Norwich, CT – September 3, 1913

Norwich, Connecticut – September 3, 1913

Maplewood Cemetery

     The 1913 New London County Fair was held in Norwich, Connecticut, on September 1st, 2nd, & 3rd.  On the last day of the fair, a young aviator identified as Knox Martin was giving demonstration flights of his Curtis bi-plane.  During the course of the day he made four successful flights, taking off from the fair grounds, circling the city, and landing back at the fair.  At 3:00 p.m. he took off on his fifth flight and headed in a southerly direction, but before long his motor started skipping so he turned back towards the fair grounds.  As he was making his approach at an altitude of 700 feet the motor quit and Martin began looking for a clear area to land.  Seeing the Maplewood Cemetery below, he made for it, but as he neared the ground he saw that he was going to collide with a large tree, so he made a sharp turn to avoid it.  While doing so he was pitched from the plane and fell to the ground.  Meanwhile the airplane continued on and wrecked in the cemetery. 

     Surprisingly, Martin only received bumps and burses.  By 3:45 p.m. he was back at the fair grounds waving to cheering crowds.  

     Source:

     The Day, “Airship Smashed At Norwich Fair”, September 4, 1913.     

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