New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-08
Sister of Victim Probably
Fatally Injured-Four Swept
from Roof Forty Feet
to the Ground.
WANTED TO OUTDO PEGOUD
Aviator Had Declared His Pur :
pose to Beat Loop-the-
Loop Record-Act of
Courtesy Cause
of Death.
fBy Telegraph to The Tribune.


Beachey, who announced last May that
he had given up the flying game for
ever, came back to aviation TO-DAY,
with the expressed determination OF
outdoing Pegoud. the French aviator,
who has been looping the loop in mid
air.
Beacheys first fight resulted in the
killing Of Miss Ruth Hildreth. twenty
years old, and the probably fatal in
jury Of her eighteen-year-o sister.
Dorothy Lieutenants Bellinger and
Richardson, Of the navy who were
watching the fight in company with
the girls, received minor injuries. The
aeroplane was wrecked. Beachey be-
ing hurt in his fall with the machine.
In retiring from aviation last spring
Beachey announced that his chief red-
son for the act was the fact that he
had been blamed for the deaths OF
some Of the men associated with him
in flying, and that he did not want TO
have cause to feel any further respon-
slDlllty or tndt sort.
Aerial Somersault Promised.
Hundreds of persons gathered 10 wit
ness the flight to-day, ii having been
announced that Beachey would attempt
to turn a somersault in the air with
his aeroplane Among the spectators
were the Misses Hldreth, daughters
OF Mr.. and Mrs. w. +. Hildreth, Of New
York, and their escorts, LieutenantS
Bellinger and Richardson.
In order TO have an unobstructed
view Of the fight, the party of four
climbed to the top OF the small build
ing used AS headquarters for the avia-
tion corps.
Beachey had only been in the air
few minutes and was still engaged in
testing out his machine. when he no.
ticed the party on the building waving
TO him. As he passed over the roof he
returned the salute by dipping his
| aeroplane, clearing the heads OF the
rarity by few feet only. Then he
circled about the field. and. flying back.
attempted a second salute.
Fatal Act Of Courtesy.
This time the act Of courtesy led TO
disaster. The aeroplane was directly
above the aviation building, when
something went wrong. The machine
dipped dangerously and one OF the
planes swept all four OF the spectators
from the roof 10 the ground, nearly
forty feet below.
Ruth Hildreth was killed instantly.
| her head striking against an automobile
and her brains being dashed out Dor
othy Hildreth in falling was impaled on
the point Of an iron tent stake. her
chest being crushed in and an arm and
! leg broken. She was removed in an un-
conscious condition TO nearby farm
house and later was taken TO the Bath
hospital She is not expected to recov-
er. The two men escaped with cuts and
bruises.
Beaehey's Aeropane Wrecked.
| Beachey plunged TO earth in the
aeroplane. injuring his left arm and
ankle. The machine was wrecked.
When the aviator learned OF Miss
Hildreth's death he said that he would
far rather have been killed himself
than TO have been in any way respon-
sible for what had happened. He
stated that as he neared for the sec
| o.a ,;roa tho building on which the
party was seated his foot governing
some of the controls of the aeroplane
slipped. This caused the machine TO
tip and plunge TO the ground.
4 Beachey was completely unnerved by
! the accident