The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-09-13
FowIsr's Aeropiane Wrecked In Col
lison With Trees and He
Cannot Continue
Flight.
Aviator Was Bruised and Airsalp
Was Wrecked, Putting the ltd
on Ills Journey East
ward


Fowler, enroute from San Francisco
to New York, met with the first mis-
hap of his pioneer cross-country aerial
voyage in Alta at 1880 O'Clock Tues
day morning. when in trying TO make
landing. necessitated by g refractory
engine and steering gear, his hlplane
collided with two trees, hurting 1t to
the ground and slightly iniuring the
hirdman Both planes OF the craft
and its two propeliers we're broken,
and Fowler will be delayed for at
least three days before he can re-
sumo his eastern Journey.
Z 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 a:S7 O'clock,
Fowler rose to q height OF about 400
feet and followed the route of the
5 Southern Pacific tracks through the
rolling approaches to the foothill dis
trict, For almost forty miles he sail
4 ed along without mishap, easily dis
tancing the special train and autono-
hiles that had started at Auburn at
the same time.
AS he came into view in this section
however. it was apparent that some
. thing was wrong with his craft. About
i a half mile from here his course sud
denly desiated sharply He did not
slacken speed and his machine dashed
full into the two trees.
AT height of about forty feet from
the ground the right plane OF the ma.
chine struck the right hand tree with
a splintering sound, and the force Of
the blow sent the craft eareenine
against the other tree This second
, blow crushed the left plane, and, witr
both wings thus crumpled into use
less mass, the great bird Of human
creation lowered for the fraction OF +;
!, second and then turned turtle as I
! started on its fall TO earth.
In falling, the tail piece was doubled
E up beneath the craft hy the force o
T the wind, and the binlane bit tn,
ground with tail piece and Will
!. propellers pointing downward, thus
splintering both propellers and tn,
rudder Fowler remained In his sea
: until the machine struck the grount
when he was hurled against the moto
and through the debris of the rudde
9 TO tie ground
Spectators by the score who ha,
witnessed Fowler's fall from dis
tanco rushed to his aid, and his in
juries were quickly given attention
u His mechanicians were soon on tn,
= scene. having arrived on the specia
J train that Is following his course
:, Some of the broken pieces of tn
aeroplane were replaced with suhstt
9 trtes carried on the train, but other
had to bo sent 10 Reno for repairs.
In explaining his mishap, Fowle
said that his steering gear had sud
= denly become blocked when he wa
? a few miles from the scene Of the ac
= cident, and he was helpless to direc
's his course. At the same time his ele
. waiting plane refused to work, and hi
efforts to control the hiplane restlte'
in the lisconnecting Of the defectiv'
magnetic wire that had given trouhl
earlier in tho morning
y Fowler declared last night that h
y would continue his journey within
three DAYS,
e Fowler's injuries consist only Q
q bruises, and are not OF q serious ns
ture,