The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-11-19
FALLS TO DEATH
Ralph Johuson's Asroplane Drops Five
Hundred Feet and He
is INSTANTLY KILLED

like Plummet, the Broken Ma
nine Drops Amid Thousands Of
SPECTATORS at Overland Park
Aviator is Mangled in the Wreck
and Every Bono Is Broken.
with one wing tip Of his machine
crumbled like a piece iof paper,
Ralph Johnstcne, the daring young
aviator, holder OF the worlds alti-
tude record, dropped IKE "a plummet
from a height Of five hundred feet
into the inclosure at Overland Park
aviation field, at Denver. Col, on
Thursday afternoon.
He was instantly killed. When
spectators reached him his body lay
beneath the engine OF the biplane,
with the white planes that had fail
ed him. in time of need, wrapped
about it like shroud. Nearly every
bone in his body was broken.
He had gambled with death once
too often, but he played the game
to the end, fighting cody and grimly
to the last second to regain control
of his broken machine,
Fresh from his triumphs at Bel
mont Park, where he had broken the
worlds record for altitude with q
flight Of s,714 feet, johnson attempt
ed to give the thousands of specta-
tors an extra thrill will. his most
daring feat, the spiral Glide, which
has made the Wright aviators fam
Gus. The spectators got faeir thrill.
The fatal flight was she second
Johnstone had made during the al
ternoon. In the first flight, when he
was in the air with IIloxsey and
Brookins, he had gone through his
usual programme of< dips and glldes
with the machine apparently under
perfect control. Then Johnston rose
again and after a few circuits Of the
course to gain height, headed to-
ward the foothills. Still ascending,
he swept back in big circle and as
he reached the north end OF the en-
closure he started his spiral gliding.
He was at an altitude OF about
500 feet. With his planes tilted at
an angle of almost ninety degrees,
he swooped down in a narrow circle,
the aeroplane seeming to turn almost
in it's own length. AS he started the
second circle, the middle spur, which
| braces the left side of the lower
plane gave way and the winds tips OF
both upper and lower planes folded
up as though they had been hinged.
For a second Johnstone attempted
to right the plane by working the
other wing tip. Then the horritied
spectators say the plane swerve like
a wounded bird and plunge straight
toward tht earth.
Johnstone was thrown from his
seat as the nose Of the plane swung
downward. He caught on one OF
his wire stays between the planes
and grasped one of the wooden brac-
ed Of the upper plane with
both hands. Then. working
with hands and feet, he foungt by
main strength to warp the planes SO
that their surface might catch the
air and check his descent. For q
second it seemed that he might sue
ceed, for the football helmet he wore
blew off ard fell much more rapidly
than the plane.
The hope was momentary, how
ever, for when about 800 feet from
the ground the machine turned COM
pletely over, and the spectators fled
woldly as the broken plane, with the
aviator still fighting grimly in Its
mesh of wires and stays, plunged
among them with crash.
Srarcely had Johnstone hit the
ground before morbid men and wo-
men swarmed over the wreckage,
fighting with each other for, souv-
enirs. One of the broken wood stays
/ had gone almost through Johnsone's
body. Before doctors could reach
the scene one man had torn this
splinter from the body and run away.
carrying his trophy with the aviator's
blood still dripping from Its ends.
Frantic, the crowd tore away the
canvas from over his body and then
fought for the very gloves that had
protected his hands from the cold.
The machine fell on the opposite
side of the field from the grand
stand, and there were but few
/ hundred persons near the spot, but
physicians and police we're rushed
across as soon as possible.
Physicians declare that death was
instantaneous as Johnstone's back,
neck and both legs were broken, the
bones Of his thigh being forced
through the flesh and leather gar
ments he wore.
Arch Hoxsey. who in previous
flight that afternoon had reached All
altitude Of $500 feet. had risen just
before Johnstone began his fatal
glide and was in the air when the
accident took place. AS he swung