New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-02
HARRIET QUINBY AND
PASSENGER KILLED
Continued from first page.
both witnesses Of the accident. were
Frustrated.
Jokco Before Going Up.


Miss Quimby talking confidently about
her plans 10 make an altitude record
that would stand as 4 woman's high
mark.
In crossing the English Channel or
April 10 Miss Quimby flew at an alti-
tude of 600 feet, which was believed
10 be the record for women. Miss
Quimby said to-day she felt sure she
could beat this mark, although she did
not believe she could excel the record
Of 1898 feet set by Garros
Discussing the prospect OF coming
down in the water If the engine should
fail on 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
Bleriot unless you come don 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
float us for two hours or more"
Then, with a bright smile, she made
this significant remark:
"But / am n cat and don't like cold
water"
These were among the last words Miss
Quimby uttered before leaving the start
Ing line on her last flight
Travelled at High Speed.
The monoplane, painted pure white,
darted at great speed over the harbor.
The motors developed pace OF from
seventy-ive 10 one hundred miles an
hour. An examination Of the aneroid
barometer after the fall showed that at
times the daring pilot had assembled
1000 feet
on the return the great machine was
seen to wabble in the fitful breeze The
s.ttinR for the ,ast act Of the disaster
vas dramatic. 1t was sunset. The great
white wings swept directly into the west
aud dipped toward the earth. There was
lined before the spectators in the red
light If the west, the bodies were seen
10 shoot from their seats into the bay.
| 900 feet below.
The powerful Bleriot after being freed
OF it's two passengers, glided off grace
fully into the wind and struck the water
on an even keel. II then drove its nose
into the mud and turned over on its
back. II was recovered unchanged, ex-
cept for few broken struts and wires.
After a superficial examination, some
If the officials of the meet claimed that
the rudder control was out OF order be-
meath tho chassis.
Lincoln Beachy, who saw the accident,
said:
Miss Quimby was coming down from
5000 feet with full power on, and must
have been making 100 miles an hour.
Miss Quimby is II light, delicate woman,
and Il could easily have happened thac
the terrific rush OF air was too much for
her and she became weakened and I'm
able TO control the levers properly.
Glenn L. Martin, who also has beeh
flying at the meet, said:
II they had been strapped In the acct
dent would not have happened. When
going at terrific speed the machine,
on striking hole IN the air" will drop
suddenly and lift one from his seat. |
wear straps I'm my aeroplane, and even
then 7 am thrown violently up against
them by such drops.
Son Might Have Been Killed.
Wizards second son, w Harry Will
lard. was witness OF the accident to-
day, and Il was only the toss OF a coin
probably that permitted him Ia escape
Ills fathers fate. The son won thA e."
last Saturday night, and had his short
ride with Miss Quimby at the close OK
the first day OF the meet. leaving the
father Z take his flight on the second
day.
Miss Harriet Quimby always had been
known as a daring flyer and frequently had
almost tumbled 20 the earth from high In
the heavens. On one occasion she de-
lighted and scared Staten Island people by
living in figure cights over their heads In
tho dim moonlight. and many times she
had made sensational flights over Euro
pean cities. At SHUTDOWN on night OF last
June she made seasoned men aviatorS hold
their breath when she took two men IN her
machine and few with them over Garden
City Long Island. At that time she was
pilot Of a 10 horsepower Bleriot monoplahe.
she began her career rs a pupil In the
Moisant Aviation School ~ Garden CITY
where In August, 1911. she won her pilot S
license from the Aero Club OF America,
using MoiSant monop!ane.
Miss Quimby was from California. She
was tall and slender, with dark hair and
sparkling steel gray eyes She was popular
with ayiators both men and women, even
with those whom che closely rlvalled. On
June q, OF this year, arrangements were
made 10 have Miss Quimby fly from the
Harvard aviation field at Squantum TO New
York with q large packet Of United States
mail The fight was TO have been made on
the authority OF Postmaster General Hitch
cock
When Miss Qu oy entered the Mo!sant
school there was considerable good natured
rivalry between her and Nioisant's young
sister, Matilda Moisant for the honor or
securing the frst woman's Pilots license.
Many officials o. the Aero Club OF America
frowned on granting sp"h licenses 10
women, but Miss Guimby proved 30 skilfu!
IN handling her machines that the object
ing officials were won over, and finally sne
was granted the license.
New Machine Scared Her.
Only a few weeks ago sh. "Sturned from
successful flights In Europe, and brought
with her new s0-horsepowu RieIio- mono
niapa During her first trial with tho new