Omaha daily bee., 1915-03-15
LINCOLN BEACHEY,
DARE DEVIL OF AIR,
KILLED IN FLIGHT

Of congressman greeted him ss M
allshled at the steps Of the capitol


| OF CongreHsmfu kToetcu MN ~ ne
slishted at the steps Of the capitol.
Perfeets DirigibIe.
Beachey then left Knabenschue and
started out for himself He built a bal
loon forty feet long. much shorter than
any he had previously flown.
! July q. 1907. hundreds OF thousands
stopped their work In New York to watch
him soar over the city. He made a land
ing az Battery park. but was compelled
to rise almost Immediately 70 escape the
thousands who flocked to the spot.
Beachey sailed over Broad and Nessau
streets and Park Row over Williams
burg bridge his motor began to miss fire
and the wind carried him toward sunken
Meadows. Within fifty feet Of the ground
gust OF wind whirled the gas bag
around. carried It across the river and
| dashed u hard against the tall steel spar
on Spindle light he bag was mpaled
and Beachey saved himself by throwing
his arm around the pole. He was res
cued by fishermen.
Beaohey built another dlrigibie and con-
tinued to make exhibition flights about
the country In 1910 his interest turned
70 heavier than air machines He con-
structed a monoplane and wrecked It in
a flight at ST Paul He made his first
successful flight In an aeroplane at Los
Angeles in January. 1911. Later he
wrecked this machine and broke UP a Sec
ond filler at San Francisco not long after.
CuFtias Calls Him Failure.
Glenn Curtiss told him he was a failure,
but Beachey persisted. and on May S, 1911,
he was the first man TO circle the capitoi
at Washington in a heavier than air ma
chine. he flight made him famous. and
a few weeks later the nation gasped when
It read ne had flown over Niagara falls.
On June q he clrcied above the cataract
and with the machine obseured in fog
swooped beneath the arches Of the upper
steel bridge and down the gorge almost 10
the whirlpool II was the first time an
aviator had cut through the air currents
and mist that have lured many adven.
turers to death.
The week following Bechey won the
first interclty aeroplane race held on
the continent flying from New York TO
Philadelphia in two hours and twenty
two seconds. In the month he was the
most prominent figures In the notable
aviation meet IN Chicago lie splraled
at such angles that persons thought he
was falling and teiephoned ambulances.
lie played leap dog over the steam en-
gines IN Grant park He did what he
called the Texas Tommy" on Michigan
boulevard, jlgging the wheels OF the
ehasis on the pavement and irving au-
tombiles 20 the side walk.
Violated Rules of Air.
lie spun his landing wheels on the
top plane OF another machine. Other
aviators were Tagged down and Beachey
was fined for violating the code Of the
air that machines must remain $50 feet
apart. He established an American record
for altitude by flying heavenward until
his fuel was exhausted and then vol
planned 1i.0O0 feet 10 the earth.
Early In the spring Of 1913. Beaohey
announced he had made his last flight.
He asserted he believed himself partly
responsible for the death nine avla-
tors, who tried 20 emulate "my fool
ishiy daring exploits." He said that in
case OF war he would fly for Old Glory,
but until then he was trough.
But later in the year, when American
newspapers began 70 chronicle the feats
o fthe Frenchmhn, Peeoud, the "call OF
the air. mastered Beachey's will and he
said he would prove Americans we're the
equals OF the French IN aviation. He
constructed a biplane only twsnty-one
feet wide with double beams and wires
TO stand the extra strain. ana said he
was going 10 loop the loop
Unnerved ny Accident.
In trying out this machine at Ham
mondsport. N. y. October z, 1913, Beachey
lost control and swept several persona
from the roof OF shed. Miss Ruth
lHildreth OF New York was killed and
her sister was injured
The accident unnerved him for time
and he did not fiy for weeks. Then he
took his machine TO California and be-
gan TO practice the stunts" which later
thrilled large crowds In exhibitions he
gave In many parts OF the United states
Beacheys recent exploits included fly
ing cardinal-eolored biplane az the
big california-stanford foot bali game
at Berkeley, Cal, last fall Haunting
the stanford mems colors gratuItously.
although Il was reported he was Offered
500 10 carry the maize and blue Of the
State university. lie made a previous
flight at the Panama-Pacific exposition
In the autumn. being drawn down by
the cold. when trying for altitude
Beachey boasted that 100000 persons
Nam4 Al