Omaha daily bee., 1910-11-19
TOMBSTONE KILLED BY FALL
Holder Of Altitude Record Crushed by
Five Hundred-Foot Drop.
WING TIPS CRUMPLE AND YIELD
Aviator Works Desperately Up to
End 20 secure Control Of Fall
ing Machine and Save
Own Life.

Own Life.
DENVER, Nov. 1s-with one wing tip Of
his machine crumped like a piece OF paper
Ralph tombstone, the brilliant young aviator
holder OF the worlds altitude record drop
ped like a plummet from height OF 5Oo
feet into the Enclosure at Overland PARK
aviation field yesterday and was Instantly
killed.
When the spectators crowded about the
Enclosure reached him, his body lay beneath
the engine Of the biplane with the white
planes that had failed him in his time Of
need wrapped about 1t like a shroud. Nearly
every bone in his body was broken.
He had gambled with death once too
often. but be played the game to the end
fighting cody and grimly to the last second
20 regain control OF his broken machine.
Fresh from his triumphs at Belmont park,
where he had broken the worlds record for
altitude with a flight OF s,7l4 feet John
stone attempted 90 give the thousands OF
spectators an extra thrill with his most
daring feat, the spiral glide, which has
made the Wright aviators famous. The
spectators got their thrill. but II cost John
stone his life.
Second Flight OF Afternoon.
The fatal flight was the second tombstone
had made this afternoon. In the first flight,
when he was in the air with Hoxsey and
Broohns, he had gone through his usual
program Of dips and glides with the ma
chine apparently under perfect control.
Then tombstone rose again, and after a
few circuits Of the course to gain height
headed toward the foothills.
sun ascending, he swept back In a big
circle. and as he reached the north end Of
the Enclosure he started his spiral glide.
He was then At an altitude Of about SOY
feet With his planes tilted ~ an angle OF
almost 30 degrees, he swooped down In a
narrow circle the aeroplane seeming to
turn almost In its own length.
As he started the second circle the middle
spur which braces the left side OF the lower
plane gavo way and the wing tips of both
upper and lower planes folded up as though
they had been hinged. For a second John
stone attempted to right the plane by warp
ing the other wing. Then the Mortified
spectators saw the plane swerve Ike q
wounded bird and plunge straight toward
the earth.
tombstone was thrown from his seat a.
the nose Of the plane swung downward.
He caught on one OF the wire stays be-
tween the planes and grasped one Of the
wooden braces OF the upper plane with
both hands. Then, working with hands
and feet he fought by main strength tc
warp the planes 20 that their surfaces
might catch the air and check his descent
For a second It seemed that he might sue.
coed, for the foot ball helmet he wore blew
off and fell much more rapidly than tn,
plane
Machine Turns Over.
The hope was only momentary, however
for when only about 300 feet from the
ground the machine turned completely ovei
and the spectators fled wildly as tn,
broken plane, with the aviator still fight
ing grimly in its mesh OF wires and stays
plunged among them with a crash.
Scarcely had tombstone hit the Erount
before morbid men and women swarmet
over the wreckage fighting with each Other
for souvenirs. One Of the broken wooder
stays had gone almost through Johnstonet
body. Before doctors or police could reacl
the scene one man had torn this spnnte
from the body and run away, carrying hi
trophy with the aviator's blood stin drip
ping from II at the ends.
Frantic, the crowd tore away the canvas
from over his body and fought for the yer!
gloves with which he had protected hi
hands from the cold.
The machine fell on the opposite side o
the field from the grand stand and Their
were but a few hundred near the spot, bu
physicians ana police were rushed aoros
as soon as possible. Physicians declar
death must have been instantaneous, a
Johnstone's back, neck and both legs wer
broken, the bones OF his thigh being force,
through the flesh and the leather garment
he wore.
Arch Hoxssy, who in a previous nigh
this afternoon had reached an altitude O
$500 feet had risen just before Johnston
began his fatal glide and was in the al
when the accident took place. As ne swunI
around the other end OF the course he saw
that Johnstons had fallen and guided hi
machine directly over the body OF hi
friend He descended as soon as he coul
bring his plane to the ground and rushe
TO the wreckage where he and Waite
BroolSins helped lift the mangled body int
an automobile which brought IL to tn
city.
Many Did Not See Collapse.
Many OF the spectators were watchin
Hoxseys flight and did not see John
stones machine collapse, but a woman
shrek, my God. he's gone! drew ever
eye in time to see him dashed to deaf
upon the ground. The band in the grand
stand, blaTing away under contract, neve
ceased to play and Johnstone's body wa
taken out OF the enclosure with the strain
OF "A Grizzly Bear for a funeral marcf
II would seem that many incidents ha
happened throughout the aviation NEE
here 10 warn the Inflated aviator. YesteI
day in alighting tombstone broke the LEI
wing tip OF his machine against the fenc,
IL was the same tip that gave way toda
and caused his death.
Today when he started on his first fliRt
one OF the wheels on which the aeroplau
runs along the ground gave way and ha
TO be replaced. AS he prepared to star
for his last flight fox terrier that ha
broken through the fence stationed hin
self directly In front OF the machine an,
barking frandeally. refused to be drive
away. As the machine rolled down n
track one Of the wings swept above II
dog. which pursued the machine until
lifted into the air.
In discussing his flights in this rare a
mosphere yesterday with a representa-,
Of the Associated Press, tombstone d.
olared he would attempt no tricks" her
as no considered II too dangerous. Ev
IDENTIFY however, he believed he had solve
the problems OF this altitude when he d
parted from his determination.
Hoxsey's daring flight far over the foo
hills seemed to fire him with a determine