The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-20
AUTO CRASHES
 THROUGH FENCE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 fence and over the embankment was
 Mrs. Gather and Mrs. Lyons, whose husbands were involved in the accident.
 They screamed and made dash for the scene of the accident. Crying hys-
 terically and frantically fighting to grasp their husbands the two weeping
 wives were held in check by several gentlemen in the crowd. Lyons, when he could, soothed Mrs. Lyons and tried
 to persuade her that he was uninjured. Gather lay huddled on the ground un- conscious of all that transpired while
 he was lifted into an awaiting ambu- lance. He was accompanied to St.Vin- cents by Mrs. Gather, who remained
 there until late hour last night.
 The accident, viewed from the grand
 stand, appeared as though in trying to
 pass the front racer Lyons failed to
 measure the width of the track and hurled himself against the fence. That
 was the explanation offered by Lyons, who said that in the dust he could not see to guide his car and was into the fence before he was aware of its prox- | imity to the car He did not lose con- trol of the Chalmers nor did the car | turn over The blanks through which the car dived were not very heavy timber However, it Is believed that Gather hit one of the fence supports with his arm, which was so terribly
 mangled.
 Gather. was noticed many times as the car made the galloping lap to swing 4l.~ inc a went around the curve where the ac- cident happened. Why he did this was not explained. It was supposed that the machinist had some reason for the unaccountable movement he went through. It is possible that he was in the posture when the accident hap pened
 Fought to Get on Track In the grandstand when the dust lcleared and the fence was shown torn away, many ladies screamed and became hysterical. Men fought to get down the track and a large police force was power less to control them. Despite strains of
 catchy air played by the band rush ing host of men and women was in a , moment on the track.
 The accident following as 1t did the fall of Aviator Schneider caused the greatest excitement and confusion The spectators had not gotten over their ner- vousness caused by Schneider's fall when the car of Gather and Lyons plunged | over the brink.
 | Otto Barr, in the Stutz, explains the accident as follows. according to state- ment authorized by the Berger company, l In charge of the meet:
 q was looking at the Chalmers creep | ing up on me as I passed the curve and l went onto the straightaway. Lyons. driv- |. l..t l am satisfied, on account of the intensity of the dust. He made part of the curve and believing he was on the straight away pulled ahead. He saw the fence | too late and crashed into it.''
 | The report that the Stutz car tried to block the Chalmers is very vigorously
 denied by the managers of the meet, it | being stated that the cars were operat-
 ing absolutely fairly.
 The Fall of Schneider Aviator Schneider was perhaps 60 feet | in the air when some motor inaccuracy affected his rise and his machine swooped 1 down upon the track not 100 feet from l where Gather later was injured. As he | fell shriek rent the air and the crowd broke toward the spot. However reallz- i ing the terror created, Schneider jumped
 gaily from the wreckage and waved at
 the fast coming crowd. This quieted the people at the Srandstand. but the others
 vent on to the wreck Schneider was un-
 hurt by the fall He said that he had
 been having considerable motor troubles. | The flight yesterday was his first since coming to Birmingham, and 1t is said he
 went up only after being persuaded to do so. It is stated that the management
 asked the aviator firmly to make an as- | tension, saying that the people wanted something for their money after coming
 to the aviation meet. Despite the i'll
 workings of his motor the daring bird
 man started the trip.
 The machine used was Schneider's own
 make, and is considered a fine machine. | It was broken to pieces. It is said that Schneider saved himself by jumping out | from the path of the motor attached to the rear of tho machine. He landed easily
 and was out where the crowd could see
 him before the dust cleared away.
 Largest Crowd of Week l The two accidents at the fair grounds yesterday were witnessed by the largest
 crowd that has yet attended the meet and although the spectators were in tensely shocked by the affairs, no indi- l cation of censure were noticeable among l the people yesterday afternoon. A feature of the accident to the auto
 mobile drivers was the reCusal of the | aviators to go up while it was believed that the young machinist had been killed. Although requested to do so the flying
 men refused until it was learned that the injuries to Gather were not immedi- ately fatal.
 The automobile men were wrapped in gloom following the auto accident. Gather and Lyons are both widely known here. They are employed at local garages and are favorites among the automobilists of the city, where they are better known
 than elsewhere.