Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-18

rate, sOrer ana quicker imam the ma
chinery Of the great army organization,
snatched Lieut.. Thomas e. Selfridge from
the midst OF a career to which he was
devoted by inheritance and choice, al
though at the moment of the frightful
accident which caused his death army or
ders were in his possession which would
carry him a thousand miles westward.
Had these orders been issued sooner
they would have probably saved a good
man to the army and to the world.
Acting Chief Signal Officer Squier made
out an order Wednesday detailing Lieut..
Selfridge to duty at the military exposi.
ton at st. Joseph. Mo. The army custom
is to send the order to the officer inter-
ested, in printed form, twenty-four hours
later.
Had Lieut.. se.fridge received his order
to Immediately proceed to St. Joseph
today. AS 1t turned out. his baggage was
packed and he was in readiness to leave
Washington this morning. He went
aboard the aeroplane. taking advantage
Of last chance to make a trip before
joining Lieut.. Foulois In St. Joseph.
When the experiments with the Baldwin
dirigible were being made Lieut.. Selfridge
became adept at handling the great bal
Don. For this reason the War Depart
where Lieut.. Foulois was stationed to
demonstrate the military adaptability OF
the dirigible balloon.
Lieut.. Foulois recently sent word to
Washington that the balloon was assem-
bled. Orders were then made out for
Se.fridge to report at st. Joseph. to ham
die the rudder Of the airship.
Selfridge had pretentous plans for the
future work Of the Signal Corps In aero
nautics. He always refused to discuss
them for publication.
Through the death OF Lieut.. Selfridge
he army has lost one of the finest and
most promising Of its younger officers.
He was a splendid type OF young man
hood, both physica iy and mentally. and
had a keen scientific mind, from which
much was expected in the progress OF
army aeronautics.
Selfr:dge came from the famous fight
States Navy. He was a nephew Of Rear
Admiral Thomas Oliver Selfridge, jr.,
who has been on the retired list of the
navy since the early part Of 1908
To this family belongs tn distinction
that cannot be claimed by any other ma
val family Of the country-that Of hav-
ing seen two Of its members, father ana
son. upon the active list of the navy
as rear admirals at the same time. This
was true in the case OF the late Rear
Admiral Thomas o. Selfrdge, ST., ana
his son Of the same name.
Young Selfridge was a native OF Cali
fornia, having been born at san francis
co February s, 1882. He entered West
August 80 1899. Upon his graduation. in
June. 1903, he was commissioned sec
ond lieutenant of the Artillery Corps, and
shortly afterward he became hrst iien-
tenant Of the LIST Field Artillery al
though at the time of his death he was
a member Of the Army Signal Corps by
special detail at the request of Cen
James Allen, chief OF that wing Of the
army.
had devoted most OF his time to the
study of a ronautics, with special refer
ence to their application to military uses:
In this work he had been the principal
protese of DR.. Alexander Graham beii,
ben experimenting with tetrahedra!
kites.
During the last year he had been work
ing under the direction of DR.. Bell In the
experiments which have been conducted
under the auspices of the american
Aerial Association at Hammondsport. y.
Y and at DR.. Bells experimental station
In Nova Scotia.
Made Flights Before.
Lieut.. Selfridge was made secretary OF
the Aerial Experiment Association.
He supervised the construction of the
first aeroplane built by the experiment
association. the Red Wing. which made
a successful flight at Hammondsport
March II last. Lieut.. Selfridge made
fights n this and the other two aero
planes built by the association, the other
members OF which are DIR. Bell. Glenn n.
Curtiss, J. A. D. McCurdy and +. w.
Ba dwin.
At Hammondsport Se'friige worked IN
the Curtiss motor shop and flmiliaEizeo
himself with motors. te studied the
theory Of aero nsutics and put his ~ %
~etical knoS edge INTO nraot or"ia lon.
He des gned The olellor of tGs Ia ;"in
n!rsh.p, w,.iC!I cons dersc by experts
. marvel for efficiency
His friend and o-RITker vas 9 cn1 II.
Cur;iss hui.ce. of tie notor fur IT, "a IL
win airship and winner 81 the -itn-4nc
American pr re last July ~!tn TIE aero
plan. known as the June DnS. Se.frtdse
Will al Ha Hcmondsport made fight n
the June Bug.
He mas been at Fort Myer as a member
of the army board on aeronautical tests
ever since the tests began with the arrival
of the Baldwin dirigib at that post two
months ago. After the acceptance OF
that craft Seifridge made a n nber OF
successful flights in the Baldwin craft
alternately with Capt. Baldwin and
Lieuts Lahm and Foulois.
Lieut.. Selfridge was deeply intere. ed In
the aeroplane work of Orvliie Wright and
was especially anxious to make a flight
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