The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-18
Aeroplane 0verturns In
 the Air. INVENTOR IN HOSPITAL;
 HIS COMPANION DEAD Lieutenant Selfridge Sueeumbs to
 Injuries. Flying Ship Breaks Propeller on Fourth Trip at Fort Myer and is Left Complete
 Wreck.


 Washington, Sept. 17-After having drawn the attention of the world to his aeroplane flights at Fort Myer and having established new worlds records for heavier than air flying machines, Orville Wright today met with a tragical mishap while making two- man flight. The aeroplanist was ac- companied by Lieutenant Thomas E.. Selfridge, of the Signal Corps of the Army. Lieutenant Selfridge was fat ally injured and died at S:l0 o'clock tonight.
 MT. Wright was seriously injured, but is expected to recover
 While the machi=e was encircling the drill grounds, propeller blade snapped off and hitting some other part : of the intricate mechanism caused 1t to overturn in the air and fall to the ground, enveioping the two occupants in the debris.
 Soldiers and spectators ran across the field to where the aeroplane had fallen and assisted in lifting MT. Wright and Iieutenat Selfridge from under the tangled mass of machinery, rods, wires and shreds of muslin. MT. Wright was conscious and said:
 'sOh, hurry and lift the motor
 Lieutenant Selfridge was uncon- scious and had apparently struck the ground with great force. His head was covered with blood and he was choking when the soldiers extricated him from under the machine.
 Taken to Hospital.
 Dr. Walters, a New York physician, was one of the first to reach the spot and renderd first aid to the Injured men. When their wounds had been bandaged. Mir. Wright and Lieutenant Seifridge were taken to the Fort Myer Hospital at the other end of the field. Ii was feared that Mr. Wright was suffering from internal injuries. Ha had lapsed into state of semt-con- sciousness by the time he reached the Hospital, while Lieutenant selfridgo did not regain consciousness at all. He was suffering from fracture at the base of the skull and was in critica' condition.
 After a hurried surgical examina- tion it was announced that MT. Wright was not daugerously injured. He ia 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. Mir. Wright regaiued consciousness at the hospital e and dictated a cabfegram to his brother at Lemans. France. and requested $ that the same message be sent to his sister and father at Dayton, Ohio. as- suring them that he was all right Although there have been but hand
 
 ing grounds at Fort Myer during the past few days, fully two thousand had gathered by 4:30 this afternoon. The aeroplane was still 1t it's shed, but Mir. Wright arrived a few minutes later and ordered 1t taken to the northern end of the field to be placed on the starting track in readiness for 8 flight Everybody was ordered back from the [machine and Mir. Wright turned to Lieutenant Selfridge and said:
 You might as well get in. Weu start in couple of minutes"
 Mir. Wright announced several days ago that he would take Lieutenant Selfridge. who is secretary of the Aer- fal Experiment Association, and, 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 assist Lieutenant Foulers in operating the Baldwin airship at the coming army manoeuvers
 Too Great Weight.
 After MT. Wright told him to get in the machine, Lieutenant Selfri6ge took off his coat and hat and took his place in the extra seat next to that occupied by MT. Wright. the latter started the motor by means of storage battery his assistants, Taylor and Furnass, turning the propellers to get them Eo-
 
 ed, and 1t 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 height of forty feet. when 1t 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 former flights, most of which were made In calm weather. The aeroplanists. however. apparently had control of the aerial flyer which rose to a height of seventy five feet as 1t completed the second round of the field. This 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. ."
 Immediately all eyes were on the Aeroplane and it was seen to turn over on it's left side and pausing a moment made complete turn and then came sweeping to the earth in cloud of dust No effort on the part of the avi- ator could possibly have averted the accident. Planes and rudders were ab- solutely incapable of fighting the ma chine when 1t had turned in that man ner. Several officers who were stand ing around the starting apparatus, or dered the mounted soldiers over to the wreck. but spectators. soldiers, off, cers and newspaper men were already running across the field. It was fully A minute before any one reached the tangled mass.
 Covered with Blood.
 The mounted soldiers formed cor don around the wreckage. while others frenziedly endeavored to life the heavy mass of machinery and wood that pin toned Wright and Selfridge to the ground. Lieutenant Selfridge's face was covered with blood and he was grooming and choking from the inter- nal hemorrhage. Orville Wright lay by his side his face as pale as the mass of white muslin overhead He was conscious and asked that the machine be lifted off his leg.
 "Oh, but 1t will hurt when they touch Safd Mir Wright.