The San Francisco call., 1910-06-18
YOUNG AVIATOR
FALLS TO Death
With MACHINE
sixteen Year Old Eugene R.
Speyer Victim of Enthusi=
aSm for Conquest of Air
loss OF Coin Sends Lad to Doom
and Spares Partner in
Undertaking

Aviation claimed a victim yesterday
morning when 16 year old Eugene R.
.speyer and his duplicate of a Wright
glider fell from height of s5 feet,
and the lad received such serious in
Juries that death ensued within a few
minutes
Speyer, who was a son of the late
Walter Speyer of 2l2l Jackson street.
and a student at Lick school. had been
working for some time on the living
machine with Carlton r. Gray, son of
captain W. j. Gray, 2417 Pacific avenue.
Ihey had just completed the glider
and took it out yesterday morning a lit
tie before 10 o'clock for the first trial
They went with the Gray's automo-
bile 70 the level spot near Harbor View,
accompanied by their older brothers,
William J. Gray Jr and John Speyer,
and by Leland S Wallace and Lewis
stone fellow high school pupils, and
George H Loose of the Pacific aero
club, professional aviator.
TOSS OF COIN DECIDES
There was some discussion as to
which Of the builders should go up in
the glider, and Speyer. who was affec-
.uonately known as Babe" offered to
toss a coin to see which should have
the privilege. He was so insist
ent, however, in his desire to be the
hrst 10 make the flight that Gray
agreed.
Speyer seated himself in the great,
fragile. white winged structure the au-
tOmobile which towed it started with
Billy Gray at the wheel and the glider
rose in the air.
II went up at once to a height of
about 35 feet, the automobile seemed
TO be going q little fast and a con-
trary gust Of wind came, all of which
seemed 10 alarm the young aviator.
-. Desiring to lower his machine, he
seized the elevation rudder and turned
. it too violently The glider dived
abruptly down toward the earth.
The machine struck the ground and
turned q complete sOmersault crump-
q ling into a wrecked mass.
Speyer pitched forward and over
and landed on the back of his neck
when his hOrrified companions picked
. him UP, bleeding from mouth and
nose
d. Loose insisted that he be taken to
the Army general hospital in the Pre-
sidio nearby, so he was rushed there
make the trip.
SURGEONS WORK IN VAIN
Within 10 minutes after he was ad-
-A-44ALEQ N4ACAE NAit emu came 06Sp pllt Tue
strenuous efforts Of the surgeons
3 An X-ray photograph taken, later
showed that death came from internal
injuries, the spine not being broken.
Several ribs were crushed and the
lungs were filled with blood.
Mrs. Charlotte Speyer, the dead
boys mother, and Miss Ethel Speyer.
. his sister, were overcome with grief
and were unable 70 make any state
ment concerning the accident. Young
Speyer and the Gray boys were also
stricken with sorrow The Speyers re-
Gently returned from a trip to Europe
where they followed a number of
- aviation meets It is said that the trip
was particularly planned in order that
Eugene Speyer might increase his
knowledge Of aeronautics by witness
ing some of the famous professional
flights.
The elder Gray in speaking of the
tragedy, said:
You see, it was the first time he
had ever gone up. and the first fight
Of the glider. so he was perfectly in
experienced. We are nearly crazy
over il but he insisted on going up
first"
RUDDER TILTED DOWNWARD
Loose, the professional aviator. was
greatly shocked by the occurrence, but
said that IL must not be taken as an
evidence Of failure of the art of
flying.
The boy was so inexperienced" he
said that he was unable to act quick
ly enough. An automobile towed ma
chine is, the most difficult of all others
70 manage, too. If he had only known
how 10 manage the elevation rudder
which is at the front Of a glider, he
might have taken his downward flight
less abruptly and have brought his
machine TO a level to be maintained"