Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-06-03
AVIATOR PAR MALEE KILLED
Most Popular Altman Loses Life Dur
ing Flight at North Yakima, WASH
Cause Of Collapse of Machine Never
Will Be Known.

North Vagina, Wash, June 3.-With
a smile and a wave of his hand to the
thousands who watched him, Philip 0.
Parmalee, one Of the Wright aviators.
took the air in the teeth of a gustI
west wind here Saturday afternoon.
Three minutes later his broken and
lifeless body was dragged from beneath
the wreckage Of his biplane in an apple
orchard in the lower end of the Mckee
valley, two miles from his starting
point. The exact cause Of the disaster
that plunged him to death probably
never will be known.
AS he rose from the before the grand
stand at the fair grounds. Parmalec
swung to the west over the Yakima
river. He rose to height of about 400
feet and his speed increased to almost
a mile minute. altho it was noticed
that his plane dipped and rolled and
seemed 20 be controlled with difficulty
When he had gone about two miles
from the fairgrounds he swung IN a
wide circle to the eastward for the re-
turn journey AS he squared away oe-
fore the wind the great plane checked
in its course. futtered a second like
wounded bird and then plunged below
the line of trees.
Wind Tips Planes.
It is thought by Parnlalees mecnanl-
clans that sudden gust from one ot
the draws. or small canyons. that notch
the sides of the Mckee valley STRUCK
the machine and rendered the eleVatlnS
planes unmana geable.
The body of the unfortunate aviator
vas dragged from beneath the wreck
age of the machine by farmers who
were working the orchard. but his skuli
was fractured and he must have dled
instantly.
Before he prepared for his last flight.
Parmalee was urged to postpone the
exhibition at least until the wind quiet
ed. but he laughed at the persistent
and fatal misfortune that had dosged
the Wrights and their ayiators for the
last week and climbed to his seat with
out premonition Of the fate that was
to overtake him
Cause is Unknown.
The biplane was demolished TO such
an extent that the mechanicians were
unable to trace definitely the cause OF
the accident.
Aviator Phil O. Parmalee was re-
garded by experts as the safest or
American aviators, as we'll as the most
successful financially OF those en-
ployed by the Wrights He was SAID
to have earned $4,000 for the Wright
brothers during 1911 and he quit their
| employ only a few weeks ago.
| When Parmalee and his partner j.
Clifford Turpin, came here two weeks
ago, after spending eight months IN
Los Angeles, they brought with them
two tractor biplanes" which were
built under Parmalee's supervision in
Los Angeles.
Parmalee was born at ST, Johns,
Mich. about % years ago and his hrst
business venture was as partner with
his father in the manufacture OF gas
engines Later he became an automo-
bile tester for large factory at Flint,
Mich.
Two wears ago Parmalee entered the
employ of the Wright brothers ana
went to Los Angeles with Arch Hoxsey
who was killed there on Jan. l. 1911. In
Chicago last August Parmalee estao-
lished a worlds altitude record. fly-
ing to a height of 10000 feet. but the
record was broken on the succeeding
day by Lincoln Beachey.
Made Local Flights.
After his tour of the northwest Par
malice had planned to go to Chicago to
enter the intercity flights.
Parmalee had made many flights in
Los Angeles and vicinity within the
last six months. His gentlemanly de-
meanor and quiet and unassuming
ways won him the designation OF the
most popular aviator who ever flew In
southern California.