Rome, Sept, 11.
Mystery surrounds a fatal accident at Lake Garda to-day which resulted in the death of Lieutenant Bellini, ong of Italy's most fame pilots, who had been nominated member of the Italian team whi it was hoped would compete for the Schneider Trophy. It is, impossible to venture any surmise of the caus of the tragedy at present, but, mission of inquiry has been in-tuted to thoroughly investigate matters.
Lieutenant Bellini, in one of the latest type of, seaplanes, was making a trial trip in perfect weather above Garda. He was taking a carve when the engine was heard to Sop dead and the machine crashed and burst into flames in the sight hundreds of horrified spectators. 'A number of persons rushed to the scene of the crash but the only thing that could be done was to trieste the charred remains of the ant pilot's body.
Meanwhile, the court of enquiry, which has been investigating the cause of the disaster last March in which two of Italy's most distinguished pilots, Lieut. Co: onel Maddalena and Captain Cecconi and mechanic, Engineer-Lieutenant Damonte, lost their lives, suggests, that it was due to the lighting of a cigarette in the closed cabin of the plane, It's Known that Lieut, Colonel Maddalena was in the habit of smoking when -he was fying. In fact, he had invented an electric contrivance by means of which he could light a cigarette in an open aeroplane. It is thought by the court of enquiry that on the occa~ sion of the tragedy the air in the cabin of the plane became saturatdit ohe fumes of goalie owing {to a leak and that the lighting of a cigarette caused an explosion which blew the machine to pieces.
Tt was Colonel Maddalena who led the relief expedition in 1928 which found several members of the crew of the Italia, the alt ship of the ill-fated Nobile Expedition to the North Pole, Colonel Mad-galena himself spotted from the ale General Nobile's little ved. tent la the Arctic ice—Through Reuter.
An Air Race Won at 236 DPA, Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 7.
Flying a G-B speedster model plane, Mr. Lowell Bayles, of Spring field, 'Massachusetts, to-day won thee race' for the Charles E. Thompson [Trophy, the lust event of the National Air Races which opened here Jon August 29. Mr. Bayles, who competed against some of the [world's best speed pilots, attaine jan average speed of 236.239 miles jan hour, which was approximately }35. miles an hour better than the Previous record. Last year, over a short, course of five-mile laps, the late "Speed". Holman averaged a little better than 201 miles an hour win. The race this year was over longer course of ten-mile laps. According to Mr. Bayles, who won 1G.$15,000 in addition to the trophy, Ihe had expected to do 240 miles ant hour.—United Press,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.