The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-10-20

cracked 500 feet up in the air "No.
was not afraid" she said. "becausc ]
knew that Gene would come down all right.
] just held on tight, and he did" ~
Twice before Ely had been report ed
dead. Once AT Canton. Ohio and again
at Winnipeg. Canada Through these re-
ports Mrs Ely became known about tho
flying grounds as "the little widow
In 1910 after considerable flying al small
meets Ely went to Norfolk and launched
his Curtiss machine from the deck of tho
cruiser Birmingham 1t was the frat
flight Of the kind that had ever been tried
He got off without hitch and landed
opposite Old Point Comfort. five miles
from the cruiser. The next January he
tried it again at San Francisco ana was
brilliantly successful winging from the
aviation field at South San Franc isco to
n platform erected on the deck Of the
cruiser Pennsylvania.
He took part in the aviation meet at
Belmont Park last October and flow at the
Nassau Boulevard tournament last month
From the Nassau field he went TO Canton
Ohio. and it was while giving exhibitions
there that he took "A plunge of "A hundred
feet Ely was thrown from the machine,
but got out of tho wreck with a few
scratches. He was one of three con-
iestants in an acroplana race from New
York to Philadelphia. which was won 10y
Lincoln Beachcy. The winner received a
prize OF 5000 offered by Gimbel Bros.
He was also the lone aviator to attempt
to win the World prize for a flight from
Chicago to New York about year ago.
He made tho start in fine shape and
apparently everything was working well
until he had been on his way about
twenty minutes. Then his motor began to
fa,I o,,I ha xt.al fs,r,,g 80.
examination Of the machine failed to
show any trouble and Ely once more
started. ltworked again for about twenty
minutes. when he was again forced To
come down. After this experience he
decided to abandon the flight, and IL was
not until the machine had been over
hauled at the factory that il was dis
covered that the trouble had been caused
by a small hit of chewing gum which
plugged the vent hole in his gasoene tank.
Ely was born in Davenport. Ia. Octo-
Der 2l, 1885 hut spent the greater part
of his life in California Before going into
the flying business he was an automobile
driver. He was self-taught aviator.
A wealthy Californian bought Curtiss
aeroplane. but had no one TO fy it, Ely
,,nhesitatingly undertook the task. The
first attempts resulted in wrecking the
biplane, but Ely purchased the broken
parts and rebuilt the machine. In a short
time he was flying it, This experience led
TO a place with Curtiss.
In addition to other feats Ely demon
strated aeroplanes purchased for the
army at San Antonio. Ten
Mrs. Ely will leave to-day for Daven-
port, Ia, where the body has been sent
for interment. Mr.. and Mrs Ely were
married in California when the latter was
only 10 years of age. They had no children.
Mrs. Ely is the daughter of the principal
in the high school of Corte MADEIRA. Cat
The death of Ely brings the list of fatal
tiles cause by aeroplane accidents up TO
lOl. In 1908 one man lost his life. in 1909
four, in 1910 thiriy-two and in 1911 "a
date siXty-four persons have bean killed