The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-09-25
DASHED TO DEATH
LIEUT.. SELFRlDGE FATALLY AND
ORVILLE WRIGHT SERIOUSLY
INJURED AT FORT MYER.
AEROPLA FELL Is FEET
Propeller Blade Breaks During Two
Man Flight Causing Machine
to Overturn and
FALL

Washington, Sept. 1S.--After hav-
ing drawn the attention of the world
to his aeroplane flights at Fort Myer
an having established now worlds
records for heavier-thau-air flying ma
chimes, Orville Wright Thursday met
with a tragical mishap while making
a two-man fight. The aeroplanist was
accompanied by Lieut.. Thomas e.
Selfridge, of the Signal Corps of the
army. Lieut.. Selfridge was fatally
injured and died at $40 o'clock
Thursday night. Mr.. Wright was
seriously injured, but is expected to
recover
While the machine was encircling
the drill grounds propeller blade
snapped off and 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 the debris. Soldiers and
spectators ran across the field to
where the aeroplane had fallen and
assisted in lifting Mr.. Wright and
Lieut.. Selfridge from under the
tangled mass of machinery rods, wires
and shreds of muslin. Mr.. Wright was
conscious and said: ooh, hurry and
lift the motor"
Lieut.. Selfridge was unconscious.
His head was covered with blood and
he was choking when the soldiers
l.; hn
chine.
Mr.. Wright had lapsed into state
of sem-consciousness by the time he
reached the hospital, while Lieut. Sell
fridge did not regain consciousness at
all. He was suffering from 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 frac
ture 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-
seriousness at the hospital and dictated
a cablegram to his brother at Lemans,
France, and requested that the same
message be sent to his sister and
father at Dayton, o., assuring them
that he was all right.
Two thousand persons were at the
aeronautical testing grounds at Fort
Myer Thursday afternoon.
Mr.. Wright announced several days
ago that he would take Lieut.. Sci
fridge, who was secretary of the
Aerial 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 as
sist Lieut.. Foulers in operating the
Baldwin airship at the coming army
maneuvers.
After gliding over the ground on it's
runners for 80 feet, the machine rose
gradually and had gained a height of
40 feet when it passed over the start
ing apparatus for the first time. There
was a six-mile wind. The aeroplanist
however, apparently had control of
the aerial flyer, which rose to height
of rs feet as it completed the second
round of the field This height was
maintained on the third round.
While the machine was turning at
the south 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 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 have
averted the accident. Planes and rud
ders were absolutely incapable
righting the machine when it had
turned in that manner. Spectators,
soldiers and officers ran across the
field. 1t was fully a minute before
any one reached the tangled mass.
Lieut.. Thomas E. Selfridge was
born in San Francisco &c years ago
and was appointed to the military
academy at West Point from that
state. He was appointed second
lieutenant in the artillery corps in
1903 and commissioned a first lieuten