Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-08-17
CHICAGO AVIAT0RS
BRAVE DEATH
AND WIN
DAY MARKED BY CLOSE
CALLS NO FATALITIES
Birdmen, UnneNed By Tues
days CataStrOpheS, Hesitate
10 Ascend But Are Driven to
Tasks By Managers,

driver of a Queen monoplane. was
snatched back from death at the In
ternational Aviation meet today after
hopes for his life haa Ssss. s.ysa ap.
Howard Gill; in a baby Wright.
came as close to death hut escaped
from under the wreck of his machine
unhurt.
Lincoln Beachey, after flying far
to the south and fighting his way
back against the wind. glided three
thousand feet in saftey to the avia-
tion field after his engine had been
stopped.
James Ward flew for long time
in circles over the harbor and Lake
Michigan, but descended safely in the
field after a few wobbles in the chop
ping wind.
Stones machine fell into the lake
just at dusk. He leaped from the fall
ing plane and was rescued at the point
of exhaustion by motor boat. He
had supported himself in the water
for more than half an hour. His ma
chine was not recovered.
That stone was rescued was attrih-
uted largely to the insistance OF his
wife that he guard himself with life
preserver In spite of the order that
all flyers wear life preservers. Stone.
with others started for their machines
unguarded. Mrs. Stone ran from the
hangar just before the flight and in
sisted that her husband wait. while
she tied an inflated automobile in
ner tube about his shoulders.
Unnerved by the deaths yesterday
of William II. Badger and st. Croix
Johnstone and deferred by a high,
choppy wind, many of the flyers here
protested against going up and warn
ed the contest committee that the
aeroplanes could not be controlled in
the half gale of the upper air.
The judges were inslstent and final
ly half dozen flyers rose for cross
water race from the shore around the
Carter II. Harrison crib, three and
one half miles out. Thomas Sopwith
had completed the second lap of the
race and been declared winner, when
a cry arose that stones machine had
fallen into the water and that the avi-
ator was drowned. Later IL was re-
ported that Stone was afloat and then
rumor that tug was bringing his
body ashore.
None Of these could be verified and
stones fate was unknown until mo-
tor boat reached the Chicago Yacht
clubs landing with Stone alive and
well.
Howard Gill of the Wright team,
furnished the first thrill of the day
when his machine suddenly checked
rs it skinned over the ground after
toppled over with terrific
force. Gill waSpjnioned for an instant
between tangled wires and taut can
vas of the baby Wright. Half startled
spectators had reached him as he
crawled from the ruins.
Gill had a narrow escape. He prob
ably owes his life to the new features
Of construction employed in the baby
Wright biplanes The engine instead
Of resting on the rear of the avlators'
seat Is fixed TO one side.
Lincoln Beachey afforded excite
ment to the crowds for more than an
hour by circling high over the city.
at times almost lost to view in the
hazy sky. The air was not so uneven
higher up, but everybody stood on
tip toe as Beachey swept down be-
fore the grand stand with a dead en-
CINE that had stopped with him at a
height of three thousand feet. The
leroplane made a long circular glide
20 steep that one could see between
the planes. The angle became sharper
and sharper until the machine reach
ed the earth, rolled a few feet on its
wheels and the aviator stepped out,
pared by the descent.
At the starting gun at $3.50 o'clock
when usually dozen machines are
N the air, not one had started. Fin
ally Beachey and Ward got up by fly
ing out over the lake. away from the
tall buildings Beachey went high In
the air and circled far north and
south
IHIiHdlte tntH FOSe one Hu1luitu
feet. went half round the field and de-
scended. For two hours no other flyer
attempted to rise. Then the wind died
ana the races began.
Beachey was an easy winner in the
race around the pylons, fin
shing in 0 minutes; 2S 2-5 seconds;
Earle Ovington. second, 3 minutes
49 2-5 seconds James Ward, third, 10
minutes; II seconds.
Beaohey's unoffcially made the
days altitude record. reaching a
height of 7.07G feet.
Thomas Sopwith won the fourteen
mile, cross-water flight in II min
utes, seconds. Rene simon second,
is minutes, 2G 25 seconds, Beachey
third, 3 minutes; 2S seconds,
Major Raeber, OF the United states
Signal Corps j. A. Baird Jr., vice.
president Of the Aero club OF America
and James Stephens, an official Of
the Chicago International Aviation
Meet association, made report of
their findings minute examination
Of the machine in which ST. Croix
Johnstono met his death yesterday.
This committee was appointed
to determine IL Johnstones death was
due to structural defects In the ma
chine, reported that there we're no
evidence Of such defects.