Miss England II.

Evening Star, Issue 20510, 14 June 1930, Page 14

Miss England 11.

TERRIFIC SPEED BOAT'S BOWS COLLAPSE LONDON, Juno 13. (Received Juno 14, at 10.10 a.m.) Sir Henry Segrave had established a record of 96.41 miles per hour before the crarh came. The boat’s bows were crippled under the speed. When she reappeared on the surface, bottom up, there was a great rent in her hull, and she sank later. Thousands of people lining the shores witnessed the tragedy. Miss England had covered a measured mile. She turned and travelled a further two miles at almost maximum speed. The boat seemed to swerve violently, and to plunge under too water. The spectators screamed and women fainted. Dozens of speed boats rushed‘to help. Willcocks was the first to be rescued, witli bLod streaming from his face. A man dived, fully clothed, and brought up Sir Henry Segrave. The search for Halliwell was fruitless. WORLD'S RECORD BROKER 88.75. MILES PER HOUR (British Official Wireless.) Prcu Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. RUGBY, Juno 13. (Received June 14, at' noon.) The disaster to Miss England 11. occurred while Sir Henry Segrave was making a trial run preparatory to a formal attempt on tho world’s water speed record on Lake Windermere. It is learned that Sir Henry Segrave’s injuries included two broken arms, a broken leg. and broken ribs, one of which perforated the lung. Sir Henrv Segrave took Miss England 11., with her huge engines, out ’into the lake ar 2 o’clock. Fitted to her was a bronze propeller brought from London to replace the one broken yesterday. Within a few seconds the boat was travelling at a terrific speed. After covering the measured mile up tho lake she turned, and there was another terrific burst of speed as she covered the mile down tho lake. For the third time the boat turned, and travelled at almost her maximum speed. The roar of giant engines echoed from one shore to another ; then she seemed to accelerate suddenly. She appeared to swerve violently and plunge beneath the water. A huge mass of white spray went up, and it was several seconds before tho graceful craft was seen

again. Willcocks was badly injured over the eyes, and Lis thigh was broken. Sir Henry Segrave was picked up unconscious Both were taken ashore and 1 sent to hospital. Sir Henry Segrave was saved by a man named King, who ; was in one of the motor boats, first on t the scene. The body of Halliwell has not yet been recovered. There was no one else in the boat. j Several theories are being advanced ' regarding the cause of the disaster. I One eye-witness says that “the step” on the bottom of the boat suddenly seemed to burst, arid the boat swerved terribly before capsizing. Another view is that the boat hit a piece of driftwood, which would have been sufficient to cause the accident. * After the disaster the timekeepers announced officially that Miss England beat the world’s re.cord during her first two runs with a mean speed of 98.75 miles pei hour against the previous best of 93.4 miles set up by the American, Gar Wood. The speed on the first run wa. 96.41 miles per hour, and on the second run 101.11 miles per hour. | The figures of th© new record will be forwarded to tlw International Marine Yachting Union for official recognition as a new world record. I Sir Henry Segrave, before his death, had thus achieved the double distinction of creating world records for speed on both laud and water At Daytona Beach, Florida, on March 11, 1929, in the racing car Golden Arrow, ho set up a world’s record for land with an average speed of 231.36 miles per hour, beating by nearly twenty-four miles per hour the record set up the previous year by Ray Keech, the American driver. It was for this magnificent achievement that he was knighted. I Sii, Henry Segravc’s triumph was marred by tragedy, for two days after his brilliant success Lee Bible, an American driver, was killed there in attempting to eclipse Sir Henry Segrave’s figures. I Sir Henry Segrave, who was 3-1 years old, was educated at Eton and Sandhurst, and served in the Great War with the Second Warwickshire Regiment and the Royal Air Force. He was three times wounded, and was mentioned in despatches. In 1917 he was private secretary to the Chief of Air Staff, and in the following year i went, on a British aviation mission to j Washington.,

A Fatal Explosion Sir Henry Segrave Dies From Injuries Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, June 13*' (Received June 14, at 10.10 a.m.) Miss England 11. was attemptin_ to establish a world’s record when ar. explosion caused her to overturn. The Rolls-Royce expert (Halliwell) is missing. The mechanic (Willcocks) was severely injured. Sir Henry Segrave was rescued suffering from a broken arm and a fractured leg, and his ribs were crushed. He died a few hours later.

