind
wagon into shape for some other driver to oper-
ate In the tournament on Election Day.