The Washington times., 1908-09-18
LAST FLIGHT OF WRIGHT AEROPLANE
BEGINS JUST LIKE MANY BEFORE 1T
BUT BROKEN PROPELLER DEALS DEATH
PHOTO ~ O = SUCR

braces had penetrated his scalp for
three-QUarLers of an inch ana that ne
had sustained a double fracture Of the
skull
Doctors Work Fast
While the doctors worked over him
with haste and with just a little hope.
at $40 O'Clock. almost three hours after
the machine fell, the officer died
The stimulaEL which DR.. Johnson gave
Mr. Wright kept him from faintiuE and
be was conscious, not only Of the accl-
dent but Of the pain he was suffering
He cautioned the men who placed him
on the StTCtChcr not TO touch his leg
and wanted 20 know also how Lleuteu-
ant Selfridge was coming through.
After he had been placed on the cot
in the hospital, the next thought OF the
inventor was Tor the machine that has
cost him SO many days and nights OF toll
and thought and saving he called Tor
Octave CIauute. the preCeutOr OF him
SELF and his brother. the man who
taught them 20 glide so many years
ago.
Mr. Wright wanted to discuss the ac-
Cldent with Mr.. ChanLtc. eager, appar-
entity. again to try his skill and his
knowledge against the winds and the
law Of gravity. The physicians, how
ever. would not permit d and after
time he grew quiet
Stretchers Hurry Away.
While the stretchers were hurried 10
dust OF hundreds Of shutting staining
feet mingled with that from scores or
automobiles and formed sort Of fu1er-
al procession for the man who was
fatally injured over al the sceLe there
hung an almost breatIleSS quiet. broken
only now and then by the sharp noise
OF starting auto or the quick gallOp
Of a cavalryman.
The cars hasteniT z TO the city came
pounding by at intervals and a
few Of the specta tors buarded them
but most remained 70 see how
the brown uniformed figure would
come out. The lights Of the fort came
out one by one The clouds. gathering
since early in the evening, grew more
and more sullen and out in the west
the sun dipped slowly down through q
pail Of smoke the haze of SeDrember
and the coming fall, and day that
started so glOrlOusly ended with sadness.
Around the machine, the soldiers stood
guard and in few minutes, back came
L1eutenants Lahm, Of the army, and
Creepy. Of the Marine Corps TO direct
the work Of putting it back In the shed
Major Squler, head OF the board and one
OF the nrst spectators 20 reach the
wrecked machine, stayed with the in
Jured men.
Many Theories Advanced.
There were several theories advanced
as to the cause OF the fall The ma
chine did not come straight down. Nor
did It. according to most spectators, after
once starting down, make an abrupt as
cent of a few feet II seemed to many
people to have fallen like sled does
over a terraced lawn, striking number
Of bumps Finally however, when thirty
OF forty feet from the ground. II shot
straight TO the earth like a lead plum
net.
The main planes. those which sus-
tain the machine-the wings they might
be CalleG-struck on edge, and the two
occupants probably landed first upon
their feet and then were thrown viO-
lently forward into the mass Of wire
and wood and metal The forward
planes WeTs broken on from the run
ners that held them out IN front Of the
intact in Itself
L From the position in which the aero
plane hit the ground, it was evident
that the stopping of the broken prOpeI-
Ter, leaving one still working for a time
at least. had thrown the machine around
from an almost northerly course to a
course about northwest by north, just
as a steamboat viii be turned around il
II uses only one of its two sidewheCls-
While no one knows just what did
happen in the air, IL is possible that
Mr.. Wright pulled the wrong lever Wien
he heard that OrninOus sound behind
him. Once before, on his first fight at
Fort Myer, ne pulled a lever the
wrong way and the machine came down
too swiftly breaking one Of the run
ners. II is held quite possible that he
once again forgot for e. second. then
tried to recover, but failed and the
whole machine came hurting down
Why Propeller Broke.
AS to what caused the propeller blade
to break there are several explanations
One Is that one Of the wooden braces
which holds the shaft TO which 1t Is
attached in a rigid position, buckled
with the weight of a heavy man Ike
Lieutenant Selfridge. and the shaft bent
| over toward the ether. the blade OF one
propeller struck that of its twin and
I the machine was gone.
! Mr.. Wright himself. however, said re-
Gently that Il makes no great difference
/ how heavy a man may be-there being
/ Of course a limit-so that the theory
/ that the weight OF the officer was too
much for brace is hardly teuable.
/ The other explanation is that a por-
/ ton of the blade of the broken pro-
/ peller had been slightly injured before
/ and that it had been repaired II this
4 IS true, no one could be found to verify
/ IL. It is known that the prOpellers used
/ on the machine at the Fort NIyer flights
/ are those used on another OF Mr..
/ Wrights machines in his trips at Kit
tFh8Ess