The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-12
ENGAGED IN TEST
FOR GOVERNMENT
Real Cause of Machines Collapse
While at Height of About zoo
Feet May Never Be Known.
Board of Inquiry APP
pointed to Investi-
gate.

frl toll was taken by aviation TO-
night. when the mutiiated bodies OF
Lieutenant Leighton w. Haziehurst,
Jr., Seventeenth Infantry. L. s. A., and
Alfred l.. Welch, professional avi-
ator in the employ of the Wright
Brothers. were hauled from under the
debris of a collapsed acroplane.
The accident occurred while they
were attempting to make the tests re-
Guircd hy the government in ii ma
chine contracted for by the War be-
partment. Although an army board
was Immediately appointed to deter
mine the cause OF the accident it is
probable the real cause Of the ma
chimes failure neTer Will be known.
The crash came so suddenly and un-
cxpcctediy that the two men met their
death without being able to make
single move to arrest their fall. Sever
army hiers were among the score OF
spectators. hut they cannot explain the
accident IS
1t was shortly after s O'Clock that
the Wright machine was run out In
front Of the long line of hangers. For
several days Aviator WEIGH. whose
home is In this city had been busy
, demonstrating the acroplanc All of
the War Departments requirements
had been met except a climb OF 1000
feet within ten minutes, carrying u
load OF 450 pounds.
Impatient by Failures.
Wclch knew the machine was capa-
bile Of meeting the test. for II had been
accomplished at Dayton. o., by Or
VILE Wright before II was taken to
College Park. and he had been made
impatient by several failures.
I'm going to make that climb to-
night or know the reason why" he
said. az he began to tune UP. I'm
tired foolinG." he added
\ few minutes later he announced
that he was ready. Lieutenant Halle
hurst followed Welch into the ma
aeroplane moved off steadily and few
tho length OF the field. rising 200 feet.
AS 1t was turned townrd the group OF
army officers before the hangers
Welch dipped sharply to indicate to the
official starter that he was ready for
the stiff climb.
The dip carried tho machine TO with
in about 75 feet of the ground. and
II then Strengthened ont sharply. too
quickly the observing hlers thought.
Without warning. the aluminium wings
crumpled. or collapsed upward so that
they almost met above the engine.
The machine dropped. then turned her
nose toward the earth and Owed
The accident occurred about 1000 feet
within reached the wreck II was seer
that both of the men were dead. Welch
was buried in the debris. but the
body OF Hazlehurst had been catapultcd
fully 20 feet away after the machine
struck. Welchs clothes were practically
all torn from his body. which was
bruised and battered. Haziehurst's
skull was fractured and his head badly
disfgured.
Death to both OF the men probably
hal been instantaneous.
Their bodies were rushed IN army
omobiles to Walter Reed Hospital,
in this city. Five minutes after the
flight began the flag over the aviation
field was half-masted.
Board of Inquiry.
Captain Charles DEF. Chandler,
commanding the army aviation corps.
at once convened a board of inquiry
consisting of seven army officers who
had been witnesses to the catastrophe
"a preliminary inquest shed little light
upon the cause OF the tragedy. as
| nishtfall made IT necessary to post
pone the investigation until to-mor-
row. The officers who are making
the investigation are Captain f b,
Hennessy. president: Captain Paul w.
Ecck. Lieutenant Harry Graham, r.
c. Kirkland and T. Dew. Milling
Lieutenant william C. Sherman, of
Lieutenant B. D. Foulois. an army
aviator. will be among the important
witnesses.
AS the gathering dusk made impos-
sible careful examination of the
wrecked machine, 1t was kept intact
tonight in the hope that a fuller ex-
animation tomorrow might partly re-
veal the cause of tho accident
Many new features We're embodied
in tho machine evolved as result of
O-ville Wright's experiments at XIII
Devil Hill. N c.. last summer
The Wright brothers always built
comparatively slow craft. but the gov
eminent required that the new ma
chine should make fcrty-fve miles
an hour. In speed trials several days
ago 60.S miles was attained. 1t was
estimated that 1t was making about
fcrty-five miles an hour when the ia
tai plunge came.
The wings of the craft were OF
aluminium instead OF canvas. but in
appearance 1t was much like the
earlier machines. 1t was narrower by
one foot. but with n vertical rudder a
little larger. Tho siX-cylinder engine
was of 50-horsepower. instead of 80.
The opinion was expressed tonight
that the engine was In no wise re-
sponsible for the disaster.
With Aviation Corps.
Lieutenant Hazlehurst was IN his
twenty-sixth year, and was unmarried.
Tho home OF his parents Is Macon,
Ca. but he was appointed to West
Point from Mississippi. being grad
, uated and commissioned second
| lieutenant in 1908. He had been with
the aviation corps since last March.
when he was detp lied to 1t at Augusta,
| Ga, the winter camp.
Mr.. WEIGH. for several years sesi-
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