The Paducah evening sun., 1910-04-11
TWO BI-PLANES
WERE WRECKED
WILLARD AND CURTISS HAVE
MIsHAPS AT MEMPHIS.
Crashed Into Fence; Damage Not
Great and Neither Aviator
Badly Hurt.
'BUD" MARS SPRINGS SENSATION

Memphis, April 11.-With two ac-
cidents and a spectacular two mile
flight by Bud" Mars and Glenn Cur
tiss as headliners, the aviators at
the Tri-State fair grounds presented
the banner program of the entire
meet yesterday afternoon.
Charles f. WIZARDS accident was
the big sensation of the day.
Glenn II. Curtiss. while making a
landing crashed into the arena fence
and broke the front plane and sup
porting wires of his bi-plane, Miss
Memphis"
j. c. Mars sprang into fame in the
aviation world and brought the
cheering thousands TO their feet
when he circled the track twice at a
height of over three hundred feet and
then added new laurels to his crown
by tying the worlds quick starting
record. made by Curtiss Thursday.
Both Accomplishments are made
all the more sensational by the fact
that Mars used the small four
cylinder, twenty-five horse power BIZ
plane. while Curtiss. in making the
record and in circling the track. used
his big racer bi-plane. This machine
has eight cylinders and develops fifty
horse power.
willard's accident put his machine
completely out OF commission.
The accident occurred on the first
flight.
Starting from the aviation shed he
attempted to circle the track. He had
reached a height OF two hundred and
fifty feet when his engine stopped. 1t
quickly started again, however, and
the aviator headed for the curve.
willard Wrecks Machine.
While making the turn the engine
again stopped.
The bi-plane shot through space
like thunderboH, every plane
spread for the glide. Striking the
ground it lifted and crashed into the
fence.
Willard was slightly injured while
the front plane OF his machine was
wrecked. Braces. lifting plane con-
troller and the bamboo frame were
shattered to spllnters.
! The aviator crawted out Of the
wreck and was surveying the damage
when newspaper men arrived upon
! the scene.
please don't take picture OF
this" he called out, sit won't help
matters any. I'm not hurt. anyway.
, But the photographers were not of
this opinion, as for. several seconds
the battery OF cameras popped ike
machine guns.
Ten minutes later the second acci-
: dent OF the day occurred.
Curtiss Goes Into Fence.
Starting from the Identical spot
that willard made his getaway" on
his Inflated fight. Glenn Curtiss, in
his Gordon Bennett cup defender left
the ground and followed the same
course.
Passing high above the wreck of
Wizards machine at the three-quar-
ter mile post, Curtiss headed south
toward the horse show arena.
He shut OF his engine for high
glide. The bi-plane struck the ground
with great force. swung around and
headed directly for the fence. Cur
tiss shouted a warning to the specta-
tors, who scattered just as the col
lision came. when several feet from
the fence, the aviator leaped from
he machine and threw his force
against II, saving It. no doubt, from
fate similar TO Wizards.
His Hitting plane was badly twisted
and several bamboo supports broken.
Forty-five minutes work by a corps
of machinists suficed to put "Miss
Memphis" In flying condition again.
81 can't imagine what caused my
accident" said Curtiss. "If had had
any warning that II was coming,
could have guarded the machine from
any damage whatever"
Curtiss had rolled along on the
ground for fifteen on twenty feet be-
fore Miss Memphis" began to mis-
behave.
Mars Springs Surprise.
But bud" Mars sprung the sur
. prise of the day.
He was the first 10 appear on the
i field. He rolled his machine from the
aviation shed to the arena, and then
took a short fight over to the north
end of the field.
Mars, whose first public fight was
made in Memphis Thursday mas been
anxious to circle the track for sew
eral days. He was advised not to
make the attempt by other aviators
as his machine is only four-cylin-
der, twenty-five horse power affair
z and was not considered powerful
H enough to make the short turn ne
III racoffofaI hrr o..pIfffnp~ a