New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-12
.'PAUL PECK, AVIATOR,
IS KILLED BY FALL
Holder of American Duration
Flight Record Dies After b.
plane DaShes to Ground.
TRIED TOO STEEP SPIRAL
Machine Proved Too Small TO
Manage in Choppy Wind in
Which He Had Ascend
ed Despite Warning.

Chicago. Sept. 11.--Psul Peck, an
aviator. Of Washington, holder OF the
American duration flight record, Was
fatally injured in fall with biplane
to-day while dying in a Susty Wlnd.
He died without regaining Conscious
ness several hours afterward.
Peel, attempted too steep a SPIRAL
and when he struck the ground the
heavy engine crashed through tho
wreclIage. striking him in the neck.
\ gusty wind blew at cicero Field
all day, and Director Andrew Drew
posted the customary warning to aTl-
ators against going up. Peck, beieV-
ing his small biplane would be fast
enough to carry him through the
chCppy wind. went into the air in spite
Of the 'iution
At about eight hundred feet altitude
Peck started to come down in a spiral
glide. Because OF the unusually small
span OF his machine he got into too
steep a spiral. his aerCplane slid in
toward the centre Of the vortex and he
could not bring il back.
Pecks real difficulty did not become
apparent until he was within two hun
dred feet Of the ground. He would
have escaped with minor injuries. d.
rector Drew and his technical commit
tee declared. had Il not been for the
fact that the heavy engine. crashing
through the framework with its yasC-
lcre tank and iron fittings. struck Peek
i'm the neck and across the legs. He
was rushed 10 st. Anthony de Padua
HoSpital. where IL was found that his
skull was fractured and ne was in
jured internally.
Peck was American licensed aviator
No. o. and developed a monoplane and
the biplane in which he was hurt. The
bipianc was of only twenty-siX feet
span. eadless and equipped with
gyro motor. He was about twenty-four
years old, and was making trial flight
preparatory for the International avia-
ton meet here tomorrow.
Peck broke the American endurance
record az Nassau Boulevard, Long
Island, on May a, staying in the air
continuously hours % minutes and -
seconds. His flight was stopped then
10y thunderstorm.
ashington, Sept. l1.--Paul Peck had
been operating acroplaneS only little
more than year. He took up ayia-
ton ut College Park, Md. near here,
and showed much aptitude in the sci
cnce. In nine days he had mastered
the running Of biplane under the
tutelagc Of Rex Smith This is be-
licved to he record for passing the
test
The young aviator did much flying
at College Park, and last winter went
with the United states army aviators
to Augusta. Ga, flying there during the
season. Since that tirnS he has :lone
exhibition fyins i'm several states.
While Peck made his home In Wash
ington, his parents live in West Vir-
glnia. His young wife died here last
Aprll after n TRANSMISSION OF blood from
her husband had been made in an at
tempt to save her life.
To officers of the United States army
aviation corps Peck's accident came as
a shock, as he Is known as a very care
ful aviator.
Peck had promised his mother and
sisters to give up flying on his return
10 Washington from the West News
of tho accident was communicated yby
Miss Bertie Peck, a sister. tn Peck's
parents. at Sullivan, w. Va. Paul
Peck, jr. a month-old son Of the
aviator. lives here with his maternal
grandmother
STORM HITS WEST POINT.
West Point, y. Y, Sept. IA terrific
Iia1