Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-07-12
BIPLANE WRECKED
BY STRIKING BARN
Spaulding Was Attempting Flight
at Clens Falls
Yielded to Taunts Of Bralnless Sports
While Wind Was 1lowlng-Avlator
Had Marrow Escape from Death.

Irah D. Spaulding. Brattleboro's avi-
ator whose biplane was damaged In sew
eral accidents here and who announced
recently that he had given up aviation
for the present, was induced to attempt
a flight before Fourth of July crowd in
Glens Falls, N. Y, yielding to demands
of unreasonable persons and had mar
row escape from death in consequence.
He was able to return home, however,
and Is at work for Horton d. Walker,
electrician. Fridays issue Of the Glens
Falls Post-Star contained the following
account OF the accident:
Late yesterday afternoon, at League
park, Irah d. Spaulding, the 19-year-old
Brattleboro aviator. narrowly escaped
death when the biplane in which he was
attempting a flight crashed through the
side of a barn less than rs yards from
the park. The machine was wrecked
and Spaulding was severely cut and
bruised about the head, arms and lower
limbs. That he was not instantly killed
is due to the fact that before the i'm
pact he jumped from the machine, but
in so doing he was hurled against the
barn with terrific force After the ac-
cident Spaulding stated that he had
made his last flight.
"All the forenoon strong gusty wind
had been blowing and the young aviator
had been awaiting a favorable oppor-
tunity to make the flight. The crowd
of some 900 spectators, in anticipation
of witnessing the first aeroplane flight
In Gens Falls, became more or less
restless and a few of the more unrea-
sonable element gave vent to their feel
ings by openly charging the plucky
young aviator with being a coward,
a CRATER and several other things
which he is not.
For an hour or more Spaulding stood
the taunts. Manager Clawson explained
to the spectators that to attempt a
flight with the wind blowing would mean
disaster and courteously asked them to
be patient for a few minutes in the hope
that the wind would die out. Some
brainless apology for a sport exclaimed,
You're a CRATER; give us a flight
Thereupon young Spaulding announced
that he would attempt flight.
Even the management of the PARK
insisted that the public would not be
satisfied without a flight despite the
fact that two local men, it is said, Of
fered to pay the expense If Manager
Clawson would call off the flight. With
the wind still blowing the courageous
young birdman was practically forced
into flirting with almost certain death.
Giving directions to his mechanicians to
start the motor, he took his seat and
after securely strapping himself in the
craft gave the signal to let go. Like a
shot the machine sped over the ground
rising to height of about IL feet and
clearing the bushes at the lower end of
the park. At this point strong gust Of
wind from the west struck the machine
turning it sideways. Realizing that it
would mean certain death to try to gain
a higher altitude, under existing con-
ditions, and with the machine travelling
along at an estimated rate Of 60 miles
per hour, young Spaulding shut off the
power and headed the biplane toward
the ground but before it was reached
the machine crashed into a barn.
"Mr. Spaulding has the distinction of
being the youngest aviator in the world.
He is graduate of the Curtiss school
and has made many successful flights,
the longest of which was SO miles in
length. He is a gentleman and a true
sport, which is more than can be said
of some of the spectators at League
park yesterday. Mr.. Spaulding was ac-
companied to this city by Aviator Will
bur Andrews and a crew of four men,
The machine will be shipped back to
Brattleboro today"