New-York tribune., 1920-09-07
$4,000 at Forest Hills
Aghast as Flyers, Whose
Daring Thrilled Them,
Plunge to Earth Near BY
AirEplane Drops
I'm a Nose Dive
Mitchell Field Men Were
Photographing Players {;
Cause of Fall Unknown

An airplane which had been lowering
over the courts at Forest Hills Gar
dens, Queens, yesterday during the
national singks championship matches
ciAshed to the ground within block
of the courts, killing one of its occu-
pants outright and injuring the other
so severely that he died within q few
| minutes.
Inc men who were killed were Lieu
tenant j. M. Grier, an officer Of the
naval detachment at Mitchell Field T. T.
ana Sergeant j. P. SAKE, of the army
air service, who was stationed at the
field.
Lieutenant Grier was pilot Of the
machine and Sergeant Sake was on.
cratlng It's camera attachment. Late
in the afternoon they had swooneG
low over the courts, taking photo.
graphs of the players and the crowd
!he drone of their engine and thei,
caring maneuvers at times divert ed
the attention of the spectators from
the players.
Plane Goes Into Nose Dive
The airplane was within 700 feet Of
the ground and almost directly ove,
the courts when the hum of its moto1
was broken and it's nose tilted earth.
ward. 1t righted itself, hung almost
motlonless moment and then Went
INTO nose dive.
There was no time for a panic. The
peril was too imminent and breath.
taking. The falling airplane passel
over the heads of the thousands OF
spectators and plunged into a fielc
across the railroad tracks, near the in
| tcrsection of Yellowstone Avenue anf
the Boulevard. CIV
There was a rush to the spot from
all sides: Passing automobiles stopped
Whlie their occupants ran to the
smoking mass of wreckage. The firs,
10 reach the aviators were John Bcckel
and ar James Cloger, who ran to the plane
from motor ambulance of the Kelly.
Walton Ambulance Company, IN which
they were taking a patient to the Brad.
fcrd Street Hospital, Brooklyn.
The airplane had plunged downward
with such force that it was partl,
buried in the ground, and its outstand
ing parts had crumpled and folded
upon themselves, penning its passen
gers as though in cage. Becker anc
Cloger, with the help of many specta
tors. lifted the tangled steelwork ane
sergeant.
Sake Dies in Automobile
The surgeon from the Bradford
Street hospital was at the heels Of
| Becker and Cloger and saw at once
| that Grier was dead and his compan
ION nearly 50. There was no room fol
either in the ambulance and they were
lifted into touring car that hao
drawn up beside the road. The auto
mobile, with a policeman on the run
ming board. started at full speed 70.
st. Johns Hospital, Long Island City
1t had gone only few blocks, how.
yer. when SAKE brcathed his last.
The driver of the car, which was
owned by c. V. Dickman, of 657 JEFF
ferson Avenue, Brooklyn, was ignoran'
| of the sergeant's death. however, ane
followed to the letter the instructions
given him by Patrolman Henry Kuhlel
when he jumped to the running board
Drive like HE'LL" the patrolman hao
said. 1t was just five minutes later
! that the car drew up at St. John.
Hospital, four miles from the scene
of the accident, but both aviators were
dead.
The roadside yards and vacant lot
in the vicinity Of the accident wer,
black with people long before the i'm
blocks around the roads were jammet
with autom obiles. 1t was late in tn
afternoon of holiday and there wer
many motorists abroad who had beef
watching the circling airplane ant
lad seen it plunge downward.
From all directions they hastencd t,
Forest Hills Gardens, the congestion
being complicated further by motorist
who had been at the tennis matche
| (contlaued on page sx)