The Washington herald., 1910-07-13
Rolls Unable to Control Ma
chine When Tail Breaks.
rHRoNG WITNESSES TRAGEDY
Son OF Lord LIangnffOck and Hero
of Channel Flight Meets Accident
Before Grand stand at Bourne
mouth, EnKIand-One of the Most
Popular sportsmen of England.

Stewart Rolls, one of the foremost ayia-
tors and motorists of the United King
dom, was dashed to death when his aero
plane collapsed and tumbled TO the
ground. The distance OF the fall was only
about forty feet. but Rolls head struck
the ground. and before he could be extri-
canvas he was dead.
Rolls was flying In an alighting com
petition when the accident occurred. A
mark had been set in the ground directly
In front OF the grand stand and a prize
had been offered for the aviator coming
70 earth the nearest 20 this mark. Rolls
was IA a Short Wright biplane, Of the
same make as the machine In which he
made his cross-Channel flight, and was
swooping for the mark when something
was heard 20 crack
| There was a sharp metallic report and
the propeller seemed 10 break UP. The
machine swayed ominously Mr. Rolls
attempted TO steady 1t by fitting the
plane, but the machine Immediately col
lapsed and fell TO the ground.
| Unable to Save Himself.
Although the height of the blplane's
fall was not great as compared with that
of other machines which have fallen
without fatal injury to their pilots. Rolls
was entangied in the wreck in such
way that It Is probable he was unable to
save himself.
great crowd was present to watch
the flying men, among them many per-
sonal friends OF Rolls. and there was
general rush to the spot where the
biplane had crashed down Physicians
/ drew the aviator out OF the wreck. but
he was dead before aid reached him.
/ Aviators who were watching Rolls con-
cur in stating that the accident was due
to the unforeseen collapse Of the rear
| rudders. which either slipped or were
wrenched away from their supports. ow-
ing TO the pressure Of the air This broke
/ the wires by which the rudders were
operated. The wires Immediately became
/ entangled IN the propellers and as tl.ey
were wound up they wrenched the whole
rear frame work and stabllizing planes,
whereupon the whole machine became
dead weight of medal and wood and drop
ped to the ground No airship man could
| have prevented the accident
Neck Was Broken.
The doctors say that Mr.. Rolls death
was practically instantaneous. His neck
was broken His parents were on their
way by train to Boln .eTnouth TO see him
! fiy. Sir Thomas Upton and another gen.
tlemsn fastened 70 meet Them and break
the sad news TO them.
Immediately after the accident. off,
GERS of the aero meeting announced that
there would be no more flying to-day.
Earlier in the day another mishap had
caused the crowd 20 gasp Andeuars, a
Swiss aviator. was flying in his Demoi-
selle monoplane on a trial trip. when. just
as he was over wheat field. the machine
turned turtle and fell. The aviator es-
capped without injury. although his muno-
plane was considerably battered.
/ The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls. who
was the third and youngest son OF Baron
Llangattoch. came into prominence in the
field of aviation as a promising factor
/ only little over a month ago. On June
| he made flight which astonished and
delighted England, travelling In French
| built Wright biplane from Dover across
the English Channel 20 France and back
again without, stop. after dropping a
greeting TO French aviators while circling
over Sangatte. The only cross-Channel
flights previous to this had beer accom-
| plished by Frenchmen in monoplanes.
and they had only flown one way. so
| that the round trip in biplane was OF
the nature of a new step in the con-
quest of the air.
Long before men took to the air with
real serious intent. however. Rolls had
become noted for his daring When the
auto racing craze was at its height Rolls
was one of the first to take It up In Eng
| land and in February, 1903, he brought
distinction TO himself by lowering the
worlds automobile record for a kilo-
meter. covering the distance in q sec
onds. a rate OF about S2is miles an hour.
/ Held Many Trophies.
Rolls. who was thirty-three years old,
was educated at Elton and Cambridge,
ard specialized in practical electricity.
He was captain OF the university cycling
team while at Cambridge and held many
trophies In this branch OF sport. He
took a degree in engineering upon gradu-
ating and wrote many articles on auto
MODELLING and aviation. dilating upon the
| future of both land and air vehicles and
OF mechanical traction in general
! Rolls had made over $50 balloon as
tensions, and In 1908 started aviation by
making a fight with Wilbur Wright at
/
an attempt TO cross the channel In May.
but his motor stopped and ne failed.
| After his graduation he competed sue
| cessfully in numerous automobile COM
petitions and received the gold medal
for his performance in the LOCO miles trial
of 1900 IN England. He drove as the
representative of Great Britain in the
race of 1906. A short time ago he was
chosen by the Aero Club Of the United
Kingdom as one of the three aviators TO
represent England at the international
aviation meeting at Garden City, Long
Island. this fall.
| As a balloonist, Mr.. Rolls won several
prizes. In 1906 he won the French Aero
Clubs medal for the longest balloon
| journey, travelling from Paris to a point
/ in Norfolk, England. He was the founder
of the Aero Club OF Great Britain.
Mr.. Rolls. who had the degrees of NJ
E.. F. R. G. S, F. r. Met. s.. A. NJ
Inst NJ. E.. and was captain in the
London section Of the Army Motor Re-
serve. was managing director Of Rolls
Royce. Limited. British motor car man.
ufacturers. He held a marine engineer
certificate, and was also certified aero
maui
HELD IN HIGH ADMIRATION