The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-18
Aviator Trying for $4,000
Coast to Coast Prize Plan
ned to Fly Over Niagara
Falls Late Today.
RODGERS INJURED;
MAKES FRESH START
Curiosity Of Crowd Caused
Him to Make Poor Start
Fowler to Renew Journey
on Tuesday.
(National News AsSociation)

CORNING. n. V, Sept. 1s.-Starting
from Owego in his biplane today
James Ward flew 81 miles to Corning
in SO minutes in his attempt TO cross
the continent Tor the $4,000 prize Of
fered by w. r. Hearst. He said he
hoped to be in Canada by tonight. Dur
ing srme stages of his trips Ward flew
at the rate of more than Is miles an
hour.
Upon landing Ward expressed him.
self as delighted over having gone past
the mountainous country which has
been worrying him. 1T was a hard
jab" he said, 1.-The wind came from
every direction and sometimes it look
ed like / might be dumped"
Just before leaving Ward said he
hoped to make Brantford. Ont. his
final stopping place tonight. This
is 2s3 miles from Owego and Se5
miles from New York. After leaving
Hornell he planned to fly direct to
Lockport, % miles northeast of But
falo. He will not fly into Buffalo. He
will probably cross the border over
Niagara Falls. This feat will be at.
tempted it is expected about o'clock
| RODGERS SERIOUSLY HURT.
/ MIDDLETOWN, N. y, Sept. 18.--
Aviator Cal P. Rodgers. the third fly
er to start in the ocean-to-ocean con
test for w. r. Hearss's $6o,Do0 prize
and who arrived here late yesterda,
] from New York. after an 81 mile jour
/ ney, met with a serious accident ant
was painfully hurt when he tried K
resume his flight from here to Buffa
10 at 5:15 o'clock.
Rodgers machine was badly smash
ed and the aviator was picked up un
conscious, but he soon recovered an,
returned to New York. Owing to thu
dense crowd that packed about hi
machine and refused to move. Rod
gers was compelled to start in a diree
ton which sent him crashing into
tall tree He tried to veer his cours
but he was menaced by telegraph wire
and rather than chance electrocutio
he dived into the trunk of the tree
Two thousand persons had gather
ed on the grounds fully two hours bt
fore Rodgers was ready to start.
In spite of the pleadings of tn
, aviator, and the efforts of the al
, thorities, the spectators refused t
bulge but pressed up against the acre
plane.
Finally the crowd reluctantly sep;
! rated into two lines through whic
, Rodgers was to make his start. A
! though there was a high tree abol
, 200 yards ahead of the starting poiI
) in line with the direction the airma
was taking, he believed that he woul
= have gained sufficient momentum b
\ the time he reached it to soar ovt
q it's top.
: There was a dense thicket of vi
= lows which also menaced the aviato
; so that an accident seemed ineyitab
8 as these trees prevented landing.
a Rodgers was unconscious and blee
= ing from cut in his right tempt
; when he was picked up. He had bet
., going at terrific rate Of speed WHIT
II the crash came.
10 Rodgers regained consciousness
r. a few minutes and limped over to b
" wrecked machine. He found that Of
of tine propeller blades was broken al
that the canvass of one of the plan
was badly torn. Later he return
u to New York by train to secure ne
a. machine and make fresh start Pre-
oI ably Tuesday.
m FOWLER STARTS TUESDAY.
~ COLFAx, Cal, Sept. 18.-Aviat
lie Rob Fowler will resume his flight
e ward New York for the $4,000 pri
q. offered by w. r. Hearst tomorrow
q 6 a. m.
IN This was announced today folio
y ing a trial of the rebuilt biplane os
d, which Fowled and his mechanics ha
III been working for nearly a week.
e. Fowler is now waiting for new t
e piece, or rudder, which is on its "
from the Wright Brothers factory
eo Dayton, Ohio.
ne The aviator and his mother W.
ID none the worse today for their exps
N ence in the destructon of Gil1ens no,
where they were stopping, by fire y