The Irish standard., 1911-08-19
TIES AUTO TIRE AROUND HIS
BODY, PREVENTING HIM
FROM DROWNING.
MANY ACCIDENTS AT CHICAGO
Bird Man Narrowly Escapes Fate Sim.
liar to That of Observation-Disclosures
edies Dampen Ardor Of
Contestants.


driver of Queen monoplane. was
snatched from death at the In1erna-
tional aviation meet here after hopes
for his life had been given up. How
ard Gill, in baby Wright came al
most ais 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 en-
CINE had suddenly stopped. 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 as he concluded. He leaped from
the falling plane and was rescued
when all but exhausted by motor
boat after he had supported himself in
The water for more than half an hour
: His machine was not recovered.
Stones rescue was attributed large
ly to the insstence of his wife that he
guard himself with a life preserycr.
In spite OF the order that all flyers
| should wear life preservcrs, Stone and
/ others started for their machines un.
guarded. Mrs. Stone ran from the
hangar just before the flight and in
sisted that her husband wait while she
tied an inflated automobile tire about
his shoulders.
Unnerved by Tragedies.
Unnerved by the deaths of William
R. Badger and ST. Croix tombstone,
and deferred by a high wind, many
of the flyers here protested against
going up and warned the contest COM
mittee that the aeropanes could not
be controlled in the laf-gale that pre-
vailed in the upper air. The judges
were insistent and finally half a dnx-
/! EN- flyers rose for a crosS-water race,
from the shore around the Garter n.
Harrison crib, three and half miles
out.
Thomas Sopwith had completed the
second lap of the race and been de.
clared winner, when cry arose that
Stones machine had fallen into the
water and that the aviator was
drowned. Conflicting rumors followed.
Stones fate was unknown until Com
! modore James Pugh's motor boat, Dis
turber II. reached the Chicago Yacht
clubs landing with Stone alive and
we'll
Reports that Stone had been drown
: ed were flashed to the hangers. AL.
most the first to hear of his disappear
ance was his wife, Mrs. Irene Stone,
who, with her baby, awaited stones
return from the race far over the lake.
Then Robinson, hydropIane pilot of
the Curtiss team, darted in and said
he had been unable to find any trace
of the missing aviator. At this Mrs
/ Stone began to weep. She turned her
child over to a friend.
Wife mighty Glad"
AS Mrs. Stone darted out from a
] group of friends who sought to have
her return to the hotel, an automobile
came in from the lake front and as.
sured Mrs. Stone that her husband
had been picked up, alive, and merely
the victim of Il ducking.
Beachey Lands Safely.
Instead of falling. the airship began
. long circular glide so steep that one
could see between the planes. The
angle became sharper and sharper un
til the aeroplane touched the earth
rolled a few feet and the aviator
stepped down, scarcely Jared by the
descent
| The effect Of Tuesdays tragediea
was manifested plainly, both upon
eviators and spectators. There was
. noticeably smaller attendance, even
some of the free seats being unoc
( cupied. On the field and at the han
gars the flyers grouped together and
! presented ObiectiO to further nvinu