Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1913-06-20
NAVAL ensign
KILLED IN
b|PLANE
W. D. BlLLINGSLEY DROWNED WHEN
AEROPlANE DROPS into WATERS
OF CHESAPEAKE BAY AND JOHN
II. TOWERS INJURED.
ACCIDENT WITNESSED
BY MOTOR PARTY

! w. ID. Billingsley, OF Mississippi, was
instantly killed today and Lieutenant
John II. Towers of Georgia, was
probably seriously injured when the
( biplane in which they were maneuv
ering over the Chesapeake bay in the
vicinity of Kent island, collapsed and
threw both men into the water.
| A party in a motor boat witnessed
the accident and rescued Lieutenant
Towers. They did not stop to search
for Ensign Billingsley, as his body
was not in sight and it was presumed
that he had sunk
Lieutenant Towers was so badly
hurt that all speed was made for the
naval hospital at Annapolis.
The two officers started early to-
day from the naval academy in a
hydro aeroplane for Claiborn, Nd.
When about seven miles from An
napolis, the hydro aeroplane, at an
altitude of about 1000 feet capsized
and began to fall and when it had
dropped about 400 feet Ensign Bill
lngSley fell or was thrown out and
killed. At noon his body had not
been recovered.
Lieut.. Towers remained in the ma
chine and fell with it into Chesapeake
bay. where he was rescued and hur-
ried to the naval academy hospital,
injured, although 1t is not known how
badly. Boats from the naval academy
are searching for Billingsleys body
and for the wreckage of the machine
to find evidence of the cause of the
accident.
The death of Ensign Billingsley
makes total of nine fatalities in the
government service since the army
began experiments with heavier-than-
air machine at Fort Myer, Va, in 1908.
His death is the first in the avia-
vas born in Mississippi in 1897, grad
uated from the naval academy in
1909 and was attached to the aviation
corps in that year.
Lieut.. Towers is a native Of Geor-
gia He was born in 1885, graduated
from the naval academy in 1906 and
assigned to the aviation corps last
December
The Inflated hydro areoplane left
Annapolis in company with flying
boat manned by Lieutenant Dorch and
Ensign Chevaiier on an experimental
fight to Claiborne, Md.
When about four miles off Kent Is
land, and a quarter OF a mile above
Chesapeake bay, a sudden violent
gust Of wind struck the machine,
Ensign Billingsley against
the steering gear and putting it out OF
order. The machine began to tack
rapidly, but despite the precarious sit
uation it is thought that Billingsley
would have gained control of it had he
not lost his balance and fallen from
the craft.
His descent was followed instantly
by that of the machine Lieutenant
Towers doing all in his power to bal
ance it. His efforts were unavailang
and he too fell from his seat. He was
fortunate enough. however, to catch
one of the vertical uprights, to which
he chung desperately until he was
about 300 feet from the water. He
could hold on no longer and fell He
came down a few feet away from
where the hydro-aeroplane and kept |
himself afioat until picked up, al
though he was suffering intense pain. |
Experimental flights are always |
by men from the naval acad- |
omy in motor boats and as soon as
hose who were keeping an eye on
Lieutenant Towers hydro aeroplane
saw that something was wrong they |
rushed from the lee of Kent Island !
where they were stationed, at top
speed reaching the machine few
moments after it had hit the water
Lieutenant Dorch and Ensign Cheva-
ier were in their flying boat near the |
hydro aeroplane when it got into trou
)le. They We're unable to render the !
slightest assistance and were forced
3 be witnesses of the accident. They |
descended to the level of the water
md Immediately began the search for
.nsien Billingsley.
Boats from the naval academy and
he torpedo boat Stringham imme-
liately set out for the scene of the ac-
lately set out for the scene of the ac-
;ident. Up to noon the body of Bill
in S1ey had not heen recovered !