The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-08-19
BR|NDLEY BREAKS
ALTITUDE RECORD.
Young Aviator Scars To Height Of
ll,726 Feet-Hands Nearly
Frozen.

CHICAGO. Aug. ia new star has
risen In the ranks OF earthly astral
bodies" and today Oscar A. Brindley.
a 26-year-old mechanical engineer, is
being hailed as one OF the worlds
foremost axiatoFs because OF his feat.
late yesterday, in lifting his Wright
biplane ll.726 feet into the air, 576
feet higher than heavier-than-air
machine has ever before assembled.
Il wasn't dressed for cold work."
said Brindley today, "or | could have
gone higher. nearly froze my hands
up there, and had TO come down. The
next time, when dress properly, I'm
going to pay visit TO the stars. Seri-
ously, think my machine would have
gone mile higher had | not gotten
so cold was afraid would lose con.
troll. shall break my own record
shortly"
Brindley has been flying only since
May, having assembled alone after two
hours and half instruction in Day
ton. Ohio
The former worlds altitude record
was held by Commandant Felix. OF
the French army corps, who, two
weeks ago, assembled 1850 feet at
Etampes, France. For breaking this
record, Brindley receives 81 900 In
cash, a $4,000 silver trophy. and, un-
less the record is broken again at this
meet, will receive an additional $4,000
prize.
Two Narrow Escapes.
While Brindley, Howard Gill and
Beachey were high among the clouds.
finding safety in their altitude flights.
James Ward and Earle Ovington, fly
ing at comparatively low levels, both
had narrow escapes from death. The
propeller of Wards machine broke
into hundred pieces as he flew be-
fore the grandstand. pieces OF wood
penetrated and tore the canvas planes,
but the aviator held tight and brought
his machine webbing to the ground.
Ovington, with his engine stopped, un-
able quite to reach shore, found a
landing place in five feet of water.
from which he escaped with no other
injury than a ducking.
The altitude events, though un-
scheduled, proved the most important
of the day. A wind that blew at 20
miles 100 feet above the earth was
missing higher up, and Brindley,
Beachey and Gill started at once for
altitude. Beachey was the first to
descend, driven down by the cold. He
came down shivering, hardly able TO
move his hands from the steering
wheel. His paragraph showed $500
feet.
Brindley was the next to descend.
after having passed completely out OF
sight OF all but the strongest glasses.
His paragraph had swung around to
figure never before needed In Amer
lean aviation meets, showing 1000
feet. Gill descended soon after, with
mark OF $500 feet. All declared
they could have made even better
marks but for the extreme cold.
Ward. who had set out to reach
first place in the totalization for dura-
ton, caused the thrill OF the day.
With pieces of the propeller flying In
any direction, any of them likely to
crash through his head or to upset
the delicate equilibrium Of the aero
plane, he brought the machine to land,
jumped out, climbed into an automo-
bile standing near and hurried for the
QankdTS. III nNC ullhubCo hC was IA
another aeroplane. his torn number,
"a, pasted over the owners label. and
was in the air again.
81 need these minutes for my dura-
ton, he yelled, and was away, re-
naming up until the closing gun
called him down at night.
Ovington's accident occurred near
the south shore country club In the
l6-mile over-water race, the course
OF which had been changed to elimi-
nate the danger OF the cross water
flight. He had stopped his engine for
the turn at the club. and was unable
TO start II. He tried first to land on
the smooth lawn, but found his speed
too great Instead, he made a circle
over the lake, and then found his
speed insufficient to reach land, so
alighted in lagoon, from which he
could swim to shore.
An exciting speed race between
monoplanes was won by Tom Sop