Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1912-06-06
JUNE | BAD DAY
FOR AVIATORS
Phil PARMALEE KILLED AT
NORTH YAKIMA DURING
Wind STORM.
Was Giving Exhibition at Fair Grounds
In Air but Three Minutes When
Machine Feu-His Partner Says He's
Got Enough-Stites Injured at Long
Beach, Cal.

North Yakima, Wash.-With smile
and wave of his hand to the thou
sands who watched him Philip 0. Par
malice, one Of the Wright aviators, took
the air in the teeth of gusty west
wind here Saturday afternoon.
Three minutes later his broken and
lifeless body was dragged from beneath
the wreckage Of his biplane in an apple
orchard in the lower end of the Mckee
valley, two miles from his starting
point.
As he rose from before the grand
stand at the fair grounds Parmalee
swung to the west over the Yakima
river. He rose to a height of about
400 feet and his speed increased to al
most mile minute, although it
was noticed that his plane dipped and
rolled and seemed to be controlled with
difficulty.
Halted and Plunged.
When he had gone about two miles
from the fair grounds he swung in a
wide circle to the eastward for the re-
turn journey.
AS he squared away before the wind
the great plane checked in its course,
futtered second like wounded bird
and plunged below the line of the trees.
1t is thought by the mechanicians
who were employed by Parmalee that
a sudden gust from one of the draws
or small canyons that notch the sides
of the Mckee valley struck the ma
chine and rendered the elevating planes
unmanageable.
Parmalee started his public career in
automobile sports.
Turpin Says He'll Quit.
"I'll never fly again. declared J.
Clifford Turpin, Parmalee's team mate,
when he arrived from Seattle. $50 far
as I can tell from descriptions of the
accident, the tail Of the machine was
caught by an up current of air which
prevented Parmalee from controlling
the machine.
"The biplane was what has been
called Parmalee-Turpin model. It
was an adoption Of the Wright plane,
the same system of control being used.
The control was therefore perfectly
familiar to Parmalee and myself. This
particular plane was assembled about
six weeks ago in California and both
Of us had used it several times.''
The engine of the wrecked biplane
was stripped Of all removable parts by
souvenir hunters. What remained of
it was brought here, while the planes
and framework Of the biplane were
burned.
Safest American Aviator.
Los Angeles.-Aviator Phil O. Par.
malice was considered by experts as the
"safest' of American aviators, as well
as the most successful financially of
those employed by the Wrights. He
was said to have earned $4,000 fol-
the Wright brothers during the year
1911, and he left their employ only a
few weeks ago.
When Parmalee and his partner, j
Clifford Turpin, left here two weeks
ago, after spending eight months in
Los Angeles, they took with them two
biplanes, which were built under Par
malice s supervision in this city.
Parmalee was born in st. John S
Mich, about 25 years ago, and his first
business venture was as partner
with his father in the manufacture OF
gas engines. Later he became an au
tomobile salesman for large FACTORY
at Flint, Mich.
| Employed by Wrights.'
Two years ago Parmalee entered the
employ of the Wright brothers. HI
came to Los Angeles first with Arch
Hoxsie, who was killed here January /
1911. In Chicago last August Parma
lee established world IS record, flying
to height of 10000 feet, but the rec
ord was broken on the succeeding day
by Lincoln Beachey.
After his tour Of the northwest Par.
malice had planned to 60 to Chicago to
enter the inter-city flights.
| Parmalee made many flights in Los
Angeles and vicinity in the last siz
months. His gentlemanly demeano,
and his quiet and unassuming ways
made him the most popular aviato,
who ever few in southern California.
The Seattle Accident.
Seattle.-The coroner's jury that in
vestigated the killing of George
Quinby, a spectator, by the propeller
of an aeroplane during an aviation meet
at The Meadows May 80, brought in a
verdict that the accident was caused
by the action Of an unknown man who
ran across the track in front of J
Clifford Turpin's moving machine.
Airship Capsizes In Squat.
| Sevigney-Sur-Orga France.-An aero
plane with two aviators, Cooladeau and
Robia, aboard, capsized in squall Sat
urday. Robia was killed and Cooladeau
suffered a fractured leg.
| Aviator Sites Hurt at Long Reach