Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-09-19

runners for thirty feet, the machine
rose gradually and had gained
height of forty feet, when it passed
over the starting apparatus for the
| first time. There was a six-mile wind
and 1t was noticed that the machine
did not run as smoothly as on it's for
mer flights, most of which were made
in calm weather The aeroplanists,
however, apparently had control OF the
aerial flyer, which rose to height Of
seventy-five feet as it completed the
! second round of the field. This. height
was maintained on the third round.
Propeller Snaps.
While the machine was turning at
the southern end of the field, several
| thousand feet from the spectators,
someone shouted:
What is that? Something fell
Immediately ell eyes were on the
aeroplane, and it was seen to turn
over in it's left side, and pausing a
moment, made a complete turn and
then came swooping to the earth in
cloud of dust. No effort on the part
of the aviator could possibly have
averted the accident. Planes and rud-
ders were absolutely incapable of
righting the machine when it had
| turned in that manner.
Several officers who were standing
around the starting apparatus ordered
the mounted soldiers over to the wreck
but spectators, soldiers, officers and
newspaper men were already running
across the field 1t was fully a min
ute before anyone reached the tangled
mass.
The mounted soldiers formed cor
dor around the wreckage, while others
frenziedly endeavored to lift the ma
chinery and wood that pinioned
Wright and Selfridge to the ground
Lieut.. Selfridge was groaning ana
choking from internal hemorrhages
Mr.. Wright was as pale as the white
muslin overhead. He asked that the
machine be lifted off his leg.
20, but it will hurt when they touch
that Leg he said.
Piece after piece of the wooden
frame work was broken off as half a
dozen men endeavored to free the in
jured men. AS soon as they could be
extricated they were taken to- one
side Their clothes were loosened
and their wounds bandaged. Attend
ants from the post hospital fastened
across the field and soon Mr.. Wright
and Lieut.. Selfridge were carried to
the hospital.
Puts Longer Blades on Flyer.
Mr.. Wright yesterday replaced the
propellers he has been using with
another pair the blades OF which are
six inches longer They were used
for the first time in yesterdays dis
astrous flight, and many who have
witnessed Mr.. Wright,s flights at Fort
Myer believe the change of propellers
caused the accident. An examination
of the broken blade showed that it
had been snapped off at point one
fourth the distance from the hub. A
deep indentation of the broken piece
indicated that it had struck some 9th
er part of the aeroplane.
Only yesterday morning Mr.. Wright
had been asked what the result would
be if one of his propellers broke while
the machine was in flight.
1.-THE other propeller would tend to
turn the machine around" he said,
"but | would stop the motor and glide
to the earth"
Death of Lieut.. SeIfridge.
At ten minutes after o'clock Lieut..
Selfridge died. He was expecting his
mother, who lives in San Francisco, to
arrive in Washington this month. He
| is a nephew of Admiral Selfridge and
has brother who is an officer in the
navy.
Lieut. Seifridge has been deeply in
4 terested in the problem of flight since
Prof. Alexander Graham Bell began his
experiments at Hammondsport, N. Y,
| several years ago. He was stationed
! 10 or hn -
ton at Fammondsport and witnessed
all the important flights made by the
aeronauts under direction of Prof
Bell
Lieut.. Selfridge was personal friend
Of Charles oliver Jones, who fell tc
death from the airship Boomerang in
Maine several weeks ago. The lieu
tenants advice had been of great helr
in the perfecting OF the Boomerang anC
he supervised the flights of the June
Bug, which established several records
for short flights at hammondsport last
May. He was to have been stationed
at the experiment station in Move
Scotia this fall.
An Enthusiast in Aeronautics.
When Orville Wright announced his
/ intention of making trial flights at For
Mover, SelfridGe was sent to For
! Myer where his expert knowledge O.
aerUnautlcs could be of best service
to the government. lie was one o.
the most enthusiastic believers il
: aeronautics among the officers in the
military service and through his owr
: efforts succeeded in securing a detail
, with the aeronautical division of th'
signal corps.
He was born in San Francisco
twenty-six years ago and was appoint
ed to the military academy at Yves
Point from that state. He was ap.
Y pointed a second lieutenant in thu
| artillery corps in 1907 and commission
, ed first lieutenant your years later.
, OTTUMWA MAN HEAD
OF IOWA CITY OFFICERS