Harry’s only comment at the time was: “It was due to pure carelessness. I let the engine get cold.” In so claiming entire responsibility for an accident, Harry unconsciously displayed his love for the cause of aviation. An accident seen by a large crowd is essentially a set-back to the advancement of commercial aviation. Presumably to avert this as far as possible, Harry said: “Blame me, not the aeroplane,” or words to that effect.
Some days later, on Wednesday, March 11th, Harry appeared in Melbourne, smiling and unperturbed by the previous unfortunate occurrence. “There was,” he said, “nothing at all about the accident of an alarming nature; I was never further from a serious smash-up in my life. It was not a flying accident at all, for the mishap occurred after I had landed, when the machine was nothing more or less than a motor-car. I was in danger of running into a fence, and I did the only thing possible to avoid such a calamity, which would have meant serious damage to the engine. There are no brakes on the landing chassis, which was broken simply because I brought the machine up so abruptly. The biplane will be ready by Saturday, when I shall carry several passengers. Many more applications have been received, and I have as many as thirty contracts for flights at £20 a time.”
There was a considerable amount of flying in Australia in 1914. During May a Farman seaplane was being demonstrated at Sydney. One of the famous French pilots, Guillaux, was flying in Australia in April. He looped-the-loop for the first time there, and aroused considerable interest, following on Harry’s demonstrations.
CHAPTER XI
A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS
Harry’s First Loops—Flying to Manchester—Harry is Taken Ill in the Air—He Returns and Lands Safely—And Collapses—An Extraordinary Accident—A Very Narrow Escape.