FRED J. SOUTHARD 1872-1912

 

Amateur Aviator Falls to His Death Fred J. Southard Killed Six Minutes After Start in Own Machine The Daily Times Chattanooga, Tennessee, May 22, 1912, Transcribed by Bob Davis - 8-13-04 Xenia, O., May 2       Fred J. Southard, of Minneapolis, an amateur aviator, fell 1,000 feet at the Wright aviation field today and was instantly killed. Southard, who was forty years old, had just bought the aeroplane from the Wrights.       He fell just six minutes after he had begun the first flight alone.

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "Fred J. Southard", using the Google search engine, (8-14-04), you will find about 2 links, only one of which is clearly relevant.

 

CHAPTER XCIX 1912 AVIATION RECORD OF 1912      This page on the History of the American Nation section of Ancestry.com offers a summary of the aviation activities of 1912. Sadly, the article is introduced by the statement that: "Season Notable Mainly by Reason of an Unusually Long List of Fatalities. -- Forty-six Deaths Reported."      The only reference to Fred J. Southard is the simple statement: May 21. -- Fred J. Southard, Xenia, Ohio.      If time permits, I think you will enjoy reading the entire article. You may access the page by clicking on the title above.

 

May 21. -- Fred J. Southard died on May 21, 1912 in Xenia, Ohio. from newsclipping courtesy of Bob Davis, 8-13-04   Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 

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