The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-10
BEECH, NOTED
AVIATOR, HAD
NARROW ESCAPE
FROM DEATH

a. u. DetCu, tue dNldlOT WuOSc
stunts have electrified thousands of
Tampa's visitors during the past
week, fell in his British military
tractor biplane, after striking the
Gordon Keller Hospital gables head
yesterday afternoon, just after he
began his special fight in honor of
Tampa Day at the fair. His escape
from death bordered on the miracul-
Gus.
Beech's engine stopped dead while
he was over the crowd surrounding
the race track and, turning his ma
chine at almost a right angle, the
daring flyer cleared the crowd and
to elevate his planes to
glide to safety as he approached the
Gordon Keller Hospital. The mo-
of his machine. was gone
and though the planes raised, grav-
ity was not to be matched, and the
biplane struck the gables head-on
and dropped like lead to the earth
forty-five feet below.
Airing Patients Scury
A dozen patients, airing them
selves on the second floor porch of
the hospital scurried to safety as it
appeared evident that the aeroplane
was soing to sail into the porch.
The thud was heard in the stands on
Plant Field and was the first init
mation that anything was wrong,
though his mechanic and other
friends scented trouble when he
turned sharply, and fastened to him.
They arrived almost with the fall
and the mechanic, Rudolph, reached
the carriage as Beech was eXtricat-
ing himself.
Beech was assisted into the hos
pital, at whose front step his ma
chine had fallen, and with blood
streaming profusely from three cuts
about the head and face walked
erectly as he was aided up the front
steps.
Blames Faulty Gas
Beech did not talk about the ac-
cident much and declared he hardly
knew how it happened. Both he and
his manager, DR.. B. X. Hanaford,
attribute the accident to faulty gaso-
line a new supply Of which was put
in the tanks just, previous to the
fight. No trouble was experienced
in starting and for the first four
hundred yards the engine worked
beautifully. In front of the grand
stand it began to miss. Seeming
trouble, Beech turned over the track
and was rising gradually when, just
north of the Woman's building and
while about $50 feet in the air, the
engine stopped dead. 81 did my
best" is the way Beech describes
what followed. ~,
The sham battle was in progress
below the aviator and huge throng
the largest that ever was amassed
inside of Plant Field, left him nc
available spot for landing and, af'
ter clearing the crowds, the energy
and momentum had been spent, leav'
| ing the machine an unmanageablt
vehicle and its driver at the mercy
of Fate.
Presence of Mind Saves Throngs
Those who saw the accident de.
clare his escape from death was
nothing less than a miracle. "Ht
could have saved himself had he
glided straight down, instead Of as
cending and turning sharply when
his engine stopped" declared Presi
dent w. G. Brorein last night. "but
it would have been disastrous
move for the people beneath him
We certainly should be thankful fol
his grit and nerve. 1t prevented 6
calamity"
Dr.. Hanaford is enthusiastic In
his praise of Beech who he declares
Sacrificed himself for the throng
That he was not picked up manglet
and charred mass is nothing more
than the work of God. 1t is marvel
Gus, alone, that his engine did not
explode when the wreckage struck
the ground"
Aeroplane Wreck
The aeroplane is pile of wreck
age. The propeller is in splinters ant
the levers and wires by which the
planes are manipulated are tangled
and bent almost beyond extrication
One plane is smashed and torn, the
other is damaged but little. The en-
CINE, beyond a broken shaft, appears
to be in good shape, though thor
ough overhauling will be necessar,
to determine If it is damaged other
wise Tampa Tribune.