The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-09-24
falls TO Death
With AERCPlNaE
LIEUT.. THOMAS e. sELFRlDGE OF
THE SIGNAL CORPS IS
KILLED.
orvfTIe Wright njured-Breaklng Of
Propeller Blade Causes Tragic Ac-
eident at Fort Myer In the Pres
ence Of Thousands.

Washington, Sept. 1S.-After 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 Thursday
met with a tragical mishap while max.
ing a two-man flight. The aeroplanist
was accompanied by Lieut.. Thomas
f. Selfriedge of the signal corps OF the
army. Lieut.. Selfridge was fatally in
jured and died at $40 o'clock at night.
Mr.. Wright was seriously injured, but
is expected to recover.
While the machine was encircling
the drill grounds propeller blade
snapped of and hitting some other
part Of the intricate mechanism
caused the machine to overturn in the
air and fall to the ground, enveloping
the two occupants in the debris:
Quick Help for the Injured.
Soldiers and spectators ran across
The field to where the aeroplane had
fallen and assisted in lifting Mr..
Wright and Lieut.. Selfridge from un.
der the tangled mass of machinery,
rods, wires and shreds of muslin. Mr..
Wright was conscious and said: "Oh,
hurry and lift the motor" Lieut.. Sci.
fridge was unconscious and had APP
rlreutly struck the ground with great
force. His head was covered with
blood and he was choking when the
soldiers extricated him from under the
machine.
DIR. Waters, New York physician,
was one OF the first to reach the spot
and rendered frst aid to the injured
men. When their wounds had been
bandaged Mr.. Wright and Lieut.. Sci.
fridge were taken to the Fort Myer
hospital, at the other end of the field.
It vas feared that Mr.. Wright was
"uffering from internal injuries. He
had lapsrd into sN~''consc'ousness hy
.ieut. Selfridge did not regain cor.
sciOusness at all. He was suffering
from q fracture at the base OF the
sltull.
Wright Not Dangerously Hurt.
After a hurried surgical examination
1t was announced that Mr.. Wright was
not dangerously Injured. He is suf
fering from a fracture of his lefj
thigh aud several ribs on the lett
side are broken. Both men received
ieep cuts about the head Mr.. Wright
.egained consciousness at the hospita
and dictated n cablegram to hi;
brother at lie Mans, France, and re
luesLed that the same message be
sent to his sister and father at Day
ton, o.. assuring them that he was al
right.
Although there have been but q
| handful of people AT the acronaui
cal testing grounds at Fort Myer dur
ing the past few days, fully 1000 hat
gathered by 1880 Thursday Afternoon
and saw the tragedy.
Propellers Were New.
Mr.. Wright Wednesday replaced th'
| propellers which he has been usinf
with another pair, the blades of which
are six inches longer. They were useC
for the first time In Thursdays disas
trous flight, and many who have wit
messed Mr.. Wright's flights at For
Myer believe the change Of propeller'
caused the accident. An examination
OF the brokon blade showed that 1
had been snapped on at a point one
fourth of the distance from the huh
A deep indentation of the broker
| piece indicated that 1t had strucl
some other part of the aeroplane.
Only Thursday morning Mr.. Wrigh
had been asked what the result woul'
be II one of his propellers broke whil
the machine was in fight. "The othe
propeller would tend to turn the ms
chine around" he said, "but l woul
stop the motor and glide to tn
earth"