Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-09-27
HYDROPLANE TURNS
TURTLE IN LAKE
Aviator Mills Narrowly Escaped
Death When Machine Turned
Over Friday Afternoon.

Aviator Mills determination to
make at Toast one flight last Friday.
in spite Of the fact that the wind was
blowing a gale from the northwest,
nearly cost him his life. when the ma
chine turned turtle, in the lake. He
gave up all hopes Of going up on
Thursday. and postponed both sched.
uled flights. When Friday dawned
with the sky still overcast, and the
wind still blowing with great velocity
from the northwest, the birdman de-
cided to try fight at any rate. Ev-
cry precaution was taken for safety,
and launch was held in readiness In
case he should be forced to light In
tho water. At ops.thirty he started
his motor and 4 few moments later.
loft the shore. The machine skinned
along tho water distance Of about
fifty yards, then rose gracefully into
tho air, sailing in q northwesterly d.
rection, against tho wind Trouble
was encountered shortly after this,
and it became necessary to allght on
the water. After ten minutes another
attempt at rising was made, with bet
ter success. Under the careful guild.
ance of the aviator the machine cir.
cled the lake twice and as he was
having some trouble owing to the
high wind, Mills decided to land in
the water and come to the landing
place. He shut down the engine
some, and when the hydroplane reach
ed a point about eight above the wat
er, gust Of wind turned one plane
into the lake. Before he was able to
get the motor going full speed, and
right the machine, the wind complet-
ed the job begun, and turned the plane
completely over.
There it was, out near the middle
Of the lake, turned bottomside up,
with Mills strapped in the seat, un-
derneath the water. After period
that seemed ages to those on shore
who were anxiOusly waiting the fate
Of the man, his head bobbed up from
the water and he crawled thru the
planes, onto the pontoon to await the
coming Of the launch. Only the fact
that he kept his head, and worked
with lightning speed saved Mills life.
He was strapped into the seat, with
strap around each leg, and one
around his body. The two former, he
unbuckled, and the latter he broke
with a superhuman wrench Of his
body.
The aviator suffered no i'll effects
of his cold plunge, and coming to
shore, he Immediately rushed down
to change his wet garments for a dry
suit.
Efforts to pull the Inflated flying
machine from it's resting place in the
lake, proved unavailing that after
noon and it was not until the follow
ing day, shortly after dinner that it
was finally dislodged from it's resting
place. and brought to shore.
A raft was built for the parpose OF
towing It in, but the fact that the
water at the place where the accident
occurred was only eight feet deep, al
lowed the machine to sink into the
mud. AS last resort about a thou
sand feet of rope was secured, one
end tied to the machine, and the 9TH
er to the big Buick auto belonging to
The Nelson and Larson Garage. At
ter several efforts the big car was
eble to dislodge the machine from it's
bed in the mud, and it was hauled in
to the shore, q sorry looking sight.
Work was commenced at once to
get the motor out OF the machine, and
this was done in Jig time. The motor
propeller, wires and some Of the
skeleton Of the airship remaining at
the fair grounds as relic Of the first
flying craft to visit this city.