The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-19
Plane Plotted by Rodgers
Dashes to Earth Near
Middleton, N. Y.
AVIATOR ESCAPES
WITH SLIGHTHURT
Ward Held Up for Repairs At
Coming Owing to Troub-
lie With New Cur
tlss Motor

MTDDLEToWN. y. Y, Sept 10
One instant living hing. rising with
tho grace of a swallow over the top
Of 4 lofty tree In the first CLEANS Of
the morning sun. the next instant 81
shattered, shapelcss mass Of spiin-
tered wood. ribbofied canvas and
twisted steel That sums up the
thirty seconds which sped the aero
plano OF Calbraith p. Rodgers on its
second days flight for tho $50, 600
transcontinental prize offered by VII
liam Randolph Hearst this morning
and then crushed his hopes, for the
time being, 20 the ground with him
II baked the dream of catching
Ward. or reaching Chicago within
four days and Los Angeles in twent y-
two days.
1t does not mean, however, that
Rodgers IS not going to the coast In
quick time. lie hopes to start again
Wednesday, and to do even more than
he had planned at first A corps of
machinists from the Wright factory
at Dayton are now on their way to
MiddletoWn with the necessary new
parts. The armory, rendered by pub
lie spirit, has become workshop,
where Mechanician Frank shaTcr and
hts assistants expect 10 complete RS
pairs in forty hours.
To the iayman forty hours would
seem too short for any person TO bring
order out Of tne splinters of Rodgers
machine. but Shaffer declares ii will
be done. He starts with the engine
practically unchanged, one propeller,
both propeller shafts and his right
hand plane repairable. A new mid
die plane, the center of everything
| Is required.
All Ready fer Flight.
The last loving pats of the mechani-
clans this morning prevented starr
before 8 o'clock. although Rodgers
himself was ready a half hour be-
fore. Early rs it was, nearly one
thousand persons ard scores OF au-
toNobisss were on the ground. The
machine was pronounced perfect by
Rodgers and his cousin, Lieutena nt
Rodgers. OF the navy.
A more inconvenient spot from
which to take the air could hardly
be imagined than the old driving
park on which Rodgers landed Sun
day night, There is morass on the
southwestern side, a hollow TO the
southeast, and it has all been cut VI
by circus rings
At the southeast there is q fringe
OF willows. a barn and house
Rodgers cleared the barn by ten feet
To the northwest is n grove Of will
lows, a half acre OF clear space. then
I a tall hickory tree. some houses a
line OF tall telephone poles, heavy
with wires. and more tall trees
Rodgers tried TO go that way
Aeropianc Is smashed
A cheer was checked by the nois
Of the trucks scraptng through tn
tops OF a willow tree. There was q
nasty careen. which drew quick gasp
from the crowd. the machine rishte'
| and sped over the tail hickory nu
tree. Then came a womans scream
/ from the edge of the willows. lies
! fallen, Hes fallen." she cried. Thre
| hundred yards away Rodgers lay II
| the debris of his machine.
! ooh, my beautiful aeroplane"; I'M,
/ beautiful plane" he was saying as IN
/ crowd rushed up. Blood was tiowln'
! from slight cut above his left tenn
ple. but the man never thought o
/ that.
The aeroplano had come dow
! front foremost on fence. When h
shut off the power his elevating plane
hit the tree. checked the speed ant
/ tilted the machine. which shot dow
from an elevation of forty feet. J
! lofty little chicken coop broke tn
fall and shot Rodgers out feet fore
most He alighted standing up. hi
engine and machinery at his side.
: Niddletown Hospitabfe.
Nothing could surpass the publ
/ spirit Of Middletown after the aeci
I dent Every machine shop In III
/ city was offered at once and ever,
machinist volunteered his services
! There was talk Immediately OF a sub
| scriptlon by business men TO bu,
| Rodgers new 5000 aeroplane, TIL
( Middletown Electric Railway offere'
I 600 10 defray expenses of the de
/ lay. The ar1nory was thrown opel
| and Mr.. and Mrs Rodgers were over
| whelmed with oral invitations
! The pluck of Mrs Rodgers as wei
! as that of her husband was undaunt
/ ed. So soon as the doctor had pro
, nounced the aviator without seriou
/ injury she was as eager to start again
| as he was Rodgers himself over III
| telephone begged the Wrights 10 sen
| him q new machine for fresh start
I but the best that they could DO wa!
| to send the mechanic and the needle,
! nNrfS