Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-07-13
After Fatal Accident Flying is su
pended for Day.
BIPLANE GIVES NO wARNIN
Rolls Was Attempting to Alight at
Point in Front of Stand.
HAD CROSSED OVER CHANNEL
Pioneer English AerOnautic Enthu'
sinst, Holding Many Medals for
Daring and Courage KILLED in
Competing for Prize.

EOUTNEMOUTH, England. July R.-The
first flying tournament OF the year in Eng
land was brought to tragic close this
morning by the dramatic death Of the
most daring and popular British aviator.
the Hon Charles S. Rolls. third son Of
Lord Llangattock.
In the presence Of great company OF
spectators, majority of whom were wo-
men and children and many personal
friends Of the young aviator, the Wright
bipiane, on which he was flying, fell sud
denly with terrific speed from height OF
100 feet. 1t struck the ground close to the
crowded grandstand, smashed into tan
gled mass aud before the doctors and their
assistants could reach the spot Rolls was
dead
The event In which Rolls was competing
was for a prize for the aviator allghting
nearest a given mark The goal was d.
rectly in front of the grandstand, where
the spectators we're massed. He had risen,
20 a good height. then shut off his motor
and was gliding in a broad circle toward
the mark. Without warning the blplane
broke The machine gave 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 suffered fractured skull
The wreck OF the machine and twisted
stays surrounded the body so that there
was difficulty In extricatlng It.
Flying Suspended for Day.
Immediately after the result of Rolls
accident was known the committee an
nounced that flying would be suspended
for the day.
Lord and Lady Llangattock. tho parents
NJ
They were yachting along the coast and
put in at Poole near Bournemouth this
morning, intending to attend the aviation
meeting, but postponed going until after
noon,
E -.ssAu dssstaFsA thes swiss .aeiateT. had close
shave, while making a trial flight above
the Bournemouth field His monoplane
overturned and descended swiftly to the
vi ound but he escaped without injury.
Round TRIP Across Channel.
Captain the Honorable Charles Stewart
Rolls was 80 years old and was one of the
most popular young all-around sportsmen
in England. AT ballooning, at motoring and
later in the field of aviation, he had dis
tingulshed himself by his utter fearlessness.
Undoubtedly his crowning feat was his
round trip across the channel between
Dover and Calais In Wright biplane on
/
and Count De Lesseps. already had crossed
the channel and Hubert Latham had al
most succeeded. Channel flying was at a
discount In England because it was con-
sidered an old story and also because ma
tional pride suffered from the monopoly OF
1t by Frenchmen, when Rolls electrified the
entire Kingdom by doubling the accom-
plishments of his predecessors. The dis
tance between Dover and Calais Is twenty
one miles, and when Rolls did the round
trip of forty-two miles in ninety minutes
without stopping, his performance was a
marvellous one, both for distance and time
Rolls was as modest al he was daring and
received the congratulations which were
ahowered on him almost with embarrass
ment
Pioneer BritIsh NIOtOrist.
In his youth Rolls was one OF the pioneers
OF motoring in England. He drove motor
car while the ordinance was still in forc'
that every self propelled vehicle on the pub
lie roads must be preceded by man carry
ing q red flag to warn gedestrlans. Sine,
1886 he had been ono of the best know
motor experts in Europe. In 1900 he wol
the GOLD medal ia the 1,OOO-mile automobile
race. lie was the representative of Gres
Britain in the Gordon Bennett race of 1870
and several times made worlds records 10
speed. AS a balloonist Rolls had made NOR
than 100 aseensions, crossed the channe
several times in balloons and in 1906, by
jorney from Paris to Sherbourne and Nor
folk gained the French Aero clubs media
for the longest balloon journey.
Rolls was the third son OF Lord Llang
attock, and was intended for the diplomats
service but he showed such enthusiasm 70
science and mechanism that his parent
decided II was better TO let him becom
good scientist than a poor diplomat, IL
was educated at Eaton and Cambridge
where he specialized in engineering an
electricity. He was captain OF the Cam
bridge university bicycle team and gaine
his military title with the Eaton voluntee
battery Rolls had written and lecture
much on his hobby. particularly on the fu
'ture OF motoring, He also was an exper
musician He was the technical managln
director OF. the Rolls-Royce Motor compan
and also captain of the London section G
the army motor reserve corps.