The Detroit times., 1909-07-21
TAKES DRINK AND
NEARLY LOSES LIFE
Alexander Williams, Who Was Dash
ed to Earth Finds That Liquor
and Aeroplanes Don't Mix.
nv w. q. SHEPHERD.

MiNEOLA, l.. l.. July 2l.-Liquor
and seroplanes. like liquor and a lot
of otLor things. don't mix.
This lesson came. like Sabbath
morning sermon. from the skies. when
Alex. Williams. In the Curtiss flyer.
was nearly dashed To death.
lie nad nau one drink-Just one.
L, was the FIRST aeroplane casualty
OF the year.
The landlord at the little hotel at
Mineola awakened US all at 4:oO In
the morning. Curtiss had left call
for tnat hour and intended TO take a
hight and then give instructions to
two pupils-the first aeroplane pupils
In the United States.
Breakfast was TO be put of until af-
ter the flights.
Glenn Curtiss. the maker OF the ma
chine. and Its master. left the hotel
Immediately for the field, with A. s..
willard. one OF his pupils-to-be.
Alex Williams. the other prospec-
tive pupil. walked into the barroom.
where "a hungry reporter had coaxed
a glass OF milk out OF the sleepy land
lord.
JUST one Glass.
"Benedictine." said Williams.
The landlord took down the bottle
and found that II contained Just one
glass OF benedlctine. Williams jok
ingly snapped his fingers as II he were
urging the last drops of liquor out
OF the bottle.
He drained the glass and hurried
away TO the field.
Just one glass.
Ten minutes later Curtiss was soar
Ing in wonderful circles and figures OF
S-dipping and rising-in his oeauti'
ful machine. He went TO height or
over 100 feet, glided down hill' on
the air. until 1t seemed his machine
would strike the earth, only TO soar
again with all the freedom of a bird.
English sparrows thai were flying
over the field by hundreds gave fright
ened cries as the roaring giant OF
bird approached them. Finally he de-
scended. lightly as feather.
Then. from the far end OF the field.
the crowd saw the machine rise again
and come toward the beholders. II
dew low and straight and settled down
to earth, gently.
When the beholders saw that the
driver in this fight was not Cnrtiss
but willard they realized that they
had witnessed the first lesson ever
given In an aeroplale in the United
States.
willard climbed of the seat, rather
trambly. but triumphant.
II was Williams turn.
The machine was drawn back tc
the far end OF the field and he mount
ed the seat.
"Now, go straight and low. Don't so
far" warned Curtiss the teacher
The aeroplane dashed along the
grass and then left the earth. II ne
gan TO climb, higher and higher. Then
It started TO curve. The crowd saw
the man at the wheel working des
perately, turning his planes and rud-
ders this way and that.
Acts Like Drunken Man.
The aeroplane reeled through the
air like a drunken man. but always
climbing. climbing. II was running
away and running upward, upwa-d.
In spiral curve.
Horror dried all throats. Not even
Curtiss moved You didn't have to
know anything about aeroplanes ID
see that the rider was TO have terri
BILE fall. When 1t came the machine
tilted downward, at one end. 1t sho,
through the air like an arrow and
crumbled up in mass OF debris. about
the senseless form OF Williams
THE man took drink. did her
asked an official OF the Aeronaut!c so
ciety, which had purchased the aero
plane. well, that one drink shows
that there was nothing the matter
with the aeroplane or its principles.
The matter was with the man.
"A drink on an empty stomach, and
then his first aeroplane flight. Poor
fellow.
The man who drinks at all Is al
WAYS sure to drink just al the time
when he ought not TO-" was the
maxim OF merchant prince. who used
to hire teetotalers, as far as possible.