Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-11-19
TOMBSTONE IS
KILLED DURING
DENVER FLIGHT

HEIGHT RECORD FALLS FIVE
HUNDRED FEET; CROWD IN
SOUVENIR FIGHT.
Denver, Cole, Nov. 1S.-With one
wing tip of his machine crumbled like
piece Of paper, Ralph Johnstone, the
brilliant young aviator holder Of the
worlds altitude record, dropped like a
plummet from height of 500 feet into
the incIosure at Overland park aviation
held late yesterday afternoon and was
Instantly killed
When the spectators crowded about
the incIosure, reached him, his body
lay beneath the engine of his biplane
with the white planes that had failed
him in his time of need, wrapped about
it like 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
last second to regain control Of his
broken machine. Fresh from his tri-
umphs at Belmont park, where he had
broken the worlds record for altitude
with a fight Of 9,714 feet, tombstone
attempted to give the thousands OF
spectators an extra thrill with his most
daring feat, the spiral glide, which has
made the Wright aviators famous. The
spectators got their thrill but it cost
Johnstone his life.
The fatal flight was the second John
stone had made yesterday afternoon.
In the, first flight when he was in the
air with Hoxsey and Brookins he had
gore through his usual program of dips
md glides with the machine apparently
under perfect control. Then Johnstone
rose again and after few circuits of
the course to. gain height, headed tow
ard the foothills.
Still ascending he swept back in a
big circle and as, he reached the north
end of the enclosure he started his
spiral glide. He was then at an alti-
tude of about 500 feet. With his planes
Tilted at an angle of almost 80 degrees
he swooped down in a narrow circle,
the aeroplane seeming to turn almost
IN It's own length.
AS he started the second circle, the
middle spur which bra ces the left side
Of the lower planes gave way and the
tins of the upper and lower planes sold-
ed up as though they had been hinged.
Cor a. second Johnstone attempted to
right the plane by warping the other
wing tip. Then the Mortified spectators
saw the plane swerve like wounded
bird and plunge straight toward the
earth.
tombstone 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
with hands and feet he fought by main
strength to warp the planes so that
their surfaces might catch the air and
check his descent. For a second it
seemed that he might succeed, for the
football helmet he wore blew off and
ell much more rapidly than the plane.
The hope was only momentary, how
ever, for when only about 800 feet from
The ground, the machine turned COM
pletely over and the spectators fed
wildly as the broken plane. with the
aviator still fighting grim1y in its mesh
If wires and STAYS. plunged among
hem with a crash.
Tear "Souvenirs" OF His Body.
Scarcely had Johnstone hit the ground
before morbid men and women swarm
ed over the wreckage fighting with
each other for souvenirs. One Of the
broken stays had gone almost through
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.
vas from over his body and fought for
The very gloves he had protected his
lands from the cold with.
The machine fell on the opposite side
st the field from the grandstand and
here we're but few hundred near the
spot, but physicians and police were
Hshed across as soon as possible. Phy-
icians declare death must have been
Instantaneous. as Johnstone's back.
,eck and both legs we're broken, the
zones OF his thigh being forced through
The flesh and the leather garments he
wore.
Native Of Kansas City.
Kansas City, Mo-, Nov. 1S.-Ralph
tombstone, the dead aviator, was born
lere thirty years ago. His parents are
lead. An invalid sister. Miss May
tombstone. lives in Moberly. Mo. John
,tone's wife and two children, boy
md girl, are in New York.
Johnstone was trick cyclist before
he became an aviator. He travelled ex-
senslvely abroad giving exhibitions on
his bicycle. He met in Berlin the girl
who later became his wife.
Six months ago Johnstone, through
Roy Knabenshue, secured an engage
ment with the Wright brothers. They
liked his work and few weeks ago
he signed contract extending until
January 5, 1912.
Johnstone had the greatest conf
aence in his ability to keep the worlds
record for height. He said while here
hat If anyone broke the worlds record
which he held at the time Of his death
Y would go even higher.