Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-09-19
PROBES
AEROPLANE
Z DISASTER
INQUEST ABS0LVES ALL
CONCERNED FROM BLAME
Injured Aeronaut Heartbroken
Over Accident, Making Man
" Fight for Recovery Mill
tary Funeral for Dead Officer

l0l NliOi VI lOl CNCAN OIllOSI
IBy Morning journal Special Leased wirel
Washington, d. c., Sept. lS.-Fort
Myer, the scene of yesterdays aero
plane disaster, which resulted in the
deah of Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge
of the United States signal corps, ana
serious injury of Orville Wight, pre-
sented a cheerless aspect today
Lieutenant Selfridge's body was to-
day removed from the hospital at Fort
Myer to ain undertaker's where it will
remain until the arrival of the young
officers father, who wired today from
San Francisco that he would like to
have his son buried either at Arlington
or West Point The funeral arrange.
ments have not yet been made, but
military funeral will be held. Prof
Alexander Graham Bell, president o
the Aerial Experiment association o.
which Lieutenant Sefridgc was sec
retary, will come from Nova Scotia t
attend the funeral
Miss Katherine Wright. sister of the
injured aeroplanist, arrived from Day
ton, Ohio, and accompanied by
Charles Flint, the Wright brothers
representative visited her brother.
Major Squier, acting chief sigma
officer of the army this morning con
vened the board of signal officers fo
the purpose of making an official in
quiry into the death of Lieutenan,
Selfrdge.
Major Charles NJ. SALESMAN acted a
chairman and Captain Charles S. Wal
lace and Lieutenant Frank p. Lahn
were the other members present
Lieutenant Sweet of the navy ano
Lieutenant Richard Creecy of the ma
rine corps, detailed to the Fort MyeN
aeronautical tests assisted the boar,
in its work.
The wreckage of the aeroplane ha.
been placed in the aeroplane shed las
night and the members of the board
accompanied by Octave Chanute anC
Prof Albert Zahn, of the Catholl,
university, both Of whom were author
itiess OK aeroffis.siy.s. fispeese 1 etis
tangled mass.
Major Squier reviewed the findin
of the court after the meeting whicl
was in the nature of a coroner's hear
ing.
The finding Of the board Of inquiry
was:
"The board finds that The accident
was due to the accidental breaking
of a propeller blade and a consequent
unavoidable loss of control, which re
suited in the machine falling to the
ground from height of ABOUT seven
ty-fve feet.
"The board finds that First Lieu
tenant Thomas r. Selfridge, Firs
Field artillery, accompanied Mr.
Wright by authority on the aeroplan,
for the purpose of officially receiving
instructions and received injuries BY
the falling Of the machine which re-
suited in his death
The signal corps will proceed with
its aeronautical work and it is un.
derstood the Wright brothers will |,
permitted to make their official triali
whenever they are ready without en-
dangering their chance of receiving
the contract price OF $4,000 for thei.
aeroplane
MIR. Wright said today:
"The machine was already recover
ing its balance when it struck and :
am sure if we had been twenty-fiv
feet further up we would have landeC
on the skids without serious damage.
Speaking for Mr., Wright Mr.. Tay
lor. his assistant. later said
"The accident was caused by an eX'
traordinary vibration Of one of the
wires running from the main plane
to the upper steel fitting OF the rud-
der. This vibration was so great tha'
II got in range of the propeller an
was struck by the blade, cutting q
deep cash in the edge of the propelled
blade This caused the blade to break
The other blade of the propeller flew
around and in turn struck the wire
breaking It. This made Mr.. Wright
lose control of the planes. Shutting of
the power to stop the remaining pro-
peller which tended to swing the ma
chine In circular direction towaru
the left. he steadied the machine
somewhat but the distance to the
ground was not great enough to re-
store the equilibrium
Numerous kilograms of sympathy
were received at Fort Myer hospital
today. but they were withheld from
Mr.. Wright, who Is making manly
fight for recovery. No indication of
internal injuries have developed ana
this evening the attending surgeon
announced that the patient was doing
very wen