The daily sentinel., 1912-10-15

hbA NNbuulpM w llSoH WIS
present in Trenton, n. j., on the day
that Aviator Charles f. Walsh drop
ped to his death while making
spiral dip at the Interstate fair there,
October 2 Mrs. Lincoln Beechey,
the wife of the brilliant young avia-
tor who broke" Walsh in as an
airman, circled the track as pas
senger of the Inflated man few
moments before he went alone TO
the flight which mean his death.
The spiral dip which ended in
Walsh's death after fall of 1000
feet was executed perfectly here by
the same men at the News-Sentinel
meet It was his third flight at the
fair grounds here where he started
his descent from the northeast cor
ner Of the grounS' and in series
of startling circles, he quickly drop
ped two or three thousand feet. On
the last of this series at Trenton one
of the planes buckled and before he
could right himself the wind had
torn the mechanism from Walsh
control and no longer a dying ma
chine but mass of wreckage, the
car plunged to the earth. Sixty
thousand people saw the aviator fall.
Practically every bone in Walshs
body was broken according to the
Trenton newspapers. copies of which
have just arrived here. One paper
says that a a small watch strapped
TO the dead mans wrist, was still
running
This was the first Curtiss exhibit
tion machine to be wrecked and the
first aviator of these corps to be
killed
Photographs Of the wrecked ma
chine, of Walsh and the machine in
light shortly before the accident.
We're posted yesterday morning in
The Sentinel windows and attracted
large crowds all day long. These are
the first pictures of the affair to be
shown in Grand Junction.
A portion of the story Cf Walshs
plunge TO death is reproduced from
the Trenton True American;
Charles F. Walsh of San Diego.
Cal, accredited one of the most
'sllillful and daring of aviators, fell
20 his death yesterday afternoon at
i:25 at the Interstate fair grounds
The accident was witnessed by a
crowd of 65,ilI men, women and
children.
When it was apparent to the
throng that the aviator had been
killed, the place fairly buzzed with
excitement, and thousands of curious
persons rushed to the corn field half
mile from the speed stables where
the biplane landed. In less than Is
minutes every particle of the appar-
atus, except the motar. had been car
ried of by souvenir hunters. Prac-
tically every bone in the aviator's
body was broken.
Fell 1000 Feet.
Walsh fell distance of about
1000 feet, according 10 the estimates
Of his manager, c. l.. Worthngton:
his mechanician, William Fell and
aviator Harry b. Brown and Rodman
Law, parachute jumper, who wit
messed the accident.
After having made a long detuur
to the souihward Walsh approached
the fair grounds lie was sailing
into the teeth of the wind, which ap-
peared to be much stronger at his
altitude than down by the ground.
At times the machine seemed almost
motiOnlcss so slowly did il approach
When about half mile south OF
the fair grounds. Walsh began to
swing the machine into broad
circle.
Look at Walsh! Keep your eye
on Walsh shouted Announcer Tay-
lor through giant mosaphone. And
those who composed the great throug
turned their faces upward
Cause OF the Accident.
Tho bird man pointed his ma
chine toward the earth and began
the hazardous spiral descent The
first turn was made beautifully. On
the second turn the machine wabblcd
nerccptibly when il came round into .
the wind and the aviator checked his
dissent by bringing the planes to-
ward horizontal position. Then
he began the third spiral As the
ma.ni9. camn into Position from