Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-05-15
AVIATION TAKES FOUR MORE
Victor Louis Mason Burned to Death
/, in Wreckage. --.
AVIATOR FISHER MEETS DEATH
Chance Flight with English Pilot
Near Tendon Ends Dfsastrousiy
Ray Wheeler Killed at
Sc. Louis.

LONDON. May l4-victor Louis Mason.
an American. identified with extensive
mining interests and at one time private
secretary to the American secretary OF
war, General r. A. Alger and to his
successor. Elihu Root. was killed today
while making flight at Brooklands with
the English aviator. Il. V. Fisher. who
also lost his life. The two were pitched
from the machine when at a height Of
about I5o feet
Fisher was about to give an exhibition
and picked Mr.. Mason from amons the
crowd. They circled the track once, when
according to spectators, the machine,
which was a monoplane, made an abrupt
turn. 1t wavered a moment and then
fell straight to earth.
Under Burning wreckaEe.
The sudden stcppage in the air threw
Fisher from his seat. Mason was pinned
beneath the wrecssge. which caught fire
and he was badly burned before being
extricated. Physicians say both men died
almost Immediately. 30 .e-.. .-- a
II is surmised that some fault developed
IN the engine OF the monoplane. as
weather conditions were perfect.
Thomas Sopwith was also flying around
the grounds with passenger at thestime
and witnessed the accident He flew in
the direction OF the wrecked machine and
alighted close beside it, The two men
tried their utmost TO beat down the fire.
In the meantime the crowd rushed to
the spot and extinguishers were applied.
but when the flames were auenohed the
machine was almost destroyed.
Fishers body was found twenty yards
away. hls neck having been broken.
Suggestion Costs Life.
Mr.. Mason, who had been staying at
the Carlton hotel for some weeks.
sauntered into the lobby after lunch and
said 70 the manager:
II have nothing special to DO this after
noon, where would you advise me to goT"
The manager said: ....-.
why not go to Brooklands and see the
nying?' ---..
Mr. Mason replied: -.-...
1--WE never seen that. think l will. +"
Soon afterwards a telephone message
was received at the hotel that Mr.. Mason
had been killed. e....
Amateur Killed.
ST. LOUIS. May 14-Ray Wheeler
amateur aviator. Is dead and Pete
CHASER, companion, is probably fatally
injured as the result OF plunge into a
telegraph pole at Klnloch park tonight
The accident occurred when the aero
plane was caught In a whirlwind $50 feet
above tho ground. The force Of the
vortex OF air dashed the machine among
the poles and wires before Chaser. who
was guiding, had time to get 1t out OF
danger
wheeler and CHASER were thrown
thirty feet from the machine The gaso-
line tank was exploded by the force Of
the collision and set fire to the wreck.
The pole was broken into three pieces.
Wheeler.s skull was crushed. his right
leg was broken In three places and his
right arm was fractured. He died on the
way TO a hospital.
Aviators who witnessed the accident
said 1t was due entirely to the wind and
could not have been avoided by those
In the, wrecked machine: f..'..
McMIIIen Seriously Hurt.
PERRY, Ia, May h--Aviator Ralph
MeMillen was seriously injured during
an exhibition flight here tonight. When
more than 100 feet In the air the engine
of his biplane went dead MeMillen at
tempted to glide TO earth. he was unable
TO control the machine and 1t turned al
most completely over and fell into a
creek. He suffered two broken legs.
broken shoulder bone and numerous
other injuries. but probably will recover.
Harry Williams. who ACCOMPANIED him
on the flight, was badly bruised, but
not seriously hurt The biplane was
wrecked.
Victor Louis Mason resided in Passaic.
". J. He was born in washington In
1910. His wife was Miss Daisy comstock
Simons of Washington. He served as pri-
waite secretary 10 General Aiger and Sec
rotary Root in 1919. He was alternate
delegate to the republican national con-
vention at Chicago in 1895 and was asso-
eiated with General Alger in Detroit