The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-09-22
FLYING MACHINE
BADLY WRECKED
WRIGHT AND COMPANION HURL-
ED TO GROUND.
Lieut.. Selfridge Dies Later-Inventor
Sustains Severe Injuries But
Will Recover.

" HIS delOoldIe llIStlS dt L OIL INeN-
er and having established new world
records for heavier-than-air flying
machines, Orville Wright today met
with a tragical mjShap while making
a two-man flight. The aerplanist was
accompanied was Lieut.. ThoS. +. Sci
fridge Of the signal corps Of the
army.
Lieut.. Selfridge was fatally injured
and died at $40 'clock tonight. Mr..
Wright was seriously Injured. but is
expected to recover
While the machine vas encirc]ing
the drill grounds a propeller blade
snapped off 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 tie debris.
Soldiers and spectators ran across
the field to where the aeroplane lad
fallen and assisted in lifting Mr..
Wright! and Lieut.. Selfridge from I'm.
der the tangled mass Of machinery.
rods, wires and shreds Of muslin.
Mr.. Wright was conscious and said:
<'0h. hurry and lift the motor -
Lieut.. Sclfridge was unconscious and
had apparently struck the eround
with great force. His head was coy
cred with blood and he Was choking
when the soldiers extricated him from
under the machine.
DR.. Waters, a New York physi-
clan, 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 ard
Lieut. Seifridge were taken to the
Forth Meyer hospital at the other
end Of the field It was feared that
Mr.. Wright was suffering from in
ternal injuries. He had lapsed into
a state Of semi-consciousness by the
time he reached the hospital, while
Lieut.. Selfridge did not regain con-
sciousness at all. He was suffering
from a fracture at the base of the
skull and was in a critical condition.
After a hurried surgical examination
it was announced that Mr.. Wright
was not dangerously 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 dictat-
ed a cableeram to his brother at Le-
mans, France, and requested that the
same message be sent to his sister
and father at Dayton, Ohio, assuring
them that he was all right.
Large Crowd Sees Start.
Fully 200 person had gathered in
anticipation of a flight by 4.30 this
afternoon. The aeroplane was still in
its shed. but Mr.. Wright arrived a
few minutes later and ordered it
taken to the northern end Of the field
to be placed on the starting track in
readiness for flight.
Everybody was ordered back from
the machine and Mr.. Wright turned
to Leiut. Selfridge aud said:
<'You might as we'll get in. Well
start in couple of minutes,
Mr.. Wright announced several days
ago that he would take Lieut.. Sell
fridge. wfo is secretary Of the Aerial
Experiment association and an aero
pianist himself. on his next flight.
The young officer was delighted to
nave an opportunity to fly in the
aeroplane. He was to leave Satur-
day for St. Joseph, Mo-, where he
was to assist Lieut.. Foulois in operat-
ing the Baldwin airship at the COM
ing army manoeuvres.
Lieut.. Selfridge took off his coat
and hat and took his place in the
extra seat next to that occupied by
Mr.. Wright. Mr.. Wright later start
ed the motor by means Of storage
battery, his assistant, Taylor and
Furness, tnra,ng the propellers to
get them going. At 5.14 the aeroplane
was released and it was noticed that
it did not rise as quickly from the
ground as on previous two-man flights.
Lieut.. Selfridee weighed about 1I3
pounds. making the weight greater
than the machine had ever carried
before.
After gliding over the ground on