The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-08-05
TOWERS DESCRIBES HIS FALL
OF 1900 FEET FROM AER0PLANE
Survivor of Accident to Navy Hydroaeroplane Tells Thrill
ing Story of His Wonderful Escape From Death and
OF Ensign Billingsley's Terrible Fall-He Is
Anxious to Get Back to Flying.
(New York Sum-

tude Of more than Loo feet above
the surface OF Chesapeake Bay, grip
ping desperately by one hand a slen-
der upright OF a flying machine be-
yond all hope OF control, which was
dropping vertically with thrice the
speed OF a fast express train; catching
a heartbreaking glimpse OF the body
Of a fellow officer and aviator, turn
ing. twisting and plunging beneath
him TO the death that was to bring
relief to both, as il seemed, in q few
seconds-such was the ordeal through
which Lieutenant John II. Towers
passed without very serious injury on
the morning Of June 20. Every bone
In the body OF his companion, Ensign
Billingsley, was broken, 1t was found,
when his remains were recovered a
week later. One chance in a million
was the most that Towers a for mis-
life and that one chance was given
60 him.
Lieutenant Towers is the officer in
command Of the Navy Aviation School
which Is Quartered at Annapolis, p
pOsite the Naval Academy, in sum-
mer, and at Guantanamo, Cuba. in
winter. He has a brilliant record,
having attained the greatest height
ever made by q hydrOaeroplane and
won theh onors Of the ongest endur-
ing test. He a had two severe falls
before this accident occurred. yet he
Intends to resume flying as sOO1i as he
RECEIVERS from the shock Of the last
fall.
When The Suns representative saw
Lieutenant Towers lying on his white
cot at the Naval Hospital at Annapo-
lis pale, shaken in nerves, but not In
nerve. holding out his right hand
he could not raise his body, by the
surgeons orders-it was hard to be-
lieve that he had been through such
an experience. He seemed very tired,
physical fatigue. but weakened by the
not tired In the ordinary sense OF
shock Of his experience. un-
strung by staring death in the face Tor
the few seconds Of precipitous descent
that had been. he said, AN age Hls
light hair, exposed to sun and wind
on his mani flights In the tropics,
gave n impression tina 1t was turn
Ing gray.
He talked first Of Ensign Binmgsley
whose body had been found and
brought to Annapolis a few days be-
fore.
"Billingsley was not to blame.
want you to say that. He was one o.
tho best flyers we had"
WAS Billingsley running the ma
chine2"
Eyes. I was his passenger. I has
not planned to go up that morning.
took another mans place. The ma
who had asked permission to go u
was late for his appointments. II
missed the ferry Launch that takes u
over the river to the aviation camp.
1T seems like the interference Q
fate. doesn't it,"
Yes. I guess it does, as far as | ar
concerned nyway l had tW
NC h.2 nc ~
one. They laid me up for a whl'
though. Well, somebody had to g
and was the only officer availab]
at that time. We were making a te:
flight. No test fights we always TAX
up a passenger, under wa
conditions there will be a passenge
who will do the observation work an
make reports while the machine
in flight. We take a barometer alou
to get the altitude. Here is the one
took"
Lieut.. Towers reached over to ops
the drawer Of a little stand G II
head OF his cot. He pulled out a ne;
serviceable looking instrument a
tached to a neck lanyard.
II was looking at this just befo
the accident. 1t registered 2,3!
feet. You have to make an allowan'
for the correction, which is 725 fe
for this barometer. You subtract tn
from the 1850. We were ISIS re
high when the machine upset-if an
thing. 1t was a little higher-hyil
practically level"
where did the accident occur"
About six miles from Annapol
between Annapolis and Thomas Poi
lighthouse. We made an early sta
In two machines. Bellnger a
Dortch took one and Rillingsley anC
the other. Bellinger a the tyi
boat. and we had a h~ydroaeropla,
We started to go to Claiborne. on I
eastern shore Of Maryland, and
turn. We made Claiborne and WI
on our way back. The other mach
stopped for something and we W.
on. They didn't see the accide
II Was h first fatal accident we n,
had in navy aviation.
a the time We upset we were
ing nearly level with q strong, (,
steady following wind. There wa:
sudden lifting OF the tail Of the r
chine. II NAV be that the mach