The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-05-10
ARMY OFFICER IS
AVIATION VICTIM
Lieutenant Kelly is Thrown
from Machine While
Making Flight
FIRST ACCIDENT OF
ITS KIND TO OCCUR
After Gracefully Circling the
Field Machine Suddenly
LurcheS and He is
Thrown

Lieutenant Kelly il the second
commissioned officer of the
United states army killed by fall
ing with an aeroplane Ip TO
january 1 last, forty-two per-
sons had been killed In heavier
than-nir machines. since then
the following have met death:
January 10. at Belgrade, Herr
Rossian fell from Bh.riot when
wings snapped of.
February y, at Dobcritz. Ger
many. Lieutenant Stein, OF Ger
man army. crushed when ma
chine fell sixty feet.
February y, at Douai. France.
Captain Noel and VI. Deiatorrc, a
passenger, crushed when army
machine turned turtle on testing
field.
March IS, ut Paris. Aviator Gel
crushed when home made bipIane
fell 400 feet.
April "a, ut Versailles, Frank LII.
Byasson, hrst naval aviator OF
France. crushed when machine
turned over.
April 10, Mt Paris. Captnin
Ehouard TarrOu, army engineer
fell 300 feet when host control OF
machine.
r
Pierre Louis, student aviator. kiln
Ell by fall Of only twenty feet.
May 8. ut Shanghai. China
Rene NaIlon. Frcnch expert, fell
2,o00 feet.
SAN ANTONIO. TEN, May 10
while attempting TO make q descent
in Curtis bipiane. Second Lieutenant
George e. M. Kelly, detached from
the Thirtieth infantry, who recently
came here from San Diego. Cal, for
instructions In aviation, was thrown
from his machine at 7:25 o'clock to-
day and killed 1t the maneuver camp
Of the First army division. Fort Sam
Houston.
Pitching headforamost from the
machine at a fasight OF fifty or sixty
feet. he landed squarely on his head.
He lived until s:37 O'Clock.
Tragedy Ii Unexpected.
The tragedy was sudden and un-
expected. Spectators saw him grace
fully circle the field and at length
begin to descend. He approached the
ground In good style, almost landing.
Then the machine suddenly took an
upward shoot. and Lieutenant Kelly
was hurled from 1t When picked up
his head was found To be crushed
Kelly never regained consciousness.
AS to the cause Of tho accident, con-
ficting theories are advanced. The
consensus Of opinion Is that he de-
cided 10 ascend again instead OF CON
tinuing to the ground. and that he
gave the engine too much gas in at
10 accelerate his speed
Officers OF the signal corps here
conducting the experiments at scout
duty with the aeroplane say thus is
the first recorded accident In which
an aviator was killed BY being thrown
from his machine.
Second Lieutenant George E NJ
Kelly. OF the Thirtieth Infantry, was
born IN England on December IA.
1873. and enlisted In the army as a
private. In the EtEhtS-fanrth Company
of Coast Artillery OH January IA.
1904. He served successfully as pri-
vate, corporal, sergeant and quarter
master sergeant In the Coast Artii-
lery. February IL. 1907, he was COM
missioned as second lieutenant. as
signed to the Thirtieth Infantry
Lieutenant Kelly was recently as
signed TO the signal corps and de-
allied to duty with the aviation school
IA the camp Of the first "maneuver"
division, near Fort Sam Houston, San
A utonio, Texas. commanded by Ma
or Sauier. OF the signal corps
Lieutenant Kelly II the second
army officer to be killed in an aero
plane accident. Lieutenant Thomas S.
having been killed at Fort
Myer, near Warrington, y. c., Sep
ember II, 1908, when a Wright aero
blame, manipulated by OrvtIie Wright,
ell during the army aeroplaue tests.
Official Report.
WASHINGTON. May 10.-An off,
'ial report OF the death OF Lieutenant,
J. e. NJ. Kelly, in an army aeropinne
It San Antonio to-day was received
It the War Department IN the fol-
owing telegram from Major General
Carter:
AT T A. NJ. to-day Second IAeu-
enant g. f. NJ. Kelly. Thirtieth In
'antry. while descending in Curtiss
was wrecked. His skull bad
y fractured. Died at s:45. Accident
by division commander, and
BOARD of investigation ordered to meet