The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-06-05
TEAR AEROPLANE To BITS
AFTER PARMALEES DEATH
Expert and Daring Aviator Makes
His Last Flight From Fair
Grounds Saturday
CROWD SILENT, AND GOES
AWAY AS If FROM FUNERAL.

Parmalee's Father Had Pleaded
With Him to Stop-Turpin l.
Shaken, and Will Never Fly
Again
Phll q. Parmalee, aviator. made nj.
! last flight Saturday. Entirely conf.
dent, he rose from the fair grounds al
2:35. 'Ill give the people a run foI
their money! he said.
The crowd watched until they saw
the machine, barely visible against
the hills, dart toward the ground. A
treacherous gust of wind had caught
the tall OF his plane, and the aviator's
often repeated assertion that his first
ACCIDENT would be his last one was
written true in tragedy.
After half an hour of silent wait.
ing, as II with some premonition OF
what had happened over beyond the
river, several thousand people heard
lhe announcement of Parmalee's
death, and left the fair grounds as
people leaving a funeral
In spite of repeated accidents of the
same nature, reported from day &c
death aroused more of serious dis
cussion than of light comment. and
there We're many expressions of sym
pathy for the mourners of the youne
man.
Killed Instantly
Hami4-c rushed at once to the
fallen plane. Young arrived almost al
the same time. They found thai
Parmalee's heart had stopped and
TINS, with the nature of his injuries as
determined by the doctors, is taken ia
indicate almost instant death.
AS soon as the plane was seen to
lall py the watchers at the fair
grounds, two automobiles left at once.
j. b. Cort, with Parmalee's helpers
tried several auto owners, who re-
fused to go; then Jack McNeff offered
10 take him The county automobile
with Chauffeur Robert Redhead and
Deputy Sheriffs Rightmire and Hillyer
mad already left and was making its
limit Of speed in the same direction
McNeff's machine got there FIRST with
the other right after. I,i
| Parmalee's men, as we'll as the few
others there. were in tears when thew
found that the worst possible outcome
of the fall was realized. Thev took
the body and, carrying it all of the
way. brought it in the county auto to
the Flint-Shaw undertaking parlors.
Father Had Pleaded
Parmalee had spent the early part
of the day with j. E. Cort, seeing tho
city and looking over the grounds and
track, with which he seemed entirely
satisfied. He had been cheerful and
talkative, until handed letter from
ms rather, which had been waiting for
him here several days
Tn
one of his men without Comment the
father pleads with his son to quit fly
ing saying you'll make one flight
too many"
Parmale seemed much affected by
this letter, and from that time on had
little to say, apparently not hearing
conversation directed to him. 5
Just before the time for flying. how
ever, when Mr.. Cort asked him, .How
about this wind, PHILIP" he replied
that he, had often gone up under
worse conditions, and that he Intended
to give the crowd a run, for their
money.
"Tll put on show by myself. he
said i'll professional pride, .'Turpin
won't be here, but I'll make the crowd
forget all about him.
Seemed to Be Fighting
From the time his aeroplane left
the track near the grandstand, ac-
cording to those who are familiar with
the handling of the plane, Parmalee
seemed to be fighting to retain his con :
troll Of the machine. He did not rise
h1gh. but continued steadily toward
the nils After crossing the Yakima
river he started to circle to the east.
preparatory to making the return
flight.
Here, With the wind at his rear, the
air support seemed insecure. FLOYD
Hamilton, a farmer working in a field
on Terrace Heights. heard the roar Of
the engine exhaust, and looked UP to
see the aeroplane. William Young.
another farmer, was likewise at
tracted by the noise. Parmalee's
helpers, as they always do, We're
watching intently.
A puff of wind seemed to raise the
tail of the machine. anC it came to the
e. h"d, tirnirg nearly over as it fell, =
was Hamilton's version of the fail.
which was verified by the other
watchers. One of his mechanics ex-
planned tat the plane appeared to dip
little, then plunge, as if IAN upward
trend caught her tail and turned her
over" he said.
Fiancec Is Hystericai
Miss E. c. Turpin, said to be Parma
lees tiance, was another passenger in
the automobile that brought the
aviator to the city. She grew hysteri-
cal and refused to believe that he was
dead. Physicians were called, and
only after they had assured her that
the broken skull and mashed chest
made it impossible for him to be alive.
even If the heart action had not
stopped, did she believe. Sc clung to
the body, and for several hours would
not let anyone come near her She
was finally persuaded to go to her
room at the Commercial hotel.
Turpin Is Through
Clifford Turpin, Parmalee's flying
partner. arrived last night from Seat-
tie, where he has been detained pend
ing the inquiry into the death of two
people lilled there last week when
Turpin tried to avoid striking a man
on the track and his aeroplane crashed
into the grandstand.
"I'u never step into an aeroplane
again as | ,g as / live" said Turpin.
81 am through. All of our contracts
are cancelled"
Turpin himself is still hardly able 10