The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-09-25
TRAG|CAL M|SHAP
WITH AEROPLANE
COSTS ONE LIFE
orville Wright Badly Hurt and
His Passenger Is
Killed.

Washington, D. c.. Sept. 21,--After
having drawn the attention OF the
world to his a%eroplane flights at Fort
Never and having established new
worlds records for heavier than air
living machines, Orville Wright yester-
teraav met with a tragical mishap
while making Il two man llSht. Inc
aeroplanist WAS impair by Lieu
tenant Thomas l.. SelfridSe, OF the sig
nal corps of the army. Lieutenant Sell
fridge was fatally injured md died az
$40 o'clock last night. Mr.. Wright was
seriously injured, but is expected TO
recover.
While the machine was encircling the
drill grounds a propeller plade
and hitting some other part Oh the m
tricate mechanism caused 1t TO over
turn in the air and fall to tho ground
e~nveloping the two occupants IN the
debris. Soldiers and spectators ran
across the field to where the aeroplane
had fallen and assisted in llftlng Mr.
Wright ami Lieutenant Sclfridge from
under the tangled mass of machinery.
rods, wires and shreds of muslin.
Mr.. Wright was conscious INC said:
"Oh, hurry and lift the MOTOR
Skull Fractured.
Lieutenant Selfridge was unconscious.
His head was covered with blood, and
he was choking when the soldiers eX-
trtcated him from under the
DIR. Walters, a New York physician,
was one of the first to a the spot
and rendered first aid to the injured
men. When their wounds had been
bandag ed. Mr.. Wright and Lieutenant
Seliridge We're taken to Fort Meyer hos
pital at the other end of the field. Mr..
Wright had lapsed into a state of semi
consciousness by the tim he reached
the hospital. while Lieutenant Selfridge
I;l ,,nt ,ap,t,, pccin1Cls. 81 .t all IJn
suffering from the fracture at the
base of the skull and was in a critical
condition.
After Il hurried surgical examination
it was announced hat MIR. Wright was
not dangerously injured. He is suf-
fering from the fracture of his left
thigh. and several ribs on the right
side are fractured. Both men received
deep cuts about the head.
MIR. Wright r1g;Jined consciousness at
the hospital and dictated n cablcgram
to his brother at Lenlans, France. and
requested that the same message be
sent to his sister and father at Day.
ton, Ohio. assuring them that he was
right.
1000 Witness.
Two thousand persons We're at the
.aeronautic testing grounds at Fort
Meyer this afternoon. Mr.. Wright an
unc several days ago that he
would take Lieutenant %selfridge. who
vas secretary of the Aerial Experiment
association, and an aeroplanist himself.
in his next flight. The young officer
was delighted to a IN opportunity
to fly in the aeroplane. He was to
Saturday for st. Joseph, Mo-,
he was to assist Lieutenant
Foulers in operating HI Baldwin air.
ship at the coming army maneuvers.
After Mr.. Wright told him to get in
the machine, Lieutenant Selfridge took
off his coat and hat and took his place
in the extra seat next to that occupied
by Mr.. Wright. The latter started this
motor by means of a storage battery.
turning the propellers to get them GO
ing.
At 5:14 the aeroplane was released,
1t was noticed that it did not rise
as quickly from the ground as on pre-
occasions. Lieutenant Selfridge
weight greater than the machine had
ever carried before. After gliding
ever the ground on the runners for
80 feet the machine rose gradually
and had gained a height of 40 feet
when 1T passed over the starting APP
a six mile wind. The aeroplanist.
however. apparently had control Of
the aerial tiier, which rose to a height
of 20 feet as it completed the
second round of the field. This
height was maintained on the third
Plunges to Earth.
While the machine was turning at
the southern end of the field, several
thousand feet from the spectators,
some n shouted: What is that?
Something fell"
Immediately all yes We're on the
aeroplane and it was seen to turn
over on ITS loft Si1a and no,1ciro "a
moment. made a 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 HI accident. Planes and
rudders We're absolutely incapable OF
righting the machine when it 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 a COR
don around the wreckage. while others
frenziedly endeavored to lift the
heavy mass Of machinery and wood
that pinioned Wright and Selfridge to
the ground.
Piece after piece of the wooden
frame work was broken off as a half
dozen men endeavored to free the
injured men. AS soon as they could
be extricated they We're taken to one
side and physicians from the crowd
Of spectators went to their aid. AS
soon as possible Mr.. Wright and Self
ridge were laid on ~stretchers and car
ried to the hospital.
Mr.. Wright yesterday replaced the
propellers which he has been using
with another 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
MI. Wright'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
hat 1T had struck some other part OF
the %aeroplane.
BUSH FIRES CHECKED.
Port Arthur, Ont. Sept. 21.-Al dan
ger from bush fires which have threat
~-0Il ID lfA.