The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-23
WADE ROTHWEtL
NEAR DEATH IN :
FLYING CIRCUS
rakes Bridgens' Place In Rockford
Show and Three Times Nearly
Meets Tragedy.

Undaunted by three narrow es-
canes Saturday and Sunday in thrill
ing aerial exhibitions in Rockford.
wade B. Rockwell, son of Mr.. and
Yrs. A. W. Rothwell, 1922 Thirty
ninth street, is under a physician's
care but anxious to resume his con-
tracts as an air devil"
RothweIl was nearly dashed to
saath on the Rockford oval track
Sunday afternoon when he leaped
from an automobile going IS miles
an hour and missed a ladder sus-
nended from an airplane. He fell
n a cloud of dust, rolled and tum-
HE'D so feet along the pathway and
Incurred decorations and bruises to
his face. arms and shoulders. His
right elbow was fractured but half
an hour after the accident, he was
calmly discussing the accident and
planning his return to aerial aero
battles.
The day before he had risked his
life twice in an effort to change
from the auto TO the swinging lad
der and succeeded the third time in
making a sensational change.
I'VE were all tired out, l guess"
Rothwell told The Argus today.
"'Bud's' death was an awful thing
and it sort of depressed US. l had
been down there 10 days doing 'ad-
vance work, making arrangements
for our circus and then Buds
tragedy upset everything. l hadn't
intended to do any stunt work in
Rockford but that put it up to me.
The track is an oval-bad thing
for the to-plane change. Mat
toll was driving the car and on the
first round as the plane swung low,
the rope ladder caught in the rear
OF the car. l felt the machine lift
and put out my foot to loosen the
ladder. The rope broke away just
in time, because we could feel the
auto leave the ground as it sped
along about so miles an hour par
allel with the plane. l got tangled
I'D in the rope and was dragged
along the machine to the radiator
before l broke away. That wasn't
SO bad.
Brushed Against Tire.
1.-THE next time l grabbed the lad
der but the wind swept me back
t. the machine. l brushed against
the tires and was held there. The
wheels burned my back and hips
and Mattioli caught me. He pulled
me into the car or 1 guess I'd have
fallen under the auto.
Il was awful stiff and bruised
from that but climbed back on the
machine and as he came in front of
the stand again, l managed to get
up on the ladder and away"
R. A. Van Hake, who piloted the
plane Thursday when Bud" Brid-
gems attempted a parachute drop
from 1,400 feet and crashed to the
earth, drove the plane Sunday when
Rothwell nearly killed himself in
an endeavor to leap onto the sway
ing rope ladder. There was a
cross wind which made it difficult
to bring the plane down over the
straightaway," Van Hake explain
ed. Il wasn't getting close enough
to Wade for the change and knew
ii. | can't understand why he leap
e."
The plane had swooped across
the track half a dozen times in eff
fort to effect the change before the
Rock Island lad jumped
Van Hake landed his ship immed-
lately after Rothwell made his leap.
r. H. Bloxham, manager of the cir
Gus, reached the scene just ahead of
the pilot They had the boy re-
moved to the Rockford hospital,
where he was given immediate at
tention, and yesterday removed to
lis home.
Denies it Was First Time.
1t was Rothwell's first accident
since he Joined. the Tri-City Aerial
companS's circus. He said he had
been in one or two minor falls in
the Panama canal zone when he
was doing stunt work for Red Cross
benefits.
He said it was not the first time
he had attempted to change from
auto to plane and added that the
company which was employing him
and other stunt fliers did not take
inexperienced men.