The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-06-19
Tragedy Marks Opening Of
Aeroplane Race in Europe
Sunday Morning
DARING B|RDMEN BATHED MOL
FALL TO GROUND As TORCHES
Wild Ride for Fame and Gold Drives
Men High Above the Clouds Where
They CROPPED Their Way by Aid Of
Compass-Encountered Terrific Ex.
periences.

Compass-Encountered Terrific Ex.
periences.
Paris, June 19.-Fifty aeroplanists
took wing early Sunday from the
aviation field at Vincennes on the
first stage of the European circuit
race which calls for flight to Lon
don and return with stops at various
places going and returning. Three
of the aviators almost Immediately
after the start met with tragic deaths
and at least one other was gravely
hurt.
The dead:
CAPTAIN PR1NCETAU, whose mo-
tor exploded in midair flooding him
with gasoline and burning him to
death.
NJ. LIE MARTIN, who dashed against
a tree, the motor of his areoplane
crushing his head.
MONS LENDRON was killed near
here. Benzine in the reservoir ex.
ploded and the machine was con-
sumed. The aviator was burned to
death.
The injured:
M. Gaubert, a former lieutenant in
the army, who was entered in the
civilian race under the name "Dal-
ger" He was found lying senseless
near his machine in wheat field four
miles from Villars-Coterets. His in
juries are grave.
NJ. Billie, whose areoplane struck
the earth within mile of the start
and was wrecked. Billie was injured
but not seriously.
Three other birdmen fell, M. Lordi-
an. near Charlesville, Oscar Morrison,
close to Gagny and NJ NORM at
Chevron, within twenty-five miles Of
Ltese, which is the end of the first
sta7e Of the race.
None of these men was badly hurt.
OF the fifty aviators who started
the race, thirty-eight were civilians
and twelve officers assigned for mill
tary duty. Hung up for the compe-
titors are prizes amounting to $94.-
900.
Tremendous Crowd.
Dawn at Vincennes saw q crowd
estimated at from 100000 to 1000, 900
persons massed around the military
exercise field to witness the start.
Six thousand soldiers and 1000 po-
lice, most of them mounted, were ON
hand to keep the field clear.
A single gun fired at 5:45 o'clock
signalled the commencement Of the
preliminaries to the race. The Able
Larebourg was just finishing the
mass at an improvised altar in one
Of the aeroplane hangers for some of
the aviators who desired spiritual
preparation for the perils Of the day.
NJ. Lemartin, who within the hoar
was dying was among those who
knelt for the blessing.
The second gun sounded at 6
o'clock and Maurice Tabuteau Pierre
Vedrine and NJ. Bathiat, who already
were in position. whireld away with
in a minute Of each other amid wild
cheering.
The aviators started from three
parallelograms from one to three
minutes apart. Last to leave was
Emile Train, whose machine recently
killed Minister Of War Berteaux and
wounded Premier Monis. ..
Dashed Into Tree.
The wind was rising at the start
and Le Martin, who was one Of the
most experienced aviators in France.
rocked about good deal as his ma
chine cleared the ground and swept
away. His aeroplane had reached
the woods a quarter of mile be-
yond the barriers when it was OBJ
served to pitch swiftly downward and
into the trees. The biplane was
broken badly as 1t fell at the foot
Of an oak tree. A corner of the mo-
tor struck LIE Martin, crushing his
skull, and his right leg also was
fractured in two places The aviator
was barely alive when he was taken
away by Red Cross surgeons and he
expired few minutes after reaching
q hospital.
Something was wrong with the
steering gear Of LIE Martins machine.
1t had acted badly earlier in the
morning and Roland Garros, who
helped adjust it, advised LIE Martin
not to go up.
Strap Proves Fatal
Disaster overlook Princetau al
most at the start. He had scarcely
got we'll into the air when one Of
the planes of his machine caught
fire. Princetau was seen struggling
to undo starp which bound him
firmly in his seat so as to be free to
jump as he glided toward the earth.
Before he could loosen the belt, how-
ever, the motor exploded and fam.
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