The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1910-07-14
ROLL DASHED TO
DEATH IN A|RsH|P
HERO OF RECENT ENGLISH
CHANNEL FLIGHT FALLS TO
EARTH IN BIPLANE.
HAD CAREER OF DARING FEATS
England's First Flying Tournament of
Year Brought to Tragic Close
Accident Seen by a Huge
Crowd Of People.

Bournemouth, Eng, July 13.-The
first flying tournament of the year in
England was brought to a tragic close
by the dramatic death Of the most
daring and popular British aviator
the Hon. Charles 8. Rolls, ILL.,, son q
Lord Llangattock.
In the presence Of great company
Of spectators majority of whom were
women and children and many person
al friends of the aviator, the Wright
biplane on which he was flying, fell
suddenly with terrific speed from a
height of 100 feet. It struck the
ground close to the crowded grand
stand, smashed into tangled mass,
and before the doctors and their as.
sociates could reach the spot Rolls
was dead.
He Was Competing for Prize.
Audemars, the Swiss aviator, had
close shave while making a trial
light above the Bournemouth field
His monoplane overturned and de.
scended swiftly to the ground but he
escaped without injury.
The event in which Rolls was com
peting was for prize for the aviator
alighting nearest a given mark.
The goal was directly in front Of
the grandstand, where the spectators
were massed. He had risen to a good
height, then shut off his motor and
was gliding in a broad circle toward
the mark.
Without warning the tail piece of
the biplane snapped of.
The machine gave a sudden lurch
and the framework crumpled up in
the air.
When it struck the ground it was
smashed to splinters.
The doctors found that Rolls had
sustained fractured skull.
The wreck of the machine and twist
ed stays surrounded the body so that
there was difficulty in extricating him
Immediately after the result of
Rolls accident was known the com
mittee announced that flying would be
suspended for the day.
Charles Stewart Rolls was 33 years
old and was one of the most popular
young all-around sportsmen in Eng
land. His death will be a great blow
to aristocratic sporting enthusiasts,
with all Of whom he was a great per.
sonal favorite. At ballooning, at mo.
toring he had distinguished himself by
his utter fearlessness and was salts
fed with nothing short of record.
breaking in whatever line Of sport he
took too. Undoubtedly his GROWING
feat was his round trip across the
channel between Dover and Calais In
a Wright biplane, June l last. The
two Frenchmen, Louis Bleriot and
Count de Lesseps, already had crossed
the channel, and Hubert Latham had
almost succeeded. Channel flying was
at a discount in England because II
was considered an old story and also
because the national pride suffered
from the monopoly of it by French
men when Rolls electrified the entire
kingdom by doubling the accomplish
ments of his predecessors.
The distance between Dover and
Calais is Fl miles, and when Rolls die
the round trip of AZ miles in 80 min
utes without stopping, his performance
was a marvellous one both for dis
lance and time. Rolls was as modest
as he was daring and received the
congratulations which were showeret
upon him after his great feat almos
with embarrassment.
In his youth Rolls was one Of the
pioneers of motoring in England. HI
drove a motor car about while the or
dinance was still in force that ever!
self-propelled. vehicle on the publ,
roads must be preceded by a man car
rying red flag to warn pedestrians
Since 1896 he has been one Of the bes
known motor experts in Europe. II
1900 he won the gold medal in thu
thousand mile automobile race. HI
was the representative of Great Brit
ain in the Gordon Bennett race o
1905, and several times made world
records for speed. r.-a .--
As a balloonist Rolls has made NOR
than 100 ascensions, crossed the chan
mel several times in balloons and Ii
1906 by a journey from Paris to Shel
bourne and Norfolk gained the Frenc
Aero clubs medal for the longest ba
DON journey. -.. ... ..'..
Rolls was the third son of Lor
Llangottock, and was intended for tn
diplomatic service but he showed sue
enthusiasm for science and mechanic
that his parents decided it was bette
| to let him follow his own inclination!
| Total Wreck Fatalities Now 22.
Dayton, Ohio, July 13.-J. ]. Whit,
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