The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-13
In Competition for the Hearst
Prize of $4,000.
FOWLER HAS BAD LUCK
Aviator Who Started From San
Francisco on Monday
Falls to Earth at Alta, Calf,
Wrecking His Machine.

X, y
started this morning from Governors
Island for his flight from the Atlantic
to the Pacific coast. He is flying for
a prize of $4,000. offered by William
r. Hearst.
Work had barely begun this morn
ing in the busy skyscrapers of lower
New York when Ward lifted his oi-
plane from Governors Island and
path of the sun. It was 9:0S a. m
when the boyish aviator-he is only
% years old and looks younger-rose
from the level stretch of land reclaim
ed from the sea at the lower end of
the island which offers the best place
in the city for the start or close of
fight.
Ward is the second competitor to
try for the prize of $4,000 offered by
William r. Hearst for the quickest
flight from coast to coast. and the first
to start on the westward route. To
win he must reach Los Angeles or
San Francisco in thirty days.
A brisk 2O-miIe breeze from the
northwest was f1uttering the flags over
the building of the military post and
directly against it Ward must fly for
the first stage of his journey. Starting
with the wind behind him. he turned
at the lower end of the island and
came humming back. rising high over
the bay and heading across the mouth
of the Hudson river for Jersey City.
On the west bank of the river he
picked up the flag-decked locomotive
waiting at the Erie station to pilot him
over the maze of tracks across the
his course above the main line Of the
Erie railroad. His destination this
morning and his first scheduled stop
was MiddIetown. IS miles away.
Will Follow the Erie.
From MiddletOwn Ward planned to
follow the Erie to Buffalo. Mocha nicians
with gasoline and extra parts await
him at Calicoon, N Y, and Susque-
hanna, Pa, and at the latter place he
hoped to spend the night A group of
about 100 saw the start at Governor s
Island. Among them was the aviator's
wife, who will follow him with a party
of friends at p. m and hopes to
meet him at sSusouehanna this morning.
against this wind" Ward said while
the helpers were cranking his machine.
Just before the young aviator Jumped
into his seat Major General Grant rode
up with two aides and handed him a
letter to the commander of the mill
tary post at Los Angeles.
AS soon as he got clear of the island,
Ward mounted rapidly The air was
clear and, expecting no difficulty in
picking out his landmarks, he said that
ne expected to make most of the jour
ney at a height of about 1000 feet
Against the wind his so horse power
engine can make about As miles an
hour. If the wind changes he will do
considerably better.
Ward carries Is gallons of gasoline,
enough to take him about $50 miles.
Loses His Way.
Ashbrook, N. J., Sept. 13.-Aviator
Ward landed here this morning, having
mistaken the Lehigh Valley road for
the Erie. The aviator, when he found
out where he was went into the air
again and retraced his course toward
Jersey City where he purposed taking
up his course along the line of the
Erie railroad for Middletown, n. Y.
FowIers Mishap.
Alta, Cal, Sept. 13.=Aviator Bob
Fowler, enronte from San Francisco to
New York, met with the first mishap
of his pioneer cross country serial
voyage here, when in trying to make
a landing, necessitated by refractory
engine and steering gear, his biplane
collided with two trees, hurting it to
the ground and slightly injuring the
birdman. Both planes of the craft
and its two propellers were broken
and Fowler will be delayed here for
at least two days before he can re-
sumo his eastern journey
Before leaving Auburn, Fowler had
his first trouble with his engine when
a wire of the magnetic circuit pulled
out. The wire was repaired, but it is
believed that it was this defect which
caused the later trouble.
Leaving Auburn at 9:37 o'clock,
Fowler rose to a height Of about 400
feet and followed the route of the
rolling approaches to the foothi1l dis
trict For almost 40 miles he sailed
along without mishap, easily distanc-
ing the special train and automobiles
which had started at Auburn at the
same time
AS he came into view in this sec
ton, however, it was apparent that
something was wrong with his craft
About a half mile from here his
course suddenly deviated sharply He
did not slacken speed and his machine
dashed full into the two trees
At height of about 40 feet from
the ground the right plane of the ma
chine struck the right hand tree with
a spIintering sound and the force of
the blow sent the craft careening
against the other tree This second
blow crushed the left plane and with
both wings thus crumpled into a use
creation lowered for the fraction of a
second and then turned over as it
started on its fall to earth.
In falling, the tail piece was doubled
up beneath the craft by the force of
the wind and the biplane hit the
ground with tail piece and with pro-
pellers pointing down ward, thus splin-
tering both propellers and the rudder. /
Fowler remained on his seat until the |
machine struck the ground, when he
was hurled against the motor and
the debris of the rudder to
the ground.
Spectators by the score who had wit
messed Fowler's fall from a distance /
rushed to his aid and his injuries were |
quickly given attention. His mecha-
nicians We're soon on the scene. hav-
ing arrived on the special train which !
is following his course Some Of the /
broken pieces of the aeroplane were re-
placed with substitutes carried on the !