The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-06-21
ALMOST MIRACULOUS
ESCAPE FROM DEATH
Lieut.. John A. Towers Fell, with a
Wrecked Aeroplane and Lives, but
Ensign William d. Billing
lev was Killed.

Annapolis, Md, June 2l,-The nav,
added its first victim to the death rol
Of the air yesterday, when Ensign vii
liam d. Billingsley was hurled from q
disabl biplane 600 feet in the air and
fell straight as phmmet into the
depths of Chesapeake bay. Lieut.. John
A. Towers, chief of the navy aviators
clung to the hurting wreck that fol
lowed his comrades course from sky to
water and escaped death almost miracu.
lously.
Ensign Bllingsley, in a biplane that
had been converted into a hydroaero-
plane by the adoption of pontoons, with
Lieutenant Towers as a passenger, left
the aviation grounds at the naval aead-
envy here yesterday morning to fly to
Claiborne. some Is miles across the bay.
About 10 miles down the bay, a guest
of wind struck the fragile aeroplane.
Ensign Billingsley was thrown forward
across the steering gear, which was dis
abled. The front planes of the craft
fell and it started like a dead bird for
the blue eXpanse of water 1900 feet be-
low. As it dropped, the pilot was cata-
pulled out, and turning over and over,
his body out speeded the disabled ma
chine toward the water.
When the aeroplane started on its
dive for the bay, Lieutenant Towers
clung desperately to one of the uprights
between the planes. Although at times
his body swung clear of the rapidly
falling airship, he maintained his hold
with hand and arm almost wrenched
apart. After falling about 900 feet, the
biplane turned complete somersault
and for moment the force of the fall
was broken. Striking the bay, it car
ried Lieutenant Towers beneath the wa
ter but rose to the surface Immediately.
The aviator tearing loose the lashing OF
one of the planes, bound himself fast
to pontoon. Within few minutes
he was taken off by men from a motor
boat kept on the bay by the navy avia.
tors for use in just such accidents.
At the naval academy hospital, Lieu
tenant Towers, almost in a state OF
nervous collapse, told the story of his
fall.
"Just before the accident" he said, Il
looked at the altitude dial and it showed
lhdh We were at HelSHt VI l.b-p ittt- I
lust then gust of wind seemed to come
up from below. the machine lurehed vio-
emily and took a dive forward. This
threw Billmgsley across the steering
gear and the lateral rudder planes went I
,ut OF business. With another forward |
1lunge, the biplane dropped down at /
,Xpress train speed. Billingsley went I
nut of his seat and clear of the plane.
When the ship started to fall. | had one
land around the upright between the
danes. and ] locked it there. | was
orn loose from the seat, but held on
o the upright | swung clear of the
lanes and the gearing. The strain on
ny arms and fingers was awful. but
lenched my teeth and held on. / looked
own and saw Billingsley turning over
nd over in the air"
The trembling officer halted his story
0 wipe the sweat from his ashy face,
ut went on Immediately:
"When the aeroplant had dropped
bout 900 feet, the ship turned COM
lete somersault. When it was half way
yer it steadied for a minute and the
1rce of the fall was broken a little.
ut it gathered momentum again, and
hen it hit the water there was a ter
fc crash But | kept clear of the en-
inc and the planes and managed to
me to the surface safely"
Captain Gibbons, in charge of the T,
avail academy, has appointed naval :
,ard of inquiry to investigate the ac
dent. !