Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-11-18
tombstone, Holder Of Worlds
Altitude Record, Is Instantly
Killed While Trying to Thrill
Spectators.
SENSATION MAD CROWD
FIGHTS FOR SOUVENIRS
One GIeefuIIy Tears Splinter.
From Crushed and MangIed
Corpse Others Take Gloves
and Pieces of Biplane,


Denver. Nov. i1.--With one wing
tip of his machine orumpled like
piece OF paper. Ralph Johnstone, the
brilliant young aviator holder OF the
worlds altitude record, today dropped
like q plummet from height Or Guy
feet into the inclosure at Overland
park aviation field and was instantly
killed.
When the spectators crowded about
the enclosure reached him. his BODY
lav beneath the engine Of the niplane
with the white planes that had failed
him in his time Of need wrapped about
/ II like a shroud. Nearly every bone
in his body WAS broken
lie had gambled with death once
too often, but he played the cams 70
the end, fighting coolly and grlmiy TO
the last second 70 regain conuoi or
his broken machine. Fresh from his
trian phs at Bemont Park. where he
had broken the worlds record for /
tinde with n flight of 9,tl4 feet.
Johnstone attempted to give the thou
sands of spectators, who stood with
Ctaned nccks To watch him, an extra
thrill with his most daring feat, the
I spiral glide which has made the
/ Wright ayiators famous The spec
( tat6rs Sot tioir thrlll but II CO.'S 1ahn-
stone his life.
/ THE fatal flight was the second
I lJahnstone had made this afternoon.
/ In the first flight, when he was IN
4 The air with lIoxscy ana Broplyins, he
4 had gone through his usual program
/ OF dips and glides with the machine
lppparently under perfect control.
/ Then Johnstone rose again and after
few circuits of the course to gftiii
! height headed toward the foothills.
Still ascending he swept back In
/ big circle and as he reached the north
end of the enclosure he started HIS
spiral glide. Tie WAS then at an alt-
/ tude OF about 500 feet. with his
planes tilted az an angle of almost
/ ninety degrees he sw0oped down in a
marrow circle. the aeroplane seeming
/ to turn almost It's own length.
As he started the second circle the
middle spur which braces the left
side Of the lower planes folded up as
1 though they had ben hinged. For
second Johnstone attempted To right
/ the plane by warpinG the other wing
! tip Then the horrited spectators saw
/ the plane sworve like n wounded bird
land plunge straight toward the earth.
1 .Iohnstone was thrown from his
scat as the nose OF the plane swung
downward He caught on one of the
wire stays between the planes and
grnsped one OF the wooden braces oi
I the upper plane with both hands
| Thcn working with hands ana feet,
! he Fought by main strength to warE
! the planes so that their surfaces might
catch the air and check his descent.
| For a second it seemed to the white
faced spectators almost under him.
4 that he might succeed. for the loot
| bail helmet he wore. blew off ana fel
. ..Iu
The hope was only momentary.
/ however. for when only about 500 feet
from the ground the machine turned
completely over and the frightened
spectators fled wildly as the broken
plane with the tense faced hoy still
fighting grimly in its mesh Of wires
and stays plunged among them with
a thud and crash that could be heard
over the big field
Scarcely had he ait the ground
when sensation mad brutes, both men
and women. swarmed over the wreck
age fighting with each other for sou
venlrs Of the terrible occasion. one
7f the broken wooden stays had thrust
It's Jagged end almost through Jonn-
stones body. Before doctors 81 lo-
lice could reach the scene oac ,n"n
had torn this splinter from ta7 crush
ed and mangled body and run sic -
fully away carrying his horrd othy
with the aViatcrs blood stlll dripping
from lts end. Frantic. the crowd tore
away the canvas from over his 5pay
and fought for the very gloves TINT
had protected Johnstone's hands frnn
cold.
The machine fel on .ho ,rp ,siie
side Of the field from the srlnastand
and there we're but few 1n1ireds
near the spot bat physicians md np-
lice were rushed across as soon as
possihlo Physicians declare death
must have been instantaneous as John
stones hnck. neck and both legs were
broken. the bones ~ his thigh being
forced through the flesh and the
leather garments he wore.
Arch HoXsey. who IN a previous
flight this afternoon had reached an
attitude of $500 feet. had risen bIst
before tombstone hogan his fatal
Glide and was In the air when the
accident took place AZ he swung
around the other end of The course
he saw that Johustone had fallen ana
guided his machine directly over the
body Of his friend. Hc descended ~
soon rs DE- could bring his plane 10
thc ground and rushed 10 the wreck
age where he ana Walter hrookins
helped 10 iift the maneled body into
an automobile which brought IL 90 the
city.
Many Of the SPECTATORS were watch
ing Hovsoys flieht and did not see
Tohnstouo'u machine collapse but a.