The Sentinel=record., 1911-08-17
AVIATOR! IN CLOSE SHAVE
ARTHUR STONE FALLS INTO LAKE BUT IS RESCUED THOUGH
 NEARLY DEAD.
Wife Insisted That He Wear Life Preserver Which Saved His Life Ward and 6eachy Have llkl
 Close Calls.

Chicago, Aug. 16.--Arthur Stone. driver of Queen monoplane, was snatched back from death at the in Iternational Aviation meet here today after hopes for his life had been given up.
 Howard Gill, in a Baby" Wright, came almost as close to death but escaped from under the wreck of his machine unhurt. Lincoln Beachey, after being driven far to the south and fighting his way back above the field, glided 5000 feet in safety to the earth after his engine had stop ped suddenly. James Ward had an equally hard task to make his way from far out over Lake Michigan, but descended safely in the field.
 Stones machine fell into the lake just at dusk. He leaped from the falling plane and was rescued at the point of exhaustion by a motor at- ter he had supported himself in the water for more than half an hour. His machine was not recovered.
 That Stone was rescued was attri- buted largely to the insistence of his wife that he guard himself with a life preserver. In spite of the order that all fliers should wear fife pre- servers, Stone with others started for their machines unglRrded. Mrs. Stone ran from the mangar, before the flight, and insisted that her husband wait while she tied an inflated auto mobile tire about his shoulders.
 Unnerved by the deaths yesterday of William R. Badger and St. Croix Johnstone. and deterred by high wind, many of the fliers protested against going up and warned the con test committee that the aeroplanes could not be controlled il. the hali gale that prevailed in the upper air.
 The judges were .nsisten. and fin. ally dozen fliers rose for a cross water race, arou>Sd I crib three and one half miles out.
 Thomas Sopwirh had completed the second lap of the race and had been declared winner when cry arose that Stones machine had fallen into tns water and that the aviator was drown. ed. Later it was reported that stone was afloat and then rumor circu- lated that a tug was bringing his body to shore. No/e of these could be verified and Stones late was un- known until Stone, alter being picked up, was brought to the Chicago Yaent Clubs landing, alive and we'll.
 I'm mighty glad 1 made Arthur Iput on that life preseryer." exclaimed Mrs. Stone. I'm sure U saved ms life.'
 Beachey was an easy winner in the nine mile race around the pylons finishing in nine minutes 2s 2.5 sec onds; Earle Ovington second, aine minutes 49 2-5 seconds, and James Ward, third, 10 minutes Il seconds.
 Beachey also was unltficially ac' corded the days altitude record, reaching height of 7,076 feet.
 Thomas Sopwith won the II mile cross water flight in F minutes ana Rene Simon was second, 1s minutes 26 2'5 seconds; Beachey third, Is min Iutes 2S seconds.
 Major Raeber, of the United States Signal Corps; J. A. Baird, Jr., vice president of the Aero Club of Amer ica, and James Stevens, an official |of the Chicago International Avia- ton meet Association tonight made reports of their findings after min- ute examination of the machine in which St. Croix Johnstone met his death yesterday.
 This committee appointed solely TO determine if Johnstone's death was due to defects in the machine whicn he was driving. reported that there was no evidence of any such defects
 Joseph Raeber said the wings oi |Johnstone's machine did not collapse nor did the engine explode.