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Show IN PES Aviator and His Machine Fall--Aitmnleach Liege, Belgium Liege, Belgium, Juno 19 The aviators avia-tors wllo accomplished -tho perilous first stage of the European circuit race, arc resting hore today. Further details of the death of Ijan-dron Ijan-dron havo been received from Chateau-Thierry. Chateau-Thierry. The aviator, who was but 23 years of age, was tlj-ing at a height cstimatedat from 1,800 to 3,000 foot over the village of Bpledes. whon suddenly sud-denly the villagers wero horrified to see the machine and aviator enveloped In flames. Then there was heard a faint report aB of an explosion and the ball of fire pitched earthward, turulng over nnd over as It fell. The aviator was hurled from his seat clear of tho flames, which streamed fifty feet behind be-hind the aoroplane. .The machlno was still burning when tho wreckage dropped Into a wheat Held. The body of Landron had struck the ground nenrby. Villagers hnrrled to the scene with an engine, but the gasolene gaso-lene gave out. Landron was already dead. Both legs and qnc arm were broken and the chin was shattered His face had been scorched and his clothes wero burned. PARIS, June IS. Fifty aeroplnnlsts took wing early todav from tho aviation avia-tion field nt VIncenncs on tho first stage of the European circuit race, which calls for a flight to Londori and return, with stops at various places, going and returning Almost immediately immedi-ately after tho start, two of the aviators avia-tors mot tragic deaths and at least one. was gravely hurt. Of the fifty aviators who started, thirty-eight were clvlHans and twelvo ofilcers assigned for military duty. The wind was rising at the start and Le Martin, who was ono of tho most experienced aviators In Franco, rocked about a good deal as his machine ma-chine cleared the gTound and swept away His aeroplane had renched the woods a quarter of a mile beyond tho barriers when It was observed to pilch swlfty downward and Into the trees. Le Martin Instantly Killed. The biplane was brokon badly as It fell at tho foot of an oak tree A corner of the motor struck Le Martin's head, crushing his skull, and his right leg also was fractured In two places. The aviator was barely alive when he was taken away by Red CrosB surgeons, and he expired a few minutes min-utes after reaching a hospital. Something was wrong with the steering gear of Ix? Martin's machine. ma-chine. It had acted badly earlier In the morning and Roland Garros, who helped adjust It, advised Le Martin not to go iip. Gas Tank Explodes In Air. Disaster overtook Captain Prlnctau almost at the start Ho was scarcely well Into tho air when one of tho pianos of his machine caught fire. Prlnctau was seen struggling to undo a strap that bound him firmly In his Heat, so as to be fee to Jump as he glided toward the earth. Before he could loosen the bolt, however, the motor exploded and flaming benzine covered him. He did not utter a cry and when tho wreckage fell on tho gTound the captain was dead His body was fearfully burned. Captain Prlnctau probably had been aspxyl-atcd aspxyl-atcd by the first burst of the benzlno flames. He was one of the most courageous and capable aviators in the army Prlnctau had been a lieutenant since 1900 and was gazetted a captain In the official gazette this month for exceptional excep-tional services rendered to military aviation Recalls Othor Deaths. A tragic Incident of Prlnctau's death was that at the exact spot whore he fell. Lauffort. the French aviator and Poln, a passenger, wore killed last December In the competition competi-tion for tho automobile club's prize for a flight from Paris to Brussels, and onlv a few yards nwny the French minister of war met death four weeks ago Ten of the competitors, although al-though they started officially, never got beyond thp limits of tho field Either on account of the guatv wind or because their mnchlnes fievoloped eccentricity, they came down and gave up their chunccs for winning tho contest. |
