The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1916-05-17
FLIES DER STATE;
COMES TO GRIEF
Rinchnrfs Machine Smashed In North
Carolina. Aviator Not Hurt,

Carolina. Aviator Not Hurt.
Howard NJ. Rinchart, Wright avia-
tor, said The State Sunday, left Au-
gusta early yesterday morning for
New York, and though his machine
was smashed, and he was forced to
| abandon it, he has the distinction of
being the first person to fly from bor-
der to border across the State of
South Carolina. A sprocket chain of
the propeller broke when MIR. Rinc-
hart was about four miles from Row
land, n. c., traveing about $1,000 feet
in the air. He glided and landed in
a newly plowed field. Mr.. Rinehart
did not jump, but was riding on wing
when the machine landed He was
thrown off and his head buried in the
sand He was not injured and after
shipping the remnants of the bipane
to Dayton, Ohio, came to Columbia,
where last night he Joined Mrs. Rine-
hart. Today they will proceed to New
York by rail-
Fare and Freight.
Il was Just going to New York
through the air for the pleasure and
to save a little railroad fare" said
Mr.. Rinehart in his room at a hotel
here last night, "and now he added,
II will pay both railroad fare and
railroad freight"
Heavy clouds, the most beautiful
Mr.. Rinehart says he has ever seen,
hung over South Carolina early YES
tcrday morning, and these clouds
caused Mr. Rinehart to deyiatc from
his proposed route. He left Augusta
at 5:10 o'clock and had perfect sailing
and ideal weather conditions until he
reached Aiken. whore he ran into the
clouds or fog and did not see land
again until after he had passed Co
lumbia.
"Hho first glimpse had of earth af-
ter leaving Aiken" said Mr. Rinehart,
was caught a short while before
reached city, which know now was
Sumter but which | did not rccog-
nice at the time. looked down and
saw trees and water and more trees
and moro water and then more trees
| wondered if | had Strayed into
South American jungle. | thought it
no nearer to turn around than it was
to go forward, so continued and
was glad when left it behind" Mr.
Rinehart was passing over the Con-
garee swamp.
Mr.. Rinehart says that he did not
go over Columbia but probably was
within five or at least ten miles Of
the capital city.
FoEOws Coast Line.
"My original route was from Au-
gusta to Columbia and then to follow
the Seaboard Air Line track from Co
lumbia to Raleigh" said MIR. Rine-
hart. "rhe first track | saw was the
Atlantic Coast Line, which | mistook
for the Scaboard, and | did not know
my exact Whereabouts until reached
Florence, which ! recognized. then
determined to follow the Atlantic
Coast Line track and was on my way
north when the accident occurred"
MIR. Rinchart said he was making an
average Of mile a minute. He was
riding in q Wright biplane
Mr.. Rnchart is manager and in
structor in the Wright Aviation school
which recently closed at Augusta and |
which opens again at MincOla, l.. l. lie |
was going from one camp TO the other
yesterday. He expected to reach |
New York city by $50 o'clock ycster-
day afternoon, and he says that if his !
chain had not broken he would have |
been successful in the trip. When the
accident occurred he had Travelled !
about 2l5 miles in three hours and
80 minutes.
Wonderful Clouds.
After getting above the heavy
clouds at Aiken" said Mr.. Rinchart
last night. 81 dared not come down,
for | could not sec to make my land
ing. ] never saw such cloud forma-
tons and while was wondering what
would do if my engine should stop,
couldn't but admire the ndcscrib-
able picture. The clouds were like
great white rolls OF snow, or a frozen
heavy sea. Now and then there would
rise a snow covered mountain, very
dense through which / would dart,