EUGENE "WILD BILL" HETH 1879-1959

AVIATOR EUGENE HETH - 1914 Berger Aviation Co. (printed on the front part of the plane) Collection of David Steigerwald, 8-5-08

Exciting Experience of Memphis Aviator Journal and Tribune, Knoxville, Tennessee: June 29, 1911 Transcribed by Bob Davis - 9-4-05 Boston, June 28. - A drop of 100 feet in a disabled biplane on the edge of a bank of treacherous quicksand bordering a big, muddy pool on the Dorchester marshes, was the exciting experience today of aviator Eugene Heth of Memphis, Tenn., on his flight as a graduated aviator and Edward Fleet, a mechanician. The two men were aloft at the Harvard aviation field at Squantum in a biplane owned by Louis Mitchell of Memphis. They were soaring nicely when the crankshaft on the biplane suddenly snapped. Then the machine shot down at a rate of twenty-five miles an hour. It sunk into the quicksand but Heth and Fleet were not injured and were able to escape. Note: Louis Mitchell was a well-loved aviator from a small town in a part of Arkansas very near Memphis.

 

Lawrenceburg Press (Thurs, Sept. 3, 1914) - J. S. Berger will come to L'burg from the Wright Bros of Dayton, Ohio. - $750.00 charge, paid by local merchants. - Will fly: upside down, SPIRAL, FIGURE 8, GLIDE   Lawrenceburg Press (Thurs, Sept. 10, 1914) - Will give 2 exhibitions daily on Sept. 14, 15,16. - at least 10 minutes each - will give sensational demonstration of how the modern warfare in Europe is being carried on.   Lawrenceburg Press (Thurs, Sept. 17, 1914) - J. S. Berger, of Berger Aviation Co., is in charge of the demonstration. - Eugene Heth of Detroit makes the flights. - On Monday (Sept. 14) the cylinder overheated shortly after takeoff. - On the 2nd flight of Tuesday, Fred Scott (of Dayton) went up with Heth. - Wright Bros Plane (39 1/2 ft. long, 1200 lbs., 4cyl., 35 H.P.)   Editor's Note: The photograph of Eugene Heth flying the Wright Flyer B, and the newsclippings which described the event, were kindly supplied by David Steigerwald, 1-6-03

FIRST AEROPLANE FLIGHT IN LAWRENCEBURG, IND Collection of David Steigerwald, 1-15-03

 

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