The Ekalaka eagle., 1911-09-01
TIES AUTO TIRE AROUND HIS
BODY. PREVENTING HIM
FROM DROWNING.
MANY ACCIDENTS AT CHICAGO
Bird Man Narrowly Escapes Fate Sim.
liar to That Of Johnstone.-Traq-
edies Oampen Ardor of
Contestants.

ut'Ver or queen mOnDDlano, was
snatched from death ut the Interna-
tional aviation meet here after hopes
for his life had been given up How
ard Gill, in baby Wright, came al
most as close to death, but escaped
from under the wreck of his machine
unhnrt
Lincoln Beachey, after being driven
far to the south and fighting his way
back above the field. glided 5000 feet
In safety to the earth. after his Ell:
gine had suddenly stopped. James
Ward had an equally hard task to
make his way from far out over Lake
Michigan. but descended safely in the
field.
Stones machine fell into the lake
just as he concluded. He ieaped from
the falling plane and was rescued
when All but exhausted by a motor
boat after he had supported himself in
the water for more than half an hour
Ills machine was not recovered
Stones rescue was attributed large
ly to the insistence of his wife that he
guard himself with a life preserver
In spite of the order that all flyers
should wear life preservers, Stone and
others started for their machines I'M
guarded. Mrs. Stone ran from the
hangar jnst before the flight and in
sisted that her husband wait while she
tied an inflated automobile tire about
his shoulders.
Unnerved by Tragedies.
Tnncrvcd by the deaths of William
r. Badger and st. Crox .Iohnstone.
and deferred by a high wind many
of the flyers here protested against
going up and warned the contest COM
mi1tec that the aCroplanes could not
be controlled in the half-aale that pre-
vailed in the upper air The judges
were insistcnt and finally half doz-
en- flyers rose for IA cross water race,
from the shore around the Carter H.
Harrison crib, three and a half miles
Cut.
Thomas Sopwith had completed the
second lap Of the race and been de-
clared winner. when Cry arose that
Stones machine had fallen into the
water and that the aviator was
drowned. Conflicting rnmors followed.
Clpilt = ldlc WIS uIlk!ltNll until AOln-
mOdore James Pughs motor boat, Dis
turber II, reached the Chicago Yacht
clubs landing with Stone alive and
well.
Reports that Stone had been drown
ed were flashed to the hangars AL
most the first to hear of his disappear
ance was his wife. Mrs. Irene Stone,
who. with her baby, awaited Stones
return from the race far over the lake.
Then Robinson. hydrop!ane pilot Of
the Cuitiss team. dartcd in and said
he had been unable to find any trace
Of the missing aviator. Al this Mrs.
Stone began to weep She turned her
child over to a friend.
Wife "Mighty Glad"
AS Mrs Stone dartod out from
group of friends who sought to have
her return to the hotel. an automobile
came in from the lake front and as
sured Mrs Stone that her husband
had been picked up, alive. and merely
the victim of ducking.
Beachey Lands Safely.
Instead of falling, the airship began
a long circular glide so steep that one
could see between the planes. The
angle became sharper and sharper un-
til the aeroplane touched the earth.
rolled a few feet and the aviator
stepped down, scarcely Jared by the
descent.
The effect of Tuesdays tragedies
was manifested plainly. both upon
Ayiators and spectators. There was
a noticeably smaller attendance. even
some of the free seats being unoc-
cuped. On the field and at the han
gars the flyers grouped together and
presented objections to further flying