Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-07-15
AVIATOR DASHED TO DEATH.
Fearful Accident Witnessed by Large
Crowd In England.

The Hon. Charles S. Rolls, third
son of Lord Llangatterk. was dashed
to almost instant death at Bourne
mouth, England, on Tuesday, when the
Wright biplane. on which he was fly
ing, fell suddenly with terrific speed
from a height of one hundred feet, the
tragedy bringing to close for the day
the first flying tournament of the year
i'm England. He was considered the
most daring and popular of British
aviators. The accident was witnessed
by a large crowd, many of whom were
personal friends of the young aviator
The biplane struck the ground close
to the crowded grand stand, smashed
into a tangled mass, and before the
doctors and their assistants could
reach the spot Rolls was dead.
The event in which Rolls was COM
peting was for a prize for the aviator
alighting nearest given mark. The
goal was directly in front of the grand
stand, where the spectators were
massed. He had risen to a good
height, then shut off his motor and was
gliding in a broad circle toward the
mark. Without warning the tail piece
of the biplane snapped off. The ma
chine gave a sudden lurch and the
frame work crumpled up in the air
When it struck the ground it was
smashed to splinters. The doctors
found that Rolls had sustained frac-
tured skull. The wreck of the machine
and twisted stays surrounded the body
so that there was difficulty in eXtricat-
ing him.
Immediately after the result OF
RollS's accident was known the COM
mittee announced that flying would lie
suspended for the day.
Audemars, the Swiss aviator, had a
close shave while making trial flight
above the Bournemouth field. His
mOnoplane overturned and descended
swiftly to the ground, but he escaped
without injury.
Capt. Rolls had expected to come to
the United States this fall to give eX-
hibtions of flying and to compete in
any meeting that might he held. After
his flight of the channel, he received
kilograms of congratulations from King
George and Queen Mary: was given
the gold medal of the Royal Aero club,
and altogether was one of the most
conspicuous figures in England.
Aviation Death Roll.
Capt Rolls is the twelfth victim of
lllt SIltllNN w a id'''''' IN ''"''' va
follows:
1908: September Il. Lieut.. Thomas
f.. Selfridge, L. S. A., killed in fall with
Orville Wright, near Washington.
1909: September I, Ross o. Ena,
Italian, killed in Rome, in machine of
his own invention.
September :, f. Lefebvre, killed in a
Wright machine. at Juvissy- Orge,
France.
September 90. Capt. Louis +. Feber,
killed at Boulogne. France.
December 6. Antonio Fernandez,
Spaniard, killed at Nice: falling 1000
feet after motor exploded.
1910: January 4. Leon Delagrange.
killed at Bordeaux, France.
April ., LeBlon Herbet, instantly
killed, falling on rocks ut San Sebas-
tian, Spain.
May l3. Cheavctte Micheln, killed
at Lyons. France.
June II. Eugene Speyer, killed at
San Francisco.
June Is, Robl, killed at Stettin, Ger
many.
July {, Charles Wachtcr, killed at
Rheims, in AntOinette mOnoplane.
Baroness de La Roche, was almost
killed by a fall in her Noisin biplane,
at the Rheims meeting on July s.