S. F. CODY KILLED

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1824, 9 August 1913, Page 5

S. F. CODY KILLED

HYDROPLANE DISASTER. AIEMAN JUMPS FROM HIS MACHINE. By Telegraph—Prsia Association—CopyrlgM London, August 7. Mr. S. P. Cody, tho well-known aviator, with a passenger named Evans, was aeroplaning at Fleet, Hampshire, when the machino foil. Both men wero killed. Mr. Cody flung himself from tho machino before it reached the ground, near which Dr. Barhardo's boys were camping. Tho hydroplano was smashed to atoms. The horrified spectators found, when tho bodies had been extricated from the debris, that Mr. Cody's neck was broken. Mr. Evans was badly mangled. Mr. Cody's sons, Leon and Frank', witnessed tho accident. Leon had intended accompanying his father, but gave way at tho last minuto. Mr. Evaii3 was in tho Indian Civil Service, and was learning aviation. Ho was am Oxford cricketer, being captain of tho team in 1904. Ho joined tie Egyptian Civil Service, and then went to the Sudan. The machine was a new hydroplane, which had beon flown earlier in the morning. It appeared to double up, the wings shooting upwards, and tho whole collapsing at a height of 250 feet, owing to tho body being too heavy for the wings.

The hydroplane was built for tho "Daily Mail" competition in the iaOOO race, and underwent constant trials for a month. Tho first flight took place to-day. The speed was eeventy miles an hour. Mr. Cody was carrying passengers at a fare of five guineas each flight. Ho had jocularly said: "I may as well make a little pocket-money." Colonel Seely (Secretary of State for War) has sent a message of sympathy to Mrs. Cody, in which ho eulogises Mr. Cody's valuable services to' the War Offico. (Rec. 'August 8, 9.25 p.m.) London, August-8. Cody's machine weighed a ton, and was driven, by a 100 horse-power engine. The wings of tho machine spanned 60ft., and its length was 44ft. It is stated that Cody was travelling at a rate of 50 miles an hour. Recently, when criticising a statement at tho inquest upon an aviator named Stenotson as to whether a man of forty was too old to fly, Cody said that he made his first flight when he was fortyseven years of age, and ho hoped that ho would still bo flying when ho was eighty. ("Times"—Sydney "Sun" Special Cables.) (Reo. August 8, 6.55 p.m.) London, August 8. Before, starting on the flight, Cody shouted out to those standing by: "This machino is a beauty—steady as a Tock." _j ■ Mr. S. P. Cody, popularly known na "the Colonel," was 52 years of age. Ho came under the world's eye first when, in August last, lie won tho first prizo for aeroplanes in the British Military Aeroplane Competition after one of tho hardest ordeals tho flying machine has ever undergone. The Cody biplane, built on tho original lines of tho inventor's own design, and flown by him, not only captured tho .£IOOO prizo for an aeroplane wholly manufactured in the United Kingdom, but also tho ,£-1000 prize open to the world. The result was regarded as eminently satisfactory from every point of view. His other prominent achievements wero a 40-milo record cross-country flight in Sonfcombor, 1909, and tho British Michelin Cup in 1910 for a duration flight of 4 hours 27 minutes.

, In 190G Cody was appointed ohief instructor in kite-flying for three years. Later, tlio Admiralty permitted him to make experiments with kites from 'battleships. Later ho went to Farnborough, taking with him a biplane without an engine, which had been givon to him as unworkable. With this he began flying a fow months afterwards in the presence of t.ho King at Aldershot, Fix before Wilbur Wright made his first flight in- France. This biplane formed a greater testimony to Cody's' ability than was generally realised, for it was characterised. by many of tho' features that are found in modern machines.