Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 June 1912 — WOMAN AVIATOR FALLS TO DEATH [ARTICLE]

WOMAN AVIATOR FALLS TO DEATH

Julia Clarke Killed at Illinois State Fair Grounds. BIPLANE STRIKES A TREE Machine Is Dashed to Ground and Bkull of Victim Crushed—Has Premonition of Her Fate. Springfield, 111., June 18.—Miss Julia Clarke of Denver, Colo., twenty-eight years old, and one of the three flying licensed female aviation pilots, was killed at the Illinois state fair grounds last evening when the tip of one of the wings of a Curtiss biplane in which she was making a flight struck the limb of a tree and the machine was dashed t 6 the ground, crushing her skull. Grimly suspicious of the machine which was alleged to have had an unlucky record, Miss Clarke left a note requesting that if she were killed that her body be taken to Denver for cremation at the Riverside crematory and that she be buried in Denver in a black dress

Flight Was In Practice. The flight was in practice preliminary to an exhibition to be given here on next Friday and Saturday. William Pickens of Chicago, one of the Cur-tiss-Wright exhibition promoters and managers, has been here with Lansing Callan, a French aviatoi, and a number of mechanicians, preparing for the exhibition. Because some question had been raised as to the safety of the machine which was finally wrecked, Lansing Callan made the first flight in it, clrcling about for five minutes. He descended and pronounced the machine in good condition. Smiles as She Makes Start. Miss Clarke, who was in waiting, smilingly took charge of the machine fov her flight, made a beautiful start and circled around the fair grounds for several minutes. As she made a very low sweep the few who were witnessing the trial thought she was about to make a landing, but Instead she flew close to the race track grand stand and attempted to skim by a row of tall trees. She did not clear the trees properly. The machine struck a far-reaching bough and the airship turned turtle, falling with a crash while making a speed of 40 miles an hour.