Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-15
Grahame-White's AeropIanes
Damaged While Exhibiting.
BIG EVENT IS POSTPONED
Unwilling to Try for Record in
Hastily Repaired Machine.
AVIATOR MUCH DISAPPOINTED
Injuries to the Farman Not So Sc
rious as Those Sustained by
the Bleriot.

Owing to accidents to Claude Grahame-
Whites two aeroplanes yesterday after
noon at Benning the attempt to break the
worlds endurance record this morning
was abandoned. The machines We're
smashed while giving an exhibition after
Grahame-White's successful trip to the
War Department in the morning. and. al
though they were repaired in time for
further exhibition flights this afternoon
and Sunday. the aviator says he will not
take chances on a long flight with a
hastily repaired machine.
Aviator Much Disappointed.
II am awfully disappointed" he said
today. 1T is the toughest sort of luck.
but there Is no way Of avoiding 1t. l
would have had another machine brought
here. but 1t was impossible to get it in
time. Harmon anc talked it over last
night, but the time was too short
THE repaired machine will be all right
for an exhibition flight, because I will
be in sight Of a good landing place all
the time. / would be foolhardy to try q
long flight in such a machine.
The accident yesterday" speaking OF
the mishap to the Farman. was due en-
tirely to the fact that the feed pipe to
the ca-buretter Jared loose. l had told
my mechanics to tighten up the nuts, and
they failed to do it."
Due to Small Causes.
The mishaps were due to exasperating
ly small causes. The big Farman ma
chine was started on an exhibition flight,
and when it was 100 feet in the air and
just over the grandstand the ''chug-
chug'' Of the motor ceased and the avia-
tor had to start on a glide for the
ground. 1t was then that the first acci-
dent happened. Aeroplanes cannot yet be
handled like bicycles, and there was not
chance to right the big machine and
bring 1t down exactly level. The LETT
wing TIP dragged. and there was snap
vas. One OF the principal struts was
broken, one of the running wheels put
out of commission, and few ribs-of
the aeroplane, not Of the aviator-were
but it was sufficient to make the ma
chine useless for the time being.
The mechanics were set to work on it
at once, and the repairs were completed
this afternoon. In fact, by night work
they might have been completed in time
for a ng-distance flight today, but Mr..
Grahame-White said he would not take
chances in a patohed-up machine for such
a flight.
Driven Through Two Fences.
The accident to the Bleriot machine
was more serious than to the Farman.
There was a sharp crpss-wind blowing on
the field. and there was not space enough
for the aviator to start facing the wind.
When the motor was started the. wind
caught the machine and drove it through
two fences and piled 1t up in ditch be-
side the track The propeller flew off
and the wings were badly damaged.
though the operator was not hurt. Ora
climbed out, and, after sur
After telling how 1t happened. he then
left the field.
Yesterdays Achievement.
The fight yesterday morning from
Benning to the War Department was re-
garded as an exceptional achievement
and one Of the most remarkable that
has ever been performed. including as
il did lighting in q city street that was
but little wider than the aeroplane IT.
self, an official call and luncheon and
then q departure much as though the
visitor were merly stepping into a taxi
to go home.
1t was thought that the mornings
flight presaged q certain trial for the
had selected the course from Benning to
Jones Point light and return and all
the arrangements had been made .or
the start and finish and for
a system OF patrol boats over the water
section of the course. Then came the
accidents. and 1t all had to be declared
OF.