The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-18

ped and, hitting some other part of
the intricate mechanism, caused it to
overturn in the air and fall to the
ground, enveloping the two occupants
in the debris. Soldiers and spectators
ran across the field to where the aero
plane had fallen and assisted in lifting
Mr.. Wright and Lieutenant Selfridge
from under the tangled mass of ma
chinery rods, wires and shreds of mus
lin. Mr.. Wright was conscious and
said:
"Oh, hurry and lift the motor"
Lieutenant Selfridge was uncon-
scious. His head was covered with
blood and he was choking when the
soldiers extricated him from under the
machine.
DR.. Waters, a New York physician,
was one of the first to reach the spot
and rendered first aid to the injured
men When their wounds had been
bandaged, Mr.. Wright and Lieutenant
Selfridge were taken to the Fort Myer
hospital at the other end of the field.
Mr.. Wright had lapsed into a state
of semi-consciousnes by the time he
reached the hospital, while Lieutenant
Selfridge did not regain consciousness
at all. He was suffering from frac-
ture at the base of the skull and was
in a critical condition. After a hur-
ried surgical examination it was an
nounced that Mr.. Wright was not dan
Rerously injured He is suffering from
a fracture of his left thigh and several
ribs on the right side are fractured.
Both men received deep cuts about
the head Mr.. Wright regained con-
sciousness at the hospital and die
tated a cablegram to his brother at
Lemans, France, and requested that
the same message be sent to his sis
ter and father at Dayton, Ohio, assur-
ing them that he was all right.
Big Crowd Saw 1t.
Two thousand persons were at the
testing grounds at Fort Myer.
Mr.. Wright announced several days
ago that he would take Lieutenant
Selfridge. who is secretary of the
Aerial Experiment association, an
aeroplanist himself, in his next flight
The young officer was delighted to
have an opportunity to fly in the aero
plane. He was to leave Saturday for
St Joseph, Mo, where he was to as
sist Lieutenant Foulers in operating
the Baldwin airship at the coming
army maneuvers.
After Mr.. Wright told him to get in
the machine Lieutenant Selfridge
took off his coat and hat and took
his place in the extra seat next to
that occupied by Mr. Wright. The
latter started the motors by means of
a storage battery, his assistants. Tay-
lor and Furnass, turning the pro-
pellers to get them going. When the
aeroplane was released it was noticed
that it did not rise as quickly from
the ground as on previous two man
flights Lieutenant Selfridge weighed
about 175 pounds making the weight
greater than the machine had ever
carried before.
After gliding over the ground on it's
runners for thirty feet the machine
rose gradually and had gained a
height of 40 feet when it passed over
the starting apparatus for the first
time. There was six mile wind.
The aeroplanist, however, apparently
had control of the aeroplane, which
rose to a height of IS feet as it com
pleted the second round of the field.
The height was maintained on the
third round.
While the machine was turning at
the southern end of the field. several
thousand feet from the spectators,
some one shouted:
What is that? Something FELL
Machine Turned Over
Immediately all eyes were on the ae-
roplane and it was seen to turn over
on its left side and. pausing a moment
made a complete turn and then came
swooping to the earth in a cloud OF
dust. No effort on the part of the
aviator could possibly have averted The
accident. Planes and rudders were alb
solutely incapable of righting the ma
chine when II had turned in that man.