The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-01-02
Daring Wright Aviator Drops
500 Feet to Earth
RECORD HOLDER
Caught in Fluky Air Currents at Los
Angeles, He Is Dashed to Earth.
Tragic End Of Year for
Birdmen.

On the last day OF the year that bad
witnessed their rapid rise from com
parative obscurity 70 the zenith Of fame
in the most absorbing sport Of the cen
turtles, two leading American aviators
were dashed to death while endeayorlng
TO better worlds records.
Arch Hoxsey, holder Of worlds honors
for altitude, was thrown from his baby
Wright biplane at 2.l2 in the after
noon while flying above the Los Angeles
aerodome in an attempt to better his
own mark Of l,474 feet, made last
Monday. John b. Moisant. winner of
the $4,000 statute Of Liberty flight dur
ING the international aviation meet, and
the first aviator TO make a flight with
passenger across the English channel,
was pitched from a Bleriot monoplane
near New Orleans at 9:55 a. m, as he
was about to attempt the winning Of
the Michigan cup, offered for the long.
est sustained fight over a circular
course.
Thus on the last day Of the year do
their names Join those Of tombstone,
Chavez, Rolls and others who have lost
their lives in the battle with the
elements, swelling the total list OF
deaths to thirty.fye.
Los Angeles, Cal, Jan. 2.-There were
flying events at aviation field yester-
day, but the memory If Arch Hoxseys
death hung like a pail over aviators and
spectators The hiers worked as eau
tiously as did the early pioneers in
their experiments that brought flight
within the realm Of accomplished
scienses, as the wind was almost as
treacherous as it was Saturday when
it caught Hoxsey and tossed him to
death
All the ayiators assembled, but they
flew apparently only because their con.
tracts called for daily flights and because
these were people in the grand stands
who paid money TO see them fly. None
Of them remained in the air more than
few minutes and long before the pro-
gram was completed, dismissed the spec
tators with the announcement that the
meet, which was to close Tuesday,
would end to-day.
Tuesday is the day set for the funeral
Of Hoxsey.
Walter Brookins, who coached Hox-
sey in the art Of flying, was pale and
nervous yesterday when he brought his
biplane on the field and in the short
fights he made, he never once at.
tempted the thrilling spiral dives which
he originated and which Hoxsey was
emnlating when he fell.
Parmalee, the only other surviving
member Of the Wright team Of four
that started west few weeks ago,
also kept close to the ground
Hubert latham was the only aviator
to keep his machine up more than half
an hour Radley for a time refused to
attempt a fight at ALL II was only
when the wind lulled a little that he
consented to ascend. After rising he
encountered gusts that threatened his
control over his machine and he prompt
~ descended.
"This is the last for me in winds like
this | am taking no chances" he said.
While Eugene Ely was making fight
guy rope wire parted and becoming
entangled In his propeller, broke piece
off one of the blades Ely pointed his
machine downward, taking sharp an
gle to get to earth as quickly as pos
sble. A shout Of apprehension rose
from the spectators but Ely landed safe
" with jolt that only Jared him.
Hoxseys body was removed to Pas
adena yesterday, where he will lie in
mortuary chapel until Roy Knabenschue,
manager Of the Wright team, completes
plans for the funeral. All funeral ex-
penses win be borne by Wright brothers
and sum viii be given to Mrs. Hox.
sey. 1t was learned last night that
every cent Hoxsey made during his en-
tire aviation work was given to his
mother.
Mrs. Hoxsey, mother Of the dead avia
tor, will also receive approximately Sl0,-
600, it is said, from the aviation com
mittee as the winnings Of her son dur
ing the meet.