The Washington herald., 1911-08-11
FLYER ESCAPES
IN PLANE DROP
AFTER ACCIDENT
Paul Peck in Rex Smith Ma
\ chine Fights Death.
SAFE LANDING is MADE
Volplane Executed Without Power
from Clouds.

With the eighty horsepower engine
of his aeroplane rendered useless. Paul
Peck. the twenty one -year-old Wash
ington aviator, yesterday afternoon
fought with death when the gasoline
feed pipe of the Rex Smith biplane
snapped while he was flying over Col
lege Park at a height of 1900 feet.
Peck did not lose his nerve. but when
he discovered he could not fly, shot
toward the ground in long spiral
dive, and landed without injury to him
self or damage to the machine, while
spectators and aviators who had ex-
pected to see him killed watched in
amazement
Prepares to Make Record.
The Rex Smith aeroplane was taken
out of the hangar at the aviation field
shortly before o'clock. and Peck re-
marked, as he prepared for flight, he
would go after an altitude record.
Without any difficulty the big biplane
was started, and he Circled to gain
height Suddenly he turned on the full
power Of the engine. and propelled the
machine upward at a dangerous angle.
Several circles were completed. and
Peck was gradually rising, at the same
time going forward at a rate of fifty
miles an hour. When he had reached
an altitude of 1900 feet, the noise of
the engine stopped. and even from the
ground the propeller was seen TO stop.
Nothing was thought of this, as Peck
had often cut off the power tempo
r2rily. But when the speed of the ma
chine gradually was reduced, and he
was seen to fight for headway against
the wind, which was blowing strongly,
the spectators at the field became
alarmed.
As the aeroplane had almost stopped
seemingly conquered by the wind. which
would in a short time have sent the in
trepid birdman to the ground lifeiess,
Peck grabbed at the steering apparatus.
and the machine shot toward the ground
Expecting to see the aeroplane fall,
specta tors started toward the center of
the field. but attendants at the hangar
stopped them Peck was seen to gain
more and more in his plucky fight with
death. He turned the machine in a cir
Gle within a dangerously small space,
and continued his rapid descent.
Safe Landing Made.
When the machine had reached within
200 feet of the earth Peck gradually
Strengthened his guiding apparatus, and,
circling once more. made directly for the
landing place in front OF the hangar. The
speed of the aeroplane lessened. and
Peck finally glided to the ground. max
ing a smooth landing in front of the
government hangers.
The army aviatOrs ran to the aeroplane
and found Peck calmly examining the
no
and he said that the engine had merely
stopped for some reason. while he was
ascending hurried examination ended
when it was found the gasoline pipe had
snapped off near the carbureter. and the
machine had been WITHOUT fuel
Lieut. Kirkland. at the government
school, passed the tests required to OBJ
tain a pilots license and is now recog-
nized aviator. Capt. Chandler, the only
pupil at the, aviation school who has not
yet obtained his license, expects to quail
ify within a few days.
Representative and Mrs. Nicholas
LCngworth. Maj. George o. Squier, F.
Oden Hortsmann, and Col. Krag, OF the
Norwegian army, who is a partner of the
Krag-Jorgenson Rifle Company, wit
messed most OF the flights of the army
aeroplanes.
Women Take Air Trips.
Chicago. Aug 1O.-For the first time in
Chicago, two women have gone up in
aeroplanes. They are Miss Katherine
Synon, a newspaper writer, and Mrs.
Charles A. Corey. The flights We're made
premliminary to the International avia
ton meet, which opens in Chicago Sat
urday.
Fully a dozen of the thirty-thTee avia-
tors who will take part in the meet are
in the city, and others are coming to-
night and tomorrow. Practice. flights
will be on the programme for to-mor-
row, and Saturday afternoon the big show
will begin.
Seven nations have representatives in
the field. and $4,000 in prizes have been
hung up.
Seven crack aviators of the Wright
brothers staff to-day were entered in the
meet They are Walter Brookins, l..
Parmalee, Richard Turpin, Frank Coffin,
A. L. Welsh, Howard Gill, and HarrS
Bonney.
Aviator Jumps to Safety.
Pitman Grove, n. j., Aug. 10.-Willle
Haupt, the aviator, narrowly escaped
L @f- 1nrf tot