The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-09-24
TRAGlCAL MISHAp
WITH AEROPLANE
COSTS One LIFE
orville Wright Badly Hurt and
His Passenger Is
Killed.

Washington, d. G.. Sept. 2l.--After
having drawn the attention OF the
world to his aeroplane flights at Fort
Meyer land having established new
worlds records for heavier than air
flying machines, Orville Wright yester-
terday met with a. traglcal mishap
while making q two mar flight, The
aeroplanist was accompanied by Lieu
tenant Thomas l.. Selfridge, of the sig
nal corps of the army. Lieutenant Sell
fridge was fatally injured and died az
$40 o'clock last night. Mr.. Wright was
seriously injured, put Is expected to
20
While the machine was encircling the
drill grounds q propeller blade snapped
and hitting some other part of the in
tricate mechanism caused 1t to over
enveloping the two occupants In the
debris. Soldiers and spectators ran
across the field to where the acceptance
had fallen and assisted in lifting Mr..
Wright and Lieutenant Selfridge from
under the tangled a of machinery.
rods, wires and shreds of muslin.
Mr.. Wright was conscious and said.
"Oh, hurry and lift the motor"
r Skull Fractured.
Lieutenant Selfridge was unconscious.
His head was covered with blood, and
he was choking when the soldiers ex-
tricated him from und the machine
DR.. Waters, a New York physician.
was n 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
.SeIfridge were taken to Fort Meyer hos
pitaI at the other end of the field. Mr..
Wright had lapsed into a state OF semi
consciousness by the time he reached
the hospital. while Leutenant Seifridge
| ll1 100 Annt, nR,sntA..anAnctn n la
was suffering from the fracture at the
base OF the skull and In q c~ritical
condition.
After a hurried surgical examination
it was announced that Mr.. Wright was
not dangerously injured. He 10 suf-
fering from the fracture OF his left
thigh, n several ribs on the right
side are fractured. Both men received
deep cuts about the head.
Mr.. Wright regained consciousness at
the hospital and dictated a cabiegram
to his brother at Lemans, France, and
requested that the same message ba
sent to- his. sister and father at Day
ton, Ohio. assuring them that he a
all right. .a
Two thousand persons were at the
aeronautic testing grounds at Fort
Meyer this afternoon. Mr., Wright an
nounced several days ago that he
would take Lieutenant Selfridge. who
! was secretary Of the Aerial Experiment
association, and an aeroplanist himself.
In his next flight The young officer
was. delighted to. hnye5 am opportunity
to fly in the acceptance. He was to
leave Saturday for. st. Joseph, Mo-,
where he was to assist Lieutenant
Foulers in operating the Baldwin air.
ship at. the coming army maneuyers.
After Mr.. Wright: told him to9get In
the machine, Lieutenant Selfridge took
off his coat and hat n took his place
In h extra seat next to that Occupied
by Mr.. Wright. The latter started tina
motor by means Of a storage battery.
his assistants, Taylor and Fnrnass.
turning the propellers to get them CO.
ing.
At STA the a~eroplane was released,
and It was noticed that IL did not rise
as quickly from the ground as on pre-
vicus occasions. Lieutenant Selfridge
weighed about 175 pounds, making the
weight greater than the machine had
oVer~-the ground on the runners for
80 feet the machine rose gradually
and had gained a height of 40 feet
when it passed over the starting APP
paratus for the first time. There was
a six mile wind. The aeroplanist.
the aerial fier, which rose to a height
| of rs feet as 1t completed the
second round Of the field. This
height was maintained 4aon4the third
round, =
PIunees to Earth.
While the machine was turning at
the, southern, end Of the field, Several
Thousand feet from the spectators,
some one shouted: What iss that?
Something fell" ".LMa4
Immediately all eyes were on the
%aeroplane and It was seen to turn
over on It's left side and, pausing q
moment, made complete turn and
then came swooping to the earth In
a cloud of dust. No effort on the
part Of the aviator could possibly
aVerted the accident. Planes n
rudders were absolutely incapable or
righting the machine when 1t turned
in that manner. Spectators, soldiers
and officers ran across the field. 1t
was fully a minute before any one
reached the tangled mass,
The mounted soldiers formed o cor
don round the wreckage, while others
frenziedly e~ndeavored-- to lift the
heavy mass of machinery and wood
the ground. gN&
Piece after piece of the wooden
!, frame. work. was broken Off as O half
dozen men e~ndeaVored to free the
injured men. AS soon as they could
be extricated they were, taken to one
SIDE ana PHYSICIANS from the croWu
Of spectators went TO their aid. As
soon as possible Mr.. Wright n Self
ridge were laid on s%tretchers and car
ried to the, hospital .., = va, IA
Mr.. Wright yesterday replaced the
propellers which he has been using
with mother pair, the blades Of which
are six inches longer. They were used
for the first time in yesterdays disas-
trous flight. Many who have witnessed
Mr., wrieht's flights at Fort Meyer be-
lieve the change Of propellers caused
an accident. An examination OF the
broken blade showed it had been
snapped off at a point o~ne-fourth Of
the distance from the hub. A deep In
dentation of the broken piece indicated
that it had struck some other part or
the aeroplane. IE#t5