Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-09-18
LIEUTENANT sELFRDGE KILLED
Army officer Making Trip with Aero
pianist Has Skull Fractured.
WRIGHT Is BADLY INJURED
Inventor Has Left Thigh and Several
Ribs Broken.
sELFRIDGE FAMILY PROMINENT
Dead Omcer is Nephew OF ReaF
Admiral seIfridge and Has
Brother in the
Navy.

Navy.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17.-Atter 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 a two-man flight. The aeroplanist
was accompanied by Lieutenant Thomas r.
selfridge of. the signal corps of the army.
Lieutenant selfridge was fatally injured
and died at $40 o'clock tonight Mr..
Wright was seriously injured, but is eN-
pected to recover.
While the machine was encrcling the
drin grounds a 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, enveopng the two
occupants in the debris. Soldiers and spec
tators ran across the field to where the
aeroplane had fallen and assisted In lift
ing Mr. Wright and Lieutenant Selfridge
from under the tangled mass OF machinery.
rods, wires and shreds of muslin Mr..
Wright was conscious and said: "Oh,
hurry and lift the motor"
Lieutenant Selfridge was unconscious.
His head was covered with blood and he
was choking when the soldiers eXtricated
him from under the machine.
victims Taken to Hospital.
DR.. Waters, New York physician, was
one of the first to reach the spot and rem
dered first aid to the injured men. When
their wounds had been bandaged Mr..
Wright and Lieutenant Selfrdge were
taken to the Fort Myer hospital at the
other end OF the field.
Mr.. Wright had lapsed into a state of
semi-consciousnes by the time he reached
the hospital, while Lieutenant Selfridge did
not regain consciousness at ALL He was
suffering from a fracture at the base Of
the skull and was in critical condition.
After a hurried surgical examination 1t
was announced tl.at Mr.. Wright was not
dangerously injured. He is suffering from
fracture of his left thigh and several
ribs on the right side fractured. Both
men received deep cuts about the head.
| Mr.. Wright regained consciousness at the
hospital and dictated 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 aero
nautical testing grounds at Fort Myer this
afternoon.
! Mr.. Wright announced several days
/ ago that he would take Lieutenant Self
ridge, who is secretary Of the Aerial Ex-
pertinent association and aeroplanist him
| self in his next flight. The young officer
was delighted to have an opportunity to
! fly in the aeroplane. He was to leave
Saturday for st. Joseph, Mo-, where he
was to assist Lieutenant Fouers in oper
ating the Baldwin airship at the coming
army maneuvers.
Lieutenant seIfridGe IL Delighted.
After Mr.. Wright told him to get into
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 the motor by
means of a storage battery, his assistants,
Taylor and Furnass, turning the propellers
to get them going. At 5;14 he aerolane
was released and it was noticed that it
did not rise as quickly from the ground
as on the previous two-man flights. Lieu
tenant selfridge weighed about 175 pounds.
making the weight greater than the ma
chine had ever carried before,
After gliding over the ground on its run
ners for thirty feet the machine rose grad
ually and had gained a height of forty feet
| when II passed over the starting appa-
ratus for the first time, There a six
mile wind The aeroplainst, however, ap-
parently had control OF the aerial flier,
which rose to a height of seventy-fivs 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
southern end of the field, several thou
sand feet from the spectators, someone
shouted:
What is that? Something fell"
Immediately all eyes were on the aero
plane and It was seen to turn over on its
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 have
possibly averted the accident. Planes and
rudders were absolutely incapable OF right
ing the machine when It turned in that
manner Spectators soldiers and Officers
ran across the field. 1t was fully a minute
before anyone reached the tangled mass
Injured Men ExtricRted,
The mounted soldiers formed Gordon
around the wreckage, while others fren-
ziedy endeavored to lift the heavy mass
OF machinery and wood that pinioned
Wright and Se!fridge 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 extrlcated they were
taken to one side and physicians from the
crowd Of spectators went to their aid.
As soon as possible Mr., Wright and Lieu
tenant Selfridge were laid on stretchers
and carried to the hospital
As the gasoline tank had been pierced
when the machine crashed to the ground
there was great danger that some person
might come too near with a lighted cigar
or cigarette and add an explosion to tn,
disaster. Soldiers, however kept the CROWD
az a safe distance,
Mr.. Wright's leg and two ribs were sci
by DIR. L. l.. Waters Of New York and
Surgeon Bailey Of the army. The surgeonl
took Lieutenant sefridge 10 the operating
room ana removed the part Of the broker
skull over the left eye, which was causing
cOnvulsiOns.
seIfridge Family Prominent.
Al ten minutes after s o'clock Lieutenan
Selfridge died lie had not regained con
sciousness. He was expecting his mother
who lives In San Francisco. to arrive /: