The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1922-07-27

eastern coast of Newfoundland. A
prize of $4,000 had been offered to
the aviator who made the first non
stop flight across the Atlantic ocean,
and dozen or so Britishers had gath.
cred there to make the attempt.
Among them was Captain AlcOck
later Sir John Alcock, Il famous ace
during the war, who plloted the first
English plane that bombed Constants.
nople Captain Alcock, with a nuvi-
gator, Arthur w. Brown, also knighted
later, hoped off in June, 1919, and
astonished the universe by flying from
Newfoundland to Clifden, Ireland, in
IL hours and y minutes.
1t was just six months later that
fate overlook this intrepid aviator.
While flying in France, merely taking
Il seaplane to IN exhibition at Rouen,
he miscalculated his distance from the
earth, in fog, and was Instantly
killed when his plane struck the
ground.
One Of Captain Alcock's rivals in
the transatlantic flights was an air
man who was equally well known
among ayiators. This was Harry G.
Hawker. Hawker was the first to hop
off at Newfoundland, starting on May
Is with Lieutenant Commander Mac
kenzie Grieve as navigator. In vain,
the next day, they waited for news of
him in England, Hawker and his COM
rade and their plane had disappeared.
People said that they had been
drowned in the ocean But those who
knew the aviator said: NO; Harry
lIawker has got more lives than cat
If he hadn't, he would have been
killed long before this. He's the
luckiest airman that ever lived
Sure enough, six days later "A Danish
steamer, the Mary, came rolling into
port with Hawker and Grieve on
board. She had picked them up $50
miles off the coast OF Ireland, floating
along hanging to their frail craft.
Hawker's luck still held
A year later July q, Hawker went
aloft near the Hendon airdome, in Eng
land, to test a plane for the aerial
derby He was flying probably 1000
feet up in the air when those who were
watching saw the plane suddenly ca
reen and come plunging to the earth.
Hawker died in the arms of the doctor
who had been hastily summoned. A
coroner'S jury found the accident had
been due to a sudden stroke of paral-
ySls which the airman had suffered.
His physician testified that Hawker
had long beer victim of tuberculosis
Of the spine, and had been warned
against flying.
Sir Ross Smiths Death.
During the year that Captain Alcock
and Hawker were busy with their eff
forts to fly across the Atlantic, another
British aviator sprung into promi-
hence by plotting plane from Eng
land to Australia 1t was Ross Smith,
later Sir Ross Smith, who had gal
liant record for daring during the war.
A few months ago, Sir Ross and his
brother, Sir Keith Smith, We're get
ting ready to fly around the world
They had completed their planes and
the feat seemed almost accomplished.
Early one morning Sir Ross arrived at
Brooklands where his machine was.
His brother was not at the field, and
he went up with Lieutenant Bennett
friend of his. Al a 'eight Of 1000
feet above the ground the airman be
gan series of eyolutions that he had
gone through a hundred times in Order
TO test thoroughly every strut and guy
in his plane. Those watching were in
terested, but not alarmed, and when
they saw the huge plane diving
straight for the earth they only con
sidered it special sort Of trial. Sir
Ross was killed instantly and Lieuten-
ant Bennett lived but Il few moments
after being put into an ambulance,
And SO the list continues. There
was Cant. A. G. Rcsnati, the Italian
aviator. who was Killed when "A Cap
roni plane collapsed at Mincola There
were the Frenchmcn Nedrines, who
accomplished the feat of idnding on a
roof in his plane, who won "A number
of aerial trophies for speed and alti-
tude. and who finally fell while flying
from Paris to Rome, aad Gabriel Vol
sin, the famous ace, who was killed
while trying to fly Ms plane low to
enable him to shout 10 bis brother-in-
law that he would be- home for dinner
Aylators are asking each other what
is the answer to il aIl Is q man who
has come unframed through exception
al peril apt to pay too little heed to
lesser dangersf Is lt a.rr all, Just 9
matter Of luck?