Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-10

Boston, Sept. 9.-The first accident
among the professional aviators in
competition at the Harvard Boston
Aero meet at Atlantic occurred at the
close of the sixth day of the meet to-
night when Claude Grahame- White OF
England ended an hours duration flight
by landing sidewise in his Farman BIZ
plane. crumpling up the right side of
his lower plane and damaging the
chassis. White was unhurt. The Eng
ilshman had taken out a permit for an
altitude flight in which there had been
no entries during the day. But five
minutes remained in which to make the
fight and secure the three points which,
first place would give him. Accord
ingly Mr.. Mcdonald, Mr.. Whites man
ager, went out with a red flag and
signalled to White to land.
The wind was blowing Is miles an
hour, and as White came down with
one long slide from an elevation of 900
feet, he approached the starting line
diagonally. An unusually strong puff
of wind caught his biplane an instant
before landing, swinging it around so
that the mahine landed on one wheel
and one wing. There was a crash and
cracking of bars and skds and the
swapping of wires as the under plane
collapsed.
Whites Bleriot, which was standing
close by ready for the altitude test
was trundled back to the hangers and
with Whites standing for altitude lost
Walter Brookins of the Wright camp
jumped out with his biplane and shot
ct, l,oo oil ocrot n
in the remaining three minutes of open
flying, securing for himself the coveted
points.
Whites machine was not badly dam
aged and will be repaired so that IT
can be used Monday. Meantime the
Englishman will confine his work 10
his Bleriot monoplane.
It was Governors day at the meet and
Eben S. Draper with several of his staff
in full uniform were on the field even
before the flying began being interested
spectators throughout Charlie Taft. son
of the President was another keen en-
thusiast Mayor John F. Fitzgerald and
family likewise witnessed the days fly
ing.
The wind blew over 20 miles an hour for
the major part VI Tic udS' "''A~'' r.
vented any attempts at soaring untii VIII
in the afternoon. Grahame-White. as
usual. was first on the field and took ad-
vantage of the high winds by trying for
a new mark at the getaway. for when ne
holds the worlds record at 20 feet, y
inches. His first effort was 81 feet
inches which bettered anything yet done
at the Harvard meet. This was followed
nv another mark of 80 feet. 10 inches. but
Whine was not satisfied until he had Sc
cured the exceedingly low score OF 70 feet'
II inches. Then he went out for accuracy
and landing and succeeded the first time
in stopping 68 feet, 6 inches from given
noint. His next effort brought out IA
round of applause when 1T was fonnd ne
had cut the mark nearly in two and was
hut &c feet from the designated spot.
The greater part of the rest OF the ar
ternoon was given up to distance ana
flights by Ralph tombstone IN
Wright biplane and White in his Farman
Each circled the course lap after lap III
monotonous succession. tombstone had
lead of several laps at the START ou'
White overhauIed him before the cohtes.
was half over tombstone was compeiieo
70 come down on account of trouble Will