Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-11-18
AylA1oR's LAST FLIGHT
Ralph Johnsone, Holder Of Worlds Al
titude Record, Killed During Flight
at Dsnver-Wina Of Machine COL
lapse. During Spiral Glide.

Denver. Nov. 1S-With one wing tip
of his machine crumbled like piece OF
paper, Ralph Johnstone. the orllnaht
young aviator, holder Of the worlds
altitude record. dropped like plum
met from a height Of 500 feet into the
Enclosure at Overland park aviation
field yesterday afternoon and was in
stantly 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 him IN
his time Of need, wrapped about 1t IKE
a shroud. Nearly every bone In his
body was broken.
He had gambled with death once too
often, but he played the game to the
end, fighting coolly and grimly to the
las. second to regain control OF his
broken machine. Fresh from MS
triumphs at Belmont park, where he
had broken the worlds record for alti-
tude with flight of 9.714 feet, john
stone attempted to give the thousands
of spectators an extra thrill with MS
most daring feat, the spiral glide which
has made the Wright aviators famous.
The spectators got their thrill. but 1t
cost Johnstone his life.
Wings Fold Up.
The fatal flight was the second
Johnstone had made yesterday after
noon. In the first flight when he was
In the air with HoXsey and Brookins he
had gone thru his usual program OF
dips and glides with the machine ap-
parently under perfect control. Then
JcEnstone rose again and after Few
circuits of he course to gain height,
headed toward the foothills.
Still ascending he swept back in
big circle and as he reached the north
end of the enclosure he started MS
spiral glide. He was then at an altl-
tude Of about 500 feet. With his planes
tilted at an angle Of aim ost 80 degrees
he swooped down in a narrow circle,
the aeroplane seeming to turn almost
in its own length.
AS hes tarted the second circle, the
middle spur which braces the left side
of the lower plane gave way and the
tips of both upper and lower planes
folded up as tho they had been hinged.
For a second Johnstone attempted to
right the plane by warping the other
wing tip. Then the Mortified spectators
bird and plunge straight toward the
earth.
Fights 70 Warp Planes.
Johnstone was thrown from his seat
as the nose Of the plane swung down.
ward He caught on one of the wire
stays between the planes and grasped
one Of the wooden braces of the upper
plane with both hands. Then, working 6
,a.;S ba OH h,- n
strength to warp the planes SO that
their surfaces might catch the air and
check his descent. For second 1t
seemed that he might succeed, for the
football helmet he wore blew off and
fell much more rapidly than the plane.
The hope was only momentary, how
ever, for when only about 300 feet from
the ground, the machine turned COM
pletely over and the spectators fled
wildly as the broken plane, with the
aviator still fighting grinly in its mesh
of wires and stays, plunged among
them with crash.
Tear Souvenirs" OF His Body.
Scarcely had Johnstone hit the
ground before morbid men and women
swarmed over the wreckage fighting
with each other for souvenirs. One Of
the broken stays had gone almost thru
Johnstone's body. Before doctors or
police could reach the scene. one man
had torn this splinter from the body
and ran away, carrying his trophy
with the aviator's blood still dripping
from 1t at the ends.
Frantic, the crowd tore away the
canvass from over his body and fought
for the very gloves he had protected
his hands from the cold with.
The machine fell on the opposite side
OF the field from the grandstand. and
there were but few hundred near the
spot, but physicians and police were
rushed across as soon as possible. Ply
icians declare death must have been
instantaneous. as Johnstones back.
neck and both legs were broken. the
bones Of his thigh forced thru the hesh
and the leather garments he wore