The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-22

from Deatn at the Falr Ur0undS rday
 difficulty in making the first incline The distance forward before he made this was comparatively short, and there were several cheers when he was seen to rise upward and start off towards the grand stand.
 He circled around near the grandstand and then started off towards the fringe of trees outside the grounds opposite the turn of the track in front of the stand The band was playing an inspiring re- fraln and far above Schneider was Avia- tor Oscar Brindley, sailing along as se- renely as a gigantic albatross
 Crowd Sees Schneider Fall
 Suddenly, here and there, excited peo- pie began to point towards the place where Schneider had left the grounds, and then they commenced to run towards 1t. The unlucky aviator was seen falling downwards evidently into the tops of the trees. A large crowd ran towards the spot, breaking through the fence and a side gate, scrambling through barbed wire fences, and out into a small cut over cornheld, upon which lay a coat 1 ing of mud some six inches in depth. The first ones arriving say the biplane crushed downward into the soft earth it's wires and planes broken and en- tangled fin confusing medley, and Avia- tor Schneider, standing upright, with a dazed expression in his eyes. unhurt.
 Encountered Cross Downward Cur
 rents
 When reached Mir. Schneider said that he was making good flight and was planning on altitude climbing, when the accident occurred. The Roberts engine was working nicely and he felt confident with his machine. He ran into a down. ward and at the same time cross carrent of air, which sucked and engulfed the biplane, like the maestrom would a big ocean steamer.
 The aerial events yesterday afternoon commenced with Aviator L. w. Bonney, the protege of Col. Jim Gabriel, m his l Wright biplane. He was the first in the air. His work was beautiful and he out | vied the birds in his graceful flying over the field and grounds He came over the | hangars and then encircled toward the i grandstand. While doing this Aviator Jimmy Ward got away in his Curtiss bi- I plane. Jimmy buckcd some when making the first incline, toward the grandstand, then the machine became steady and he sailed on and upward until he became a mere speck on the horizon.
 Closely following Ward came Aviator Eugene Heth in the Wright biplane. lie was going up while Bonney came down | in q sudden glide, and the two were near | together, which caused some to think that collision was inevitable. Bonnev came down shortly afterward and made 1 a quick landing in very short distance forward, leaving Ward and Heth in high soaring, away up amidst the few fleecy clouds, which were scudding southward | at the rate of 20 miles an hour Both | asiators could be seen riding over them, in undulating movements like boats talk ing the crests of waves upon the sea. | Ward came down after a remarkab ble | flight and then Oscar Brindley went dp in the Wright biplane. He made a fine rise in a. very short distance forward and | travelled upward Of loo feet in less than three minutes. Although at great ati- tude, the biplane never went out of sight and 1t wGs watched with great interes. and animation
 Mestach Is Delayed l M. Mestach, who had arrived on the grounds some time before, now found to his embarrassment that certain parts of his famous Borel monoplane had been overlooked at his hotel, and that his | helpers could not proceed further in as- sembling the great mechanical bird until the same were brought to the grounds
 He explained the oversight to J. S. Ber- ger of the Berger Aviation company, and
 the latter let him take his Great Southern
 car to go to the city for them. Paul Peck accompanied NJ. Mestach upon the trip. The parts were brought back after
 a delay of about half an hour, but before they arrived Aviator Eugene Heth and Wright biplane were gotten ready by MT. Mitchell for & flight carrying Capt. l Charles H. Mandy of the editorial staff of The Age Herald.
 Captain Mandy's Splendid Flight Aviator Heth was somewhat doubtful of the success of the flight on account of Inew aerial conditions which had arisen since the afternoon opened, Mir. AI.tch- ell, director general of the hangars, too, expressed doubts about sending up the machine The afternoon was waning Darkness was coming on. Out over the grounds the shadows of evening were be- | ginning to show. and overhead ominous storm clouds driven along by 90 mile an hour wind threatened unsafe yoyag- ling. It will be remembered that Captain | Manday was the first newspoperman of | Birmingham to make flight at the great meet on Wednesday afternoon of last 1 week, and that he and Heth had na-- 1 row escape from serious injury by falling into tho infeld before Heth hal made l the first incline The crowd therefore watched the two men with keen interest 1 MT. Berger waved his hand to Mr Mitch ell and he told Heth to go; the Wright