The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-02
Turned Too Sharply in the
Wind With Passenger in
Bleriot Machine
FIRST WOMAN TO
CROSS CHANNEL
Another Woman Flying High in the
Air Watches Miss Quimby Fall
to Her Death-Collapses
After Descent

Boston, July miss Harriet Quimhy
of New York. the first woman to win an
aviator's license in America and the frst
woman to cross the English channel IN an
aeroplane, was instantly killed with her
passenger, w. A. Willard, manager OF
the Boston aviation meet, tonight when
her Bleriot monoplane fell into Dorchester
bay from height of 1000 feet.
The accident happened when Miss Quinn
by and Willard were returning from .
trip over Boston harbor to Boston light,
a distance of 20 miles In all. The flight
was made in 20 minutes. The Bleriot, one
of the latest models of military mono
planes, circled the aviation field and
scared out over the Savin Hill Yacht
club just outside the aviation grounds.
Angle Too Sharp
Heading back into the eight mile gusty
wind Miss Quimby started to volplane.
The angle was too sharp and one OF the
gusts caught the tail of the monopiane.
throwing the machine up perpendicular.
For an instant 1t poised there Then
sharply outlined against the setting sun,
Willard was thrown clear of the chassis.
followed almost Immediately by Miss
Quimby. Hurting over an over the two
figures shot downward. striking the water
2f 0eet from shore. They splashed out of
sight second before the monoplane
plunged Is feet away.
1t was low tide and the water was
only five feet deep. Men from the yacht
club in motor boats were on the spot
quickly and leaping overheard dragged
the bodies out Of the mud into which they
had sunk deeply.
Each body was badly CRUSHED. Several
OF Mss oullnhv's rcp,s were hr seu and
tls.e were many Kg bruises Wizard.
who weighed 100 pounds. hit tho water
face first and over one eye there was
a cash from which the blood was flow
ing. He. too. sustained several fractures
and bruises The clothes of both flyers
were torn. The bodies were SO covered
with mud that 1t was several minutes
before the doctors and nurses could de-
termine the full extent OF the injuries.
Cavalry Holds Back Crowd
The crowd which had been witnessing
the flights rushed over but a troop OF
state cavalry held the people back while
Dr. George Sheehan, the field surgeon.
with his staff and a nurse, made hasty
examinations.
In few moments ambulances arrived
and the victims were taken to the Quincy
hospital Flying high overhead at the
time of the fall was Miss Blanche Stew
art Scott, another aviatoric expert talk
ing part in the meet which had entered
upon it's second day. From her high alti-
tude Miss Scott had watched Miss Quinn
by's splendid flight and was near by
when the gust upset the monoplane. In
the excitement of IN, moment no one no
ticed the lone woman aviator but when
Miss Quimbys body was brought ashore
all eyes were directed aloft and Miss
Scott was seen making sweeping circles
over the field at a height of about 900
feet
Twice she started to descend but each
time she was seen to falter. Tn another
moment supponing all her nerve she
turned the nose of her craft downward
and landed safely collapsing in her seat
before any one could reach her.
A. Leo Stevens of New York. manager
OF Miss Quimby, and Miss Qun,by'o
friend Mrs. Helen e. Vanderbilt who
were both witnesses of the accident were
prostrated. Before going up on their last
fight, Miss Quimby and Mr. Willard
were. talking and laughing with their
friends, Willard making jokes about his
weight and Miss ouimby talking conf
IDENTIFY about her skill.
In crossing the English channel April
6ooo feet. which was believed to be the
record for women.
Discussed What Happened
Miss Quimby said she felt sure she could
equal her former record although she
did not believe she could excel the re-
cord of 1898 feet set by Garros while she
had q passenger. Discussing the matter
of coming down in the water. IL the en-
gine should fail during the flight over
the herbor. Miss Quimby said to a friend
Just before she left the ground:
"A water landing Is all right In Bier
lot unless you come down head first. In
that event the heavy motor at the ex-
treme forward end OF the machine would
drag the monoplane deep into the water
and sink 1t.
"But If we come down pancake-like. the
bi DAD winds would hold us up two hours
more
with a bright smile she then made this
significant remark
but am cat and do not like cold
water"
These were among the last words Miss
Qvimby said before leaving the starting
line on what proved to be her last flight.
The monoplane painted a pure white.
darted at great speed over the harbor.
The motor developed speed at times or
Il ON 10 to 100 miles per hour. An ex-
animation of the aneroid barometer after
the fall showed that at times the daring
pilot had darted around in a circle OF Co.
900 feet. On the return the great ma
chine was seen to wobble in the gusty
breeze The setting for the last act OF
the disaster could not have been more
spectacular. 1t was sunset The great
white wings of the machine swept directly
irto the west and dipped toward the
EARTH There was an upward flash of the
tail and outlined in the red light of tho
west the man and the woman were seen
.Sf,s frnr ftai - int hp
600 feet below to death.
The powerful Bleriot after being freed
of It's two passengers glided off grace
fully into the wind, struck the water on
an even keel then drove its nose into the
mud and turned over ITS back 1t was
recovered practically undamaged. After
a superficial examination some of the
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