The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1918-05-05
WELL KNOWN AVIATORS
UNINJURED WHEN THEIR
MACHINE WRECKS.
WERE IN MERIDIAN
Flyers Recently Made Visits to
Columbus While on Long
Trips.

Meridian, Miss, May 4.-The
death, which they constantly face in
this perilous branch of the national
service, was not far away from Lieut..
Harry w. Thompson of the United
States Signal Corps, Aviation Serv-
ice, and his expert mechanician,
Sergt f. f. Chapman, Friday af-
ternoon, when their biplane failed to
lift from the ground in time to
avoid an old farm wagon and barbed
wire fence, and was badly wrecked,
the two occupants Of the plane es-
Gaping death or serious injury by al
most miracle.
Lieutenant Thompson and Ser
geant Chapman were just starting
from Meridian on the last lap Of a
long fight in the interest Of the Third
Liberty Loan, intending to fly to
Jackson and thence to their station
at Park Field aviation camp, Mem
'phis, Tenn, when this distressing ac-
tident occurred.
These two fearless aviators of
Uncle Sans air service have become
well known to Mississippians in a
number of places during the past two
or three weeks.
Thousands who could not see them
from nearby vantage point have be-
held them in swift flight and wonder
ed ''what, whence and wheref"
AT 10 o'clock Friday morning
there came telegram to E. d. Self,
county director of the Liberty Loan
from Lieutenant Thompson, stating
that he was leaving Pensacola, Fla,
for Meridian and would arrive here
at noon.
1t was only ten minutes past II
when the whirring of the biplane's
propeller was heard, and the great
mechanical bird was Immediately
eisualized, with cheer from the
waiting crowd.
Approaching from the southeast at
q high altitude, the flyers circled for
a time around above the city. Then
they began performing some of the
perilous stunts of this daring pro-
fession.
Gracefully they swooped around
in loops, dropped in tail spins while
the upgazing thousands fairly held
their breath, and, "for good meas
ure," as Lieutenant Thompson after
ward laughingly remarked, added a
few zimmerman turns.
Remember" added the lieutenant,
1--WE did this for the purchase of Lib
erty Loan Bonds, and we expect your
committee to collect for the exhibi-
ton.
AT 3:30 another crowd gathered
near the biplane in the Williams field
to watch the beginning of the fight
to Jackson and thence to Memphis.
Lieutenant Thompson briefly ad-
dressed the people, telling them why
they ought to buy Liberty Bonds, in
terspersing his serious comments
with humorous anecdotes. While
he spoke members of the Woman's
Committee of the Third Liberty Loan
circulated among the people selling
bonds.
In connection with his work, the
lieutenant said he flew at the rate OF
1870 miles an hour going from Bir-
mingham to Montgomery. He ex
pressed his satisfaction at having
made this long fight without unto
ward incident so far, and then-tht
catastrophe quickly followed!
There was some discussion be
tween the lieutenant and his assist
ant as to whether the plane woult
rise quickly enough to clear the fenc'
which enclosed the field, but the for
mer finally decided to try it.
The aeroplane took its usual run
ming start, and then a great fear fel
upon the crowd Of spectators.
The plane was not going to affair
sufficient speed to elevate itself be
fore it reached the fence.
This was exactly what happened
but there was also another obstruc
ton in the form Of an old farm
wagon.
The aeroplane struck the WACO,
and then tore through the fence
The barbed wires quickly strippe
the right wing.
The big machine then buried it
Continued on Page Four.