The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-28
BOY HERO SAVES
LIFE OF AVIATOR
Holds Mars on Surface
of Sea Till Rescue
Comes.
AIRSHIP TAKES
DROP OF 500 FEET
Enveloped by Steel Of Aeroplane,
Mars Is Helpless, Mile From
Shore, With Death Staring
Him in Face, When
Youngster Sees Danger
and Acts Quickly.

Especial to The Times-Dispatch.

Especial to The Times -Dispatch.1
| New York, August 27.-Strusg CLING in
cfoppy sea and in the grip OF sinking
aeroplane wreckage. a full mile from
land. j. T.. Mars, the aviator. barely
escaped death to-day after his defec-
tive flying machine had made one great
swoop of 1900 feet and then sudden
drop of 500 feet more. The effect OF
his lifebelt lost on account of the steel
that enveloped him, Mars was slowly
but surely being dragged below the
| surface OF the waters. despite his fran
| tic efforts to rid himself of the deadly
weight. Hundreds Of persons who were
watching him from the shores OF Sea
Gate and Staten Island saw his plight,
and two small steamboats, put about TO
help him, but every human agency for
saving his life was too far away except
4 a boy and a man in a small fishing
4 smack that was racing madly in the
4 teeth Of an offshore breeze.
4 hoy Proves Hero.
Mars saw the smack. and the man
and boy saw the aviator going 10 his
! death. and every second was putting
/ yards between Mars and the SMACK.
Then, in the emergency of his life. the
| boy proved himself a hero. Grasping a
knife, he made a flying leap over the
| stern OF the smack and landed in It's
dory. which was being buffeted about
in the wake of the fishing boat. In
an instant he had cut the hawser,
grasped the oars and was making for
Mars, who, within a few moments more.
| was bound 20 die unless help reached
him. The lad worked away at the big
oars like a demon. and inside of three
4 or FOUR minutes had managed to run
laiongside the wounded aeroplane. Back
Ing into the wreckage. the boy reached
over and caught Afars's hand. Thus
he held him, Mars still unable to dis
engage himself from the wreckage
The grasp of chilled hands was never
tlessened until more aid came and saved
4 Mars. 1t was nearly quarter OF All
/ hour before the man in the smack
4 could jockey his way back or before
the MerrittChapman wrecking tug
Hustler or the steamer Sea Gate. both
OF which had started out from the
shore to the rescue. could reach him.
1 In that time he would have been lost
4 The Hustler ran alongside the wreck
age as quickly as 1t could. and some
LOT the crew were rushed overheard onto
the wreckage to rip and tear SO they
could get the man free. but the mo-
ment he saw what they were about
he ordered them to stop. Mars. who
had been slightly injured by the fall.
told them jokingly that he was per-
fectly willing and anxious to be res
cued but that he would prefer to stick
TO the dory rather than have his ma
chine go to the bottom of the Narrows
Calmly Directs Rescue.
The aviator remained in the water
and calmly directed the crew of the
Hustler how best to make some tackle
fast to the aeroplane. The big DER
rick of the wrecker was swung around,
and not one piece OF rope was tied to
the plane that Mars did not direct. In
the course of half-hour everything
was arranged to the satisfaction OF
the daring airship man. and he climbed
aboard the Hustler and further direct
ed the shipping of the wrecked ma
chine
Then, for the first time, he looked
about for his young life-saver, but boy
and dory were gone. and one OF the
crew OF the Hustler told HIM that the
lad had rowed back TO the smack.
which had turned about and gone on
4 her business, Not a person had no.
ticed the name OF the smack, and
Mars deeply affected, found that he
couldn't even thank the youngster.
The Hustler then put about and ran
into Sea Gate, where Mars, now shiv-
4 ering with the cold. despite the fact
i that Captain E. H. Tanner. OF the
wrecker. had managed to fish out
Of the various lockers enough dry
clothing to prevent pneumonia. was
taken to the Atlantic Yacht Club. A
big crowd was waiting when he land
Il ed, and they escorted him to the club,
4 where the members could not do
enough to make him comfortable AL
though it was very early In the morn
1 ing 1t did not take long for a large
group Of the members to get busy
L lin every way possible to make sure
n that his injury and comfort We're prop
erly attended to.
Mars, however would not listen to
when he fell. for he was still a ghast-
Il w color when he reached the club.
but his nerve apparently was never
once shaken. Just as soon as he dis
covered he was not hurt, he began to
figure on his next flight.
FRIENDS who had heard Of his mar
row escape had hurried over to Sleeps
. head Bay, where ne has been taking
mart in the aviation meet. and they
Il tried to dissuade him of thinking OF
flying again until he had had good
rest.
Disregnrdcd Advice.
Mars, who is one Of the Curtiss
J school Of flyers, had made his flight
n against the earnest advice of all his
associates, The machine he had de-
cided to use was one In Which Au-
gustus Post. the society aviator, made
flight on Friday, with disastrous
result, Mr.. Post having lost all con-
\ troll of the machine,
Mrs. However. would not listen e
!, the counsel that was SO freely Offered
and on Friday evening he announced
that nothing short Of storm or an
exceptionally heavy wind would pre-.
vent him from making flight from
the sheepshead Bay race track tc
WadsWorth, Staten Island.
4 Aviator Is Killed.
* Arnhelm, Netherlands, August 27.--
I While the Dutch aYiator, Van Mas.
n dyke. was attempting a cross-connty