NEWSPAPER TRIBUTES . “A MOST GALLANT SPORTSMAN 'i LONDON, June 13. (Received June 14, at 12.30 p.m.) The world’s speed boat record o? 98.75, not 96.41, cost England the Ufa of one of its most gallant sportsmen. The newspapers unitedly mourn the loss of Sir Henry Segrave and Mr Halliwell while paying tribute to their indomitable gallantry. They state that apparently the step bolted to the bottom of the boat shifted slightly, admitting water between it and the boat’s true bottom, creating a terrific break and making tho vessel unmanageable. , THE PRELIMINARY TRIALS A wireless message from Rugby, dated ‘tlie ilth mst. reau:—lt was revealed to-oay tnat in an unomciai trial of tne speeu boat iVUss England u. last mgnt on Hake umdermeie oir Henry toegravo covered a measured mile at a speed of 109.8 nmes per Hour. This is seventeen miles above the present record speed it cannot, of course, ba accepted for record purposes, because the timekeepers, were not officially present, but air Henry segrave said: “ vVe have verified the speed. It is an amazing performance. 1 now know that Miss England will do 120 miles an hour on a full throttle. I intend to go for the official record to-morrow.” Next evening, the 11th, in very calm water,'Miss England did 101.9 miles an hour. The propeller used on Tuesday was of bronze, and failed to withstand the pressure of tho water. Sir Henry intends to use a new highly-tested steel propeller SIR HENRY SEGRAVE SUPERB DARING AND GGOL SKILL Sir Henry ; Segrave was born in the United States, his father being an Englishman. He was educated at Eton, one c -England’s most famous schools. He early took a keen interest in me* chanics and aviation, and during the Great War served in tho Royal Air Force. While flying over the German lines he was shot down fro a height of B,oooft, and though he managed to land safely, it proved to be the end! of his flying career. After he had recovered, he became secretary to tho Minister for Air, where his knowledge of internal combustion engines and \ dynamics was -of great value to the department, and where he did some valuable work. His speed records include several different sports. In motor boat racing he achieved a world’s record at Miami last year. Everyone, whether directly or ini directly , interested in motoring, or even | not interested at all, felt thrilled when they read of Sir Henry Segrave’s amaz--1 ing exploit on Daytona Beach in March. of last year, when, in his powerful car I The Golden Arrow, he broke the world’s I record for motor-driven vehicles by travelling at the phenomenal speed of 231.36246 miles per hour. The honour of knighthood conferred upon Segrave by the King was a fitting reward for tho man who carried into the country of his opponents his successful attempt! to exceed the existing speed record. Even America, however, could not refrain from paying her tribute to his ability as a driver at more than racing speeds, and before he returned to England Sir Henry was feted and made much of in the country of the Stars and Stripes. It was perhaps a pity that in no part of the British Isles could a track be found sufficiently straight and flat for the full “ opening out ” of the most powerful car tho world has ever known. And yet it was not, after all, inappropriate that the mighty performance should have been done bn Daytona Beach, Florida, which has been tho scene of many previous speed records which iiow seem puny when placed side by side with Sir Henry Segrave’s tremendous figures. America is a land of big things, and it is all the more striking that this great effort should have electrified all parts of the world at once. However great and wonderful one must consider the machine which rendered the feat possible, one’s most intense admiration must very naturally be reserved for the man who brought" to what in essence was merely a scientific experiment of the superb daring and cool skill of the. trained motor driver. To those who are content to drive small and low-powered cars tho act of treading upon gas sufficent to command the strength of one thousand horses requires more _thgn a little courage as well as considerable dexterity to control the result.