The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-17

| Aryan as any other stock on earth.
This is "Selfridge Day. a day of
solemn memories for those bird-men,
who, in the interests of science and
humanity, or for sport, or money, or
sheer daredevil love for danger, are
engaged in that greatst Of modern ad-
ventures, the conquest of the air.
1t was five years ago to-day, at
Fort Myer, Va. that the name of
Lieut.. Myers was written at the head
of the now interrhinable list of those
killed in aviation accidents Five years
and the roll headed by the gallant ar
my officer who was the first martyr
to the new science of flying has grown
into scores, and into hundreds, and
doubtless will be numbered by thou
sands before the goal is reached and
flying has been made at least as safe
as riding on the trains of the New Ha-
ven railway.
Nearly a year passed after the death
of Selfridge before aviation's martyr
o1ogy gained new names. On Sept. z,
1909, Eugene LefebVre was killed at
Juvissy, France, and on the same day
Enca ROssi was killed in Rome while
testing a machine of his own inven-
ton. Later in the same month Capt
L. F. Ferber, the distinguished
French pioneer bird-man, was killed
at Bou1ogne. In December A Fernan-
the list, his death being caused by
the explosion of his motor while in
fight.
The year of 1910 witnessed a great
increase in the number of aviators,
and a consequent increase in acct
dents. Large sums were offered for
exhibition flights at fairs and exhibit
tions, and the new profession natural
~ attracted a Gloss of men who sought
to surpass each other in feats of reck-
lessness and daredev1ltry. Leon Del
lagrange, the French aviator who had
made the first fight with a passenger,
headed the 1910 list of victims. LIE
B1on,l Miche1in, Rolls, Chavez, Ralph
tombstone. and a score of others, were
killed during 1910.
The 1911 aviation fatality list num-
bered about seventy five, and brought
av1ators were killed in one day, June
10, at Paris. On August 10th Bad
ger and tombstone were killed in Chi
cago. Not only America and Eu-
rope, but China, Brazil, Peru, Cuba,
Algeria and the Philippines had their
victims to the worldwide craze for
flying.
During 1912 the list of dead num-
bered over 100. On Sept. 18th, death
had a field day, the list of dead for
that date including William Chambers,
at Binghamton, N. z; Lieut.. Seibert,
at Dresden; Paul Peck, at Chicago,
and Caramnlaki, at Patras, Greece.
With 1913 the list has gained momen-
tun, and aviation accidents have be-
come of almost daily occurrence.
Very few avtators abandon the pro-
fess1on, despite it's obvious dangers,
and it is altogether likely that most of
the bird-men of to-day will die with
their boots on Lincoln Beachey,
long one Of the most daring of the ex-
hibitfon flyers, may be an exception to
the rule, for he recently announced
his intention of quitting the game. IT
was Beachey who invented the dip
of DEATH 1.-THE Dutch ROLL and 9TH
er hazardous feats, and no less than
nine other aviators lost their lives in
attempting to improve on these ex-
ploits. SzE ga
With constant Improvement in the
mechanism of flying, and with a dim
mutton of public interest in exhibit
ton flights, it is likely that the death
roll of aviation will decrease in the
years to come. It was the big re-
Enumeration, made possible by a NOR
bid public, that tempted the bird-men
to hirt with death and perform clown
ish tricks. But Se1fridge, the first
martyr, was Of a different stamp! 1t
was not love of 1ucre, but devotion to
science, that sent him to his death.