The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-06-13
ACCIDENT CAUSED
BY AIR PRESSURE
Wright Aviator Made Too
Sharp a Turn
THE BOARD REPORTS
Flying at Reservation Suspended for
Week--Hazlehurs Feared Dips
Welsh Made-Orville Wright
Arrives Today
THE BOARD REPORTS

Washington, June 1.-THE collapse OF
the army aeropane at College Park, Nd,
last night. which resulted in the death
of Lieut.. l.. w. Hazlehurst. Jr.. and the
Wright pilot. A. L. Welsh, was due to ter
rifle air pressure on the aluminium plated
canvas wings, caused by too sharp a turn
at full speed to ascend. according to the
preliminary finding of the army board
which today investigated the accident.
The board reported orally today to Col.
George p. scriven, acting chief signal
officer. as follows:
I'm his endeavor to succeed In the alti-
tude climb Mr.. Welsh started from an
eleN alton of about 150 feet and drove
the machine toward the ground with the
ehgino running at reduced speed In order
to give the impetus with which to make
his upward climb. When he reached a
point near the ground from which he was
to start the climb at a terrific speed,
Welsh turned on the full power and at
the same time turned the machine into the
air The angle of ascent was SO sharp
and the speed SO great that the machine
was incapable of withstandng the press
ure of the air and the wings therefore col
lapsed.'
Photographs the Wreck
The investigators visited the scene Of
the accident and minutely examined the
wfeckage, taking a number of photo
graphs. Three eye witnesses, Corporals
Adams and Ostrander and Private Nc
Cloud, OF the aviation squad, we're ex-
amined.
A pail hung over the reservation at Col
lege Park today. and the flag on the res
eryation. as well as those on private
grounds in the vicinity, were at half mast
Within an hour after the officers had fin
issied their examination every particle OF
the wrecked machine was removed.
Colonel Scriven issued orders that no
moro flying should take place at the reser-
walton during the remainder of this week
II. also caused message of sympathy
to be sent to Mr.. and Mrs. l.. w. Hazle-
hurst at Evansville. Ind, parents of the
dead officer.
Lieutenant Hazlehurst's parents will ar
rive here tomorrow afternoon and the in
terment of the young officer will take
place at Arlington National cemetery Fri.
day morning. with the military honors
due his rank The honorary pallbear-
ers will be his associates at the aviation
station and the body bearers will be the
enlisted men from there.
Orville Wright has informed the signal
corps that he will arrive here tomorrow.
Orders Second Investigation
To overcome any feeling of partiality
because of the fact that the board Of In
quiry was composed of men at the avia-
ton station, Mai. Gen. Leonard Wood has
appointed Maj. Walter II. Gordon of the
inspector generals department to make
an Independent investigation of the acci-
dent.
In the belief that either the government
or the families of the deceased alrmen
might desire to memorialize In some way
the accident, enlisted men drove stakes
into the ground where they were found
They bore the penciled Inscriptions. ''Ha-
zlehurst found here" and welsh found
here
II developed here that none of the offi-
GERS or men at the station actually saw
the machine when it began Its downward
plunge.
Officers at College Park recalled a state
ment of Lieutenant Hazlehurst Just be-
fore he stepped into the machine that he
did not want to go up with Welsh, be-
cause he did not like those dips that
Welsh was In the habit OF making
The machine struck the ground, Il Ia
stated, at an angle OF about 80 degrees,
drove the nose OF the skid deeply into the
earth. and then turned completely over,
throwing the aviators about 20 feet with
part Of the machine on them