The Washington times., 1912-06-12
ARMY BOARD FILES
SEALED REPORT IN
" A|RSH|P TRAGEDY
Hinted That Welsh's Over.
anxiety to Complete Test
k. Caused Strain.

After four hours of close study to-
day the board of officers at the Army
Aviation School at College Park, in
vestigating the deaths of Second Lieut..
leighton w. Hazlehurst, jr., and Arthur
II. Welsh, professional, killed in a
thirty foot fall late yesterday evening,
this afternoon filed a sealed report with
the War Department as to their find
ings.
While nothing authentic as to the ver-
dict of the examining boards could be
learned at College Park this afternoon,
II Is rumored that blame for the acci-
dent has been placed upon Welsh; that
he temporarily forgot, that he was taxi
ing a gamblers chante with life; that
he took the chance and lost, not only
his own life, but that of another.
1t is the opinion of most of the en-
listed men at the school that blame
for the accident will be placed on
Welsh. In making a volplane toward
the earth it apparently was Welsh's
intention to stop the machine on it's
downward course, and then head 1t
into the heavens in a scramble to
pass the test which meant so much
to him and to the Wright company.
In coming down from an altitude of
175 feet to within, thirty feet OF the
earth to begin his climb was the signal
Welsh was to give the officers that he
had started the test. but to Corporal
A. T.. Adams, the only man who wit
messed the fatal plunge, ID seemed that
when Welsh had reached that point to
his downward flight too quickly. There
was CULVER, and the biplane, crum-
bling like an eggshell. plowed down.
ward to the earth.
To Be Buried Here.
A. telegram was received by Col
George p. Scriven, of the Signal Corps,
today from Lieutenant Hazlehurst's
father. requesting that the funeral be
held in Arlington Cemetery. The pa
rcrts OF the young officer now are
nn their way to Washington. There
Will u" no more flying at College Park
until next week out Of respect to the
victims If the accident.
The funeral of AL Welsh will be held
tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock at the
residence of his father-in-law, Paul
Harmel, 466 II street southwest. con-
Quoted by Rabbi Joseph Glushak, of the
Adas Israel Congregation. The inter
= ment will be in the Adas Israel Ceme-
terry in Anacostia.
Mrs. Welsh is prostrated over her
husbands death, and is confined to her
room. no one being permitted to see
her.
The accident happened at 6:13
o'clock. The new Wright machine
had just passed through nine of ten
psrtment. Welsh had taken the BIZ
plane out for it's altitude test. that of
climbing 1000 feet in ten minutes. He
was Jubilant at the prospects Of COM
get back into the city to his wife,
who anxiously awaited his arrival
each evening. The machine on the
pounds in addition to a supply, OF oil.
water. and gasolene good for four
hours of flying. Welsh weighed $50
1872. The machine was weighted down
by five sacks of bird shot Weighing
twenty-fiv pounds to the sack.
At 6:10 o'clock Welsh and Lieutenant
The engine was started and it
''hummed" splendidly: They started
tdown the south end of the field. and in
q fraction over two minutes had
turn and headed the bplane toward
the north end of the field. 1t had been
agreed between Welsh and the time
keeper Corporal r1.dA A. ,or T. "A adams that
taken on the altitude flight that he glide
to within fifteen feet Of the earth and
then head his machine upward again
on the climb. From the 15O feet alti-
Welsh pointed the big machine earth
ward at a 45-degree angle. None Of
the officers or enlisted men paid any
attention to this because such Is an
everyday occurrence with them. The
machine shot down to within thirty-five
feet Of the ground.
Seemed to Culver.
Welsh. according to Corporal Adams.
who was the only real close eye wit
ness to the accident, pulled the elevat-
ing lever when at this distance from
the earth. The f1ier seemed to quiver,
make a fight to respond, but crumpled
rs an eggshell and fell to the earth like
q great bird wounded in flight.
The crash was heard for several hun
dred yards Hearing the noise, Capt.
Charles DeForest Chandler, Capt. Paul
Beck, Lieut.. Thomas Dewitt, Lieut.. Roy
C. Kirkland, Lieut.. Harry Graham. and
Lieut. Henry H. Arnold, who were
standing in the doorway OF hangar NO:
3, knew in an instant that something
had happened The old rule of not per-
mitting stretchers to go upon the field
until tho seriousness of an accident was
ascertained, was broken, because at the
sound of the crash the officers and men
had a premonition that some one had
been hurt, but little dreamed that both
men had been killed outright. When the
scene was reached the hearts OF the big
men seemed as though they would
cease to beat. Lieutenant Milling, Lieu
to whom Lieutenant HaZlehurst was a
close companion, with tears in theiI
eyes, lifted the lifeless body of the