The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1910-07-08
DEATH TAKES ITS TOLL OF MEN FLYING THE SKIES.
THE AVIATION GAME HAS
CLAIMED IT'S MARTYRS FOR
MANY CENTURIES, BUT THE
RECORD or TWO YEARS
SHOWS A LONG ROLL or
VICTIMS.

In the making Of the man bird.
death has been dared a thousand
times with sublime courage. lives
have been sacrificed over and over
again through the centuries 90 an
idea 90 a DREAM Man now flies.
but still che air has its martyrs
There Ia 80 much danger at
tachcd 60 the flying game. and 80
imperfect are even our best aerial
craft. that there b. every probable
ity OF many more accidents and
deaths before the vehicle Of aerial
transportation Is finally perfected.
and before the acronaut has com
pletoly mastered the intucacles OF
lts operation and the mysteries OF
the air
The ancient Lucanians. wiser
than some of their SUCCESSORS. ex.
perimeuted with their criminals
Even In those old days they dream
ed Of human flight Instead OF
executing a dangerous criminal.
they tied a pair OF wings or a rude
invention 60 hls body and pushed
him on tall cliff into the sea
Il he saved himself BY flying. well
and good. II be didn't. the expense
of cutting Oft his head was saved
Il Was always sure death.
Many In olden Times.
The Romans. the Assyrians and
the Chinese tackled the flying
game centuries ago. but. ~ no NOR
tality tables were issued In those
days. Il Is useless to speculate as
to how many dead and wounded
there were when they gave up Try
ing 20 ny
History records that a sanity
monk from the pFiory near Stir,
ling. Scotland. attempted To fly
along about 1910 lie fixed him
self up a pair % wings and jumped
OF the top Of a castle tower They
neglected 20 carve hts name upon
the tombstone. and thus WAS lost 10
aerial history the name OF this
Scotch martyr
A long lalsc Of time In which
there was "nothinE doing fol.
lowed. Then. as II to lind the an
aver TO Darius Green's famous
eouundrum. "a bird can fiy and
why can't - ;Aankind got busy ~
the flying game agAin--so dst the
undertaken. the casket maker and
the member Of spliulered bones.
The early days Of bailooning
we're especially productive OF In
juriea aud deaths There are re-
corded SO many such eases and -
many Instances Of men who sailed
up into the skies and then drifted
away. never 10 be heard Of again,
that II would take a good sized
directory 10 chronicle their names.
The first aeropiane martyr was
ffhenthai. a German scientist. who
aas thrown 10 the earth after hav.
ing successfully risen IN his aero
plane one September evening. 1906
Tragedy Of sslfridse.
Two years later almost Go the
day. iAeuf Thos. = SrlffldEc, n
United states army officer. was
thrown from a Wright machine
under the operation % Orviilc
Wright selfridgc and Wright were
hurled % the earth with terrific
force. the former being killed al.
most instantly Wright recovered
later from the severe bruises he
received Tha, was on September
~. 1898.
Both the aeroplane and the
dlrlgihle balloon are furnishing
their almost daily List Of accidents
But the mere fact that there is dan.
ger attached 70 the game does not
deter men. and even women. from
sackllng it
Nor does one accident to an aero.
naut keep him on the ground In
the future. just like the boy learn.
Ing 20 ride a bicycle. fall makes
him AL the more anxious 20 mas
see 49, fGfwss - a.ss ar.at