Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-06-20

Ensign Dashed to Death From
HydFVaeroplane While Sail
ing With Companion Across
Chesapeake Bay.


my fFased wire a. Eernlns Hcrala !
wafhlneion. D. q. june go Eu.
nlTn VIM. ID Billlneeley of Mlsa..
WIS Instantly Killed To-day and Lieut.
1ohB II. Towers. 81 Georgia. was
probably seriously injured when the
isi-p plane 81 which they were man.
cuperlng over Chesapeake bay IN
thn vicinity ~ Kent island. collapsed
and fhr1w both men lfte the water
A party IN n motorboat Witnessed
the accident and rescued Lieutenant
Towers They did not stop to search
not In sight and II was presumed he
had sunk.
xientennnt Towers @an 30 badly
hurt that al speed was made for the
naval hospital az Annapolis.
The Inflated hydro-aeroplane left
Annapolis IN company with a flying
boat managed hy Lieutenant Dorich
ana Ensign chevalier on an expert,
mental flight 70 Claiborne. Ma.
The two Officers started early today
from the naval academy In a hydro
aeropinne for Claiborne. Nd, WHEN
about give 70 seven miles from An
nBpolis the hydro-aeroplane al an al
iilue ~ 1900 feet capsiRed and bcgan
10 fan and when u had dropped
about soc feet Engln nillingsiey fell
or was thrown out and killed, At
noon his body had not been recov-
cred.
Lieutenant Towers remained In the
machine and fell with Into Chesn-
penke bay. where he was rescued and
hurried to the naval academy hospi-
tai. snJured. although Il IL not known
how badly Boats from the naval
academy are searching FOR Billings
ley's body and for the vreckage OF
she machine 20 End evidence OF the
cause Of the accident
The death % Ensign Billlngsley
makes total 81 nine fatalities In the
government service since the army
began experiments with heavier-thun-
mir machines AZ Fort Meyer. Va. Ia
1899. His death Ia the FIRST IN the
aviation corps OF the navy. billings
ley was born in Mississippi In 1884,.
graduated from the naval academy
Z IN 1898 and was attached 10 the avia-
: ton corps In that year.
/ Lieutenant Towe-s IL native Of
Georgia. He was born In 1855, grad
uated from the naval academy in
1905 and assigned 20 the aviation
corps last December
when about four miles off Kent ISL
and and n quarter ~ a mile above
Chesapeake bay. a sudden violent
/ gust Of wind struck the machine.
, throwing Ensign BillnEsley against
the steering gear and putting Il ont
OF order The machine began 20 tack
rapidly hut despite the precnrioua ait-
uation Il ~ thought that Bllilngsley
would have gained control % Is 1ad
ne NOT lost his balance and feiien
grom the craft.
His descent was foilnwec Instantly
by that OF the machine, Lieutenant
Towers doing al IN his power go bali
ancc "a. Ills efforts were nnavan-
INK ana ne too fell from MS seat lie
WIS Fortunate enough. however to
catch one Of the vertical uprights. TO
which he chung desperately until he
was about 30O feet from the water.
lie could hold on no longer and feh
lie came down few feet away from
the wreekage Of the hydro-aeroplane
and kept himself afiOnt until picked
%. although he was suffering intense
pain.
Experimental flights are always
watehed by men from the Navni aca-
denny in motor boats and as soon IS
those who were keeping an eve en-
Lieutenant Towers ncroplane saw
something wrong they rushed from
the lee ~ Kemt island, whore they
were stationed. al top speed. reach
ing the machine a few moments az
ter h had hlt the water.
Lieutenant Dorsch and Ensign che
, waller. who were ln their flying boat
near the hydro-acroplane when Il got
into trouble. and unable 90 render the
slightest assistance, were forced ga be
witnesses OF the accident. They de-
ssended "a the level uf the watcr and
Immediately began the search for En-
siRn Bnlingsley,
Boats from the Naval academy ana
the torpedo boat stringham mmed'-
aieiy SET ont for the scene Of the ac-
cident. Up 10 noon the body OF M
fiuuaitV had moi baeu recovered