The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-02

in the meet which had entered upon
its second day
A. Leo Stevens of New York. man
ager for Miss Quimby, and Miss
bilt, who were both witnesses of the
accident, were Frustrated.
Planned New Record.
Before going up on their last
flight, Miss Quimby and Willard were
talking and laughing with friends,
Willard making jokes about his
weight and Miss Quinby talking con-
altitude record in the future that
would stand as a woman's, high mark.
Discussing the matter of coming
into the water if the engine should
fail during the flight over the harbor,
Miss Quimby said to a friend Just
before she left the ground:
"A water landing is all right in a
BIeriot until you come down head
first. In that case the heavy motor
at the extreme forward end of the
machine would drag the monoplane
deep into the water and sink it. But
if we come down pancake the broad
wings would float US for two hours or
more"
Then with a bright smile she made
this significant remark:
But am cat and l don't like cold
water"
These were among the last words
Miss Quimby said before leaving the
starting line on what proved to be her
last flight.
The powerful Bleriot, after being
freed of its two passengers, glided off
gracefully into the wind and struck
the water on an even keel, then drove
its nose into the mud and turned over
on its back. 1t was recovered undam-
aged except for few broken struts
and wires. --.4tsss 6
After a superficial examination,
olefr
ed that the rudder control was out of
order beneath the chassis.
Lincoln Beachy, who saw the acct
dent, safd
from 5000 feet with full power on and
must have been making 100 miles an
hour. Miss Quimby was a light, deli
cate woman, and it could easily have
was too much for her and she became
weakened and unable to control the
levers properly"
Glenn l. Martin, who has also been
flying. at the meet, said:
IF they had been strapped in, the
accident would not have happened"
Held Endurance Record.
New York, July Harriet Quimby
won the first aviation license ever
granted to a woman in America, made
an American endurance record for
women and last spring she brought her
fame to climax as the first woman to
pilot the aeroplane across the English
channel.
Miss Quimby, outside of her avia-
ton activities, was a we'll known
magazine writer connected with Les
lies Weekly. She made her home at
the Hotel Victoria in this city, and is
survived by an aged mother.
When Miss Quimby took up evia-
ton at Nassau boulevard as one of the
Moisant school, there was much riv-
airy between her and Miss Matilda
Moisant for the honors of the first
aviation license granted to a woman
by the Aero club of America. There
was also much opposition among aero
officials to setting precedent by
granting licenses to women but Miss
Quimby became so successful in her
flights that she finallr won. Miss
Moisant later won license, but
frightened by a narrow escape from a
fatal accident, she has since given up
aviation.
Miss Ouimby is the fourth woman to
lose her life in an aeroplane accident.
The first woman killed was Madame
BENZ Moore, who fell while flying IN
France in july, 1911. Susan Bernard,
another French woman, was killed last
March, while making tests for an avn
ator's license. Miss Julia Clark, a Chi
cago girl, was the third victim. She
was killed when she flew into tree
at Springfield, Ill, on June II. last.
The death of Miss Quimby and Will
lard brings the total of aviation ia
talities for the present year up to Al,
with 70 during all of 1911.
I'm kAIIcT ncIncT