The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-07-12
EIGHT DIE IN AIR
BALLOON ExPLopEs 1000 FEET
FROM EARTH; vANIMAN AND
CREW LOSE LIVES.
AMERICAN AvlATRICE KILLED
Miss Harriet ouimby and Passenger
in Moncpiane Plunge Into Bay 1T
Boston During Exhibition Flight
Spanish Flyer Sueeumjs.

! Plunged 1000 feet TO earth when the
! dirigibile balloon the Akron blew VI
In mid-air, Melvin vaniman. the IA
nous aerial navigator and the four
men OF his crew were dashed TO death
tuesday. The Akron had been con.
structed for a trip across the AT.
lantic and was the last word in bal.
loon construction. The flight over
the meadows began at O'Clock. and
II was just short time later that
the accident occurred.
Like n blazing meteorite the bum
ing balloon dashed earthward. emit.
ting clouds Of black smoke. II fell
upon Brigantine Bes:h and rescuers
who dashed two miles across the In
let were unable TO give any help.
Besides Melvin Vaniman those on
the Akron were: Calvin Vaniman.
bother of the aeronaut: Fred Elmer.
George Boultin and AEer Gest.
Mrs. Melvin Vaniman saw the dis
aster from the porch OF her home.
She collapsed and Is In serious con-
dition.
An hour after the eccident and after
the rescuers had given UP all hope OF
finding any OF the bodies, the corpse
OF Calvin vaniman was recovered.
Melvin Vaniman was personally In
charge OF the balloon during the
fight and his crew consisted OF four
men. including his brother.
After making a search OF the>beach
about the point where the balloon had
plunged 20 earth. rescuers took to
boats and began searching the bay In
the hope OF find some OF the aerial
sailors with the breath OF life still in
them.
The body OF Calvin Vaniman was
recognized by party in a launch be
longing 10 Councilman Harry Cook.
" was floating in Absecon bay. Al
though bruised, Il was not burned.
News that "Vaniman has gone UP"
spread rapidly and despite the early
hour thousands were soon gathered
upon the beaches and the street
watching the huge cigar.shaped> craft
outlined against the morning sky.
After attaining an altitude OF about
l'VOO feet the ae-ia. pilot began put
ing HE craft through fancy motions.
mere was no wind. the air was clear
and conditions were ideal for balloon.
ing. Taking advantage OF this. Vani-
man decided 10 show the people on
the beaches some fancy stunts. II was
curing these evolutions that the ex.
plosion occurred.
One theory was that a leak in the
tuel tank caused an explosion and that
The flames from this set the bag afire.
Boston. July 3.-Miss Harriet Quinn.
by Of New York. the first woman TO
win an aviator's license in America
and the first woman 10 cross the Eng.
lish channel in an aeroplane, was in.
stantly killed with her passenger, W.
A. p. Willard, manager OF the Boston
aviation meet, at Atlantic City on
Monday. when her Bleriot monoplane
fell into Dorchester bay from height
OF thousand feet.
The bodies were driven deep into
the mud On the harbor bottom, and
were extricated with difficulty by men
In launches. The water at that stage
d. the tide was only FIVE feet deep.
The horrifying spectacle OF two
forms plunging through the air was
witnessed by thousands OF spectators
attending the Boston aero meet.
The death Of Miss Harriet Quimbly
constitutes the fifth aviation fatality
to womcl since the inception OF the
new science, the previous victims be.
Ing an unnamed girl at Buda Pest.
June II. 1911; Mile. Denise Moore at
Etampes. July q. 1911: Mile. Suzanne
Bernard at Etampes. March 10, 1912,
and Mrs. Julian Clark at Springfield,
ILL.,. June II. 1912. There were fifteen
fatalities during the month OF June
last, beginning with the death of
Philip o. Parmalee in Washington on
June !. On June IL Lieutenant Hazel.
hurst and "Al" Welsh were killed nj
Washington, and on June 21 Henry
Turner was killed at Hampstead. Ny.
The total number of aviation fatal.
tiles since the death OF Lieutenant
Selfridge in September, 1908. is now
15S.
Madrid. July 3.-Captair Bayo. the
first Spanish officer TO fall a victim 10
the perils C: aviation died Tuesday,
from injuries sustained in his fall on
June 20 when he was executing figure
Fights in mid-air.