The San Francisco call., 1910-11-18
BIRDMAN MAKES
grim fight IN
800 FOOT FALL
Tries VainIy to Readiust Wing
Tip Which CrumpIes in Sec
ond Flight in Denver
Horror Stricken Hundreds Be.
come GhOuIS in Mad Rush
to Get Souvenirs

TIP Of his machine crumpled like a
piece Of paper, Ralph Johnstone, the
young aviator. holder Of the worlds
altitude record, dropped like plum
met from height of 500 feet into the
Enclosure at Overland park aviation
held today and was instantly killed.
When the spectators crowded about
the Enclosure reached him his body
lay beneath the engine Of the biplane
with the white planes that had failed
MIN in his time Of need wrapped about
II like shroud- Nearly every bone
IN his body was broken
He had gambIed with death once too
often, but he played the game TO the
end. lighting coolly and grimly to the
last second TO regain control Of his
broken machine
Fresh from his triumphs al Belmont
park where he had broken the worlds
record FOR altitude with a flight of
9.1lf feet. Johnstone attempted 10 give
the thousands Of spectators who stood
with craned necks 10 watch him IN
extra thrill with his most daring feat.
the spiral glide which had made the
Wright aTiators famous The spec
tators got their thrill. but it cost John
stone his life.
STARTS on SECOND FLIGHT
The IA tai flight was the second John
stone had made this afternoon. In the
first flight. when he was in the air with
HoNsev and Brookins, he had gone
through his usual program of dips and
elides with his machine apparently
under oerfect control. Then Johnstone
rose again. and after a few circuits
or the course 10 gain height, headed
toward the foothills.
StiH ascending, he swept back in
big circle, and aS he reached the north
end OF the inclosure he started his
spiral glide. He was then at an alti-
t'lde of about 500 feet With his planes
ttlted a IAN angle Of almost % de-
grees he syvooped down in narrow
circle. the aeTopiane seeming to turn
almost in its own length.
TIPS FOLD AND HE DROPS
AS he started the second circle the
middle spur which braces the left side
Of the lower plane gave way and the
wing tips Of both upper and lower
planes folded up as though they had
been hinged. For a second Johnstone
attempted TO right the plane by warp
ing the other wing tip. Then the hor-
rihed spectators saw the plane swerve
like wounded bird and plunge
straight toward the earth
Johnstone was thrown from his seat
as the nose Of the plane swung down
ward. He caught on one side of the
grasped one OF the wooden braces Of
the upper plane with both hands Then |
working with hands and feet he fought /
hT main strength to warp Che planes 1
50 that their surfaces might catch the 1
air and check his descent. For |
second it seemed TO the white faced /
specta tors almost under him that he |
might succeed, for the football helmet 1
he wore blew off and fell much more /
rapidly than the plane.
MACHINE TURNS TURTLE
The hope was only momentary. how
ever. for when only about 900 feet
from the ground the machine turned
completely over and the frightened |
spectators fed wildly a s the broken (
plane with the tense faced boy still |
lighting grimly in its mesh Of wires
and stays plunged among them with
thud and crash that could be heard 4
over the big field
Scarcely had he hit the ground when |
sensation mad brutes, both men and /
women. swarmed over the wreck !
age. lighting with one another for /
souvenirs of the terrible occasion.
DEATH Is GHoULIsH SCENE
One Of the broken wooden stays had |
thrust its Jagged end almost through |
Johnstone's body. Before doctors or 4.
police could reach the scene one man
had torn the splinter from the crushed /
and mangled body and ran gleefully |
away. carrying his horrid trophy with |
the aviator's blood still dripping from /
its end. Frantic the crowd tore away
the canvass from over his body and |
fought for the very gloves that had
protected Johnstone's hands from cold [
The machine fell on the opposite side 1
of the field from the grandstand, and
there were but few hundred persons
near the spot. Physicians and police
were rushed across as soon as possible !
Physicians declare death must have
been instantaneous. as Johnstone's /
back. neck and both legs were broken, |
the bones Of his thighs being forced |
through the flesh and the leather gar |
ments he wore.
WoMAN'S SHREK DRAWS CROWD
Arch Hoxsey. who in a previous fight
this afternoon had reached an altitude I
OF $500 feet. had risen just before
Johnstone began his fatal glide and
was IN the air when the accident took
place. AS he swung around the other
end Of the course he saw that John
stone had fallen, and guided his ma
chine directly over the body of his /
friend He descended as soon as he
could bring his plane to the ground
and rushed to the wreckage, where he 1
and Walter Brookins helped to lift
the mangled body into an automobile. |
which brought II to the city.
Many Of the spectators were watch |
ing Hoxsey's flight and. did not see
Johnstone's machine collapse, but a
voman's shriek-"ATy God, he's gomez
drew every eye in time to see the
doomed man dashed TO death upon the /
ground. The band in the grandstand. /
bIaring away under contract, never
ceased to play, and Johnstone's body
was driven out of the inclosure with
the strains Of "A Grizzly Bear for
funeral march
ACCIDENTS PRECEDE DEATH
1t would seem that many accidents
had happened throughout the aviation
meet here TO warn the i'll fated aviator.
Yesterday in alighting Johnstone broke
the left wing Of his machine against
the fence. Tt was the same tip that
gave way today and caused his death. /
Today when he started on his first
flight one of the wheels on which the
aeroplane runs along the ground gave
way and he had to have it replaced. !
AS he prepared TO start for his last
fight q fox terrier that had broken |
through the fence stationed itself
directly in front Of the machine and. |
barking franticaIly. refused to be
driven away. AS the machine rolled |
,f rr-i,,