The Cairo bulletin., 1910-11-18
APPARENTLY EVERY BONE m
UNFORTUNATE MANS BODY
Is BROKEN.
RUSH FOR SOUVENIRS
Morbid Men and Women Snatch
Pieces of Wrecked Machine and
Even Take Dead Mans APP
parel--TerribIe Scene.

DtHfcT, NOV. if.--SllH oHS Up VI
| his machine crumbling like a piGee
Of paper, Ralph Johnstone, the brill
liant young aviator, today dropped
like a plummet from, height Of 550
! feet into the inclosure of the Over
land Park aaation field, and was IN
stantly killed Neatly every bone in
his body was broken, He had gambled
iwth death once too often. Fresh
| from his triumpls at Belmont I ark,
New York, where lie had broken all
records for altitude. N-.n a fight OF
9,7l4 feet, Johnstond attempted to
give the spectators an extra thrill
with his most daring feat, the spiral
glide, winch has made the Wright
aviators famous.
The fatal flight was the second
Johnstone had made this afternoon.
In the first, with Hoxsey and Brook
| ins, he had gone through the usual
program Of dips and gIides with his
machine, apparently under perfect
control. Then Johnstone rose again.,
and after q few circuits to gain
height, headed toward the foot hills.
Tries spirA. Glide.
Still ascending he swept back in a
| big circle, aud, as he reached the
north end Of the enclosure, he start.
ed the spiral glide. He then went
up about 500 feet W til planes tilt
ed at an angle of almost 80 degrees,
he swooped down 4, narrow circle,
4 tire aeropiane seenlInM % tern aiFnost
in its own length. : s he, started a
second circle the nidAIe spur Which
breaches tae left size Of the lower
plane gave way and ine wing { ps Of
both the upper and lower planes
folded up as though hinged. For a
second Johnstone attempted to right
the plane 6y warping the other wind
tip Then the horrifled spectators
saw the plane swerve like wounded
bird, and plunge straight toward the
earth
Johnstone was thrown from h $
seat as the nose OF the plane swung
downward He was caught on one
Of the wire straps between the
planes and grasped ore of the wood.
en- braces of the upper plane with
both hands. Then, working with his
hands and feet ne fought by main
ST ength to, warp the planes so tneir
surfaces might catch the air and
check the descent For second il
seemed that he might succeed fo'
the football" helmet he wore blew
off, and fell much more rap dly thar
the plane.
The hope was momentary, howeye-
2 for when witnin 800 feet from the
: ground the machine turned complete
I ly over and the spectators fed Wild
ly as the broken plane, with the ayi
k ator still fighting grimly in its mesf
i of wires and stays, plunged among
! them with a crash,
Crazy After Souvenirs.
! Scarcely had Jonnstone hit the
' ground before morbid men and wo
men swarmed over the wreekagt
q fighting with each other for souvenirs
1 One of the broken wooden stays ma,
gone almost through Johnstone's
body, and before the doctors or po
Ice could reach the scene, one mai
mad torn this piece from the aviator
body and run away, carrying his tro
ply with the aviator's blood s6lll
dripping from it's ends.
The frantic crowd tore away th'
canvas from over the body, an'
fought for the very gloves in whicl
he mad protected his nands from th'
cold.
The machine fell on the opposite
side Of the field from the grand stand
i, and there were but few hundred
near the spot, but the physicians ant
: police rushed across as soon as pos
s sible. The physicians declare dea'
r must have been instantaneous, az
$ Johnstone's back, neck aud both leg
were broken, the bones OF his thigM
; being forced through the flesh, ant
o leather garments ne wore.
Hoxsey Was in Air.
s Arch Hoxsey, who In prevlou
J, flight this afternoon had reached q
altitude Of $500 feet, mad risen jus
before Johnstone began the tata
glide and was In -ile ar when ~
n accident took place. As he swuu'
a around the other end Of the course
m he saw that Johnstone mad fallen al
x guided his machine directly over tn
e- body OF his friend He descended a
n; soon as he could bring the plane
jf the ground, anT Tusned to the wrecf
he age, wnere he and Walter Brookin
helped lift the mangled body to a