Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-07-19
ROLL DASHED TO
DEATH IN A|RSH|P
HERO OF RECENT ENGLISH
r CHANNEL FLIGHT FALLS TO
EARTH IN BlPLANE.
HAD CAREER OF DARING FEA1s
EneIand's First Flying Tournament Of
Year Brought to Tragic Close
Accident Seen by . Huge
Crowd Of People.

Bournemouth, Eng, July 13.-Ths
first flying tournament of the year In
England was brought to tragic close
by the dramatic death Of the most
daring and popular British aviator,
the Hon. Charles s. Rolls, III, son Of
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. 1t 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 trial
fight above the Bournemouth field.
His monoplane overturned and de-
seconded swiftly to the ground but he
escaped without injury.
The event in which Rolls was COM
petfng was for prize for the aviator
alighting nearest given mark.
The goal was directly In front Of
the grandstand. where the spectators
were massed. He had risen to good
height, then shut of his motor and
was gliding IN broad circle toward
the mark.
Without warning the tail piece OF
the biplane snapped of.
The machine gave a sudden lurch
and the framework clumpled up In
the air.
When 1t 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 DO
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 great blow
to aristocratic sporting enthusiasts,
with all of whom he was 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 / 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 discount in England because it
was considered an old story and also
because the national pride suffered
from the monopoly OF 1t by French
men when Rolls electrified the entire
kingdom by doubling the accomplish
ments of his predecessors.
The distance between Dover and
Calais is 81 miles, and when Rolls did
the round trip of ~ miles in 80 min.
utes without stopping. his performance
was marvellous one both for dis
lance and time. Rolls was as modest
as he was daring and received the
congratulations which were showered
upon him after his great feat almost
with embarrassment.
In his youth Rolls was one of the
pioneers of motoring in England He
drove motor car about while the Or
dinance was still in force that every
ssIt,propelled vehicle on the public
roads must be preceded by a man car
rying red flag to warn pedestrians.
Since 1896 he has been one Of the best
known motor experts in Europe. In
1900 he won the. gold medal in the
thousand mile automobile race. He
was the representative of Great Brit
ain in the Gordon. Bennett race Of
1906, and several times made worlds
records for speed.
AS balloonist Rolls has made more
than 1870 ascensions, crossed the chan
mel several times in balloons and in
1906 by journey from Paris to Sher-
bourne and Norfolk gained the French
Aero clubs medal for the longest bal
loon journey.
Rolls was the third son of Lord
Llangottock, and was intended for the
diplomatic service but he showed such
enthusiasm for science and mechanics
that his parents decided it was better
to let him follow his own inclinations.
Total Wreck Fatalities Now e.
Dayton, Ohio, July l3.-J. J. White.
Of this city, one of the injured in the
Middletown wreck of a Big Four train,
died at Miami Valley hospital. White
was AZ years old and liveryman.
This makes the number of dead %.
40 Orphans Are Rescued.