Evening star., 1912-09-15

but, owing to the darkness and the fact
that the accident happened on the oppo-
site side of the field, half mile distant.
few OF the spectators could tell just how
the disaster occurred.
Mestach Makes Statement.
After recovering consciousness Mestac.Il
said:-
Il was going at top speed in my mono
plane in an effort to win the race" he
said. Looking behind / saw Gill in
his biplane turning around a pylon and
rapidly approaching me, a few feet be-
low. l jerked my elevator, thinking to
give him ample space to clear beneath.
From the cockpit of my monoplane
was unable to get good view OF just
what was happening, but it seems that
Gill, driving straight ahead, hit my
understructure. This had the effect of
bouncing me off and plunging me to the
ground. For a few moments l was un-
conscious. When l came to l saw Gill
lying in the wreckage of his car. not
fifty feet away. We had collided in mid
air, with the inevitable result"
Paul Peck on the same field the other
day met his death at sunset. Today
accident occurred even later. While there
was light higher up it was almost DARK
near the ground.
Objects to Racing in Dark.
ch said that just before the mono
plane race was to start he protested to
the officials of the Aero Club of Illinois
against racing in darkness. but the start
was called and he went up.
Il didn't want this race to start when
it was right on the verge of night" said
Mestach. Right along the monoplane
races have been put on the program SO
they came at the end. Yet when the
race was called. l went up with Anthony
Janus as a competitor"
Officials of the club tonight said the
meet would continue tomorrow and all
next week.
Gill had a premonition of an accident.
Just before he entered his machine and
started, he called to a friend to throw
him a heavy oil coat which the man was
wearing.
I'm likely to bring back some blood
on this said Gill with laugh, as he
slipped it on.
Ten minutes later Gilrs mangled body
lay beneath the wreckage of his ma
chine.
De Lloyd Thompson. Max Little and
Glenn H. Martin flew from the field to
cover a Camille trip, encircling Aurora,
ILL.,, on the way. Martin and Little re-
turned safely. Thompson, who was un-
accounted for most of the afternoon, was
found later to have descended in a corn
field on the way back. His gasoline had
given out
Gill's Exciting Adventures.
BALTIMORE, Nd, September 14.-How-
ard w. Gill has figured in a number Of
exciting adventures as a hunter. auto
mobilist, balloonist and aviator. Twice
before he was badly injured by falls from
aeroplanes-at st. Louis in July. 1910, and
at Los Angeles in February, 1912.
October 10. 1911. at st. Louis. Gill estab-
lished an American aviation endurance
record by remaining in the air four hours,
sixteen minutes and thirty-fve seconds
He was a son of the late NJ. Gillet Gill of
this city and was thirty years old.
NEW YORK, September IA. = Henry
Wernsing a one-armed balloonist was
fatally injured at a picnic at Union Hill,
n. j., today when his parachute, after
dropping from a height of LOO feet, was
carried by the wind against the side of "A
schoolhouse forcing Wernsing to let go
his hold For brief time the balloonist
chung to the cornice of the roof, seeking
with one arm to draw himself to safety.
His strength gave out and he fell to the
ground breaking his back and receiving
other injuries.
Wernsings bride of a few weeks and
his mother and brother We're among the
thousands of people who witnessed the
fall.