The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1918-02-28
SIX AvIATORS KILLED
WITHIN -FOUR DAYS TINE

Collisions and High Winds Take APP
palIing Toll of Bird Men-Thre'
Killed Saturday, One Added to List
on Monday, and Two Tuesday.
Guy H. Reagle, instructor, anc
Cadets James H. Webb and Roheri
Gray, Jr., were instantly killed Sat
urday afternoon at 3:05 o'clock wher
the airship occupied by Reagle anc
Webb collided with the ship driven
by Gray at an altitude Of 500 fee'
az Park Field, Millington.
The collision occurred in what Is
known as neutral air space. north q
the aviation field. Both machines
fell to the ground, striking nose first
The bodies Of the instructor and tht
two Students were horribly manglec
by the fall, and the ships were
smashed into small pieces.
The bodies Of all three o. the al
victims were removed to the field
hospital and their relatives notified
Reagle, the instructor, was not 2
member of the army, but was palc
instructor, and had once before beer
dismissed from an army field toi
careless flying Young Tray was :
+ enlber Of prominent Nav lorN
family, and would have received his
commission as second lieutenant with
in few days had he lived.
Tryze Thronson, an instructor al
Park Field, was fatally injured Mon
dav morning at $3.50 o'clock when
the airplane he was plotting fell 100
feet to the ground. Harold r. Han
ley, Of Custer, S. D., student avia'
tor, occupied the back seat in the ma
chine, but he was not seriously IN
jured.
Thronson and Hanley were making
a turn about the field when a sudden
gust Of wind strong enough to turn
the machine over on its side blew VI
with such rapidity that Thronsor
had no chance to right the machine
The machine fell about 40 feet in
side-slip, and then the law Of gray
ity took hold and the heavy nose Of
the machine turned down to earth
increasing the speed of the fall.
Thronson was a civilian instructor
and sustained fracture of the
skull at the seat Of the brain. Ca
det Hanley, who has not yet advanced
for enough in aviation to fly alone,
was seated on the back seat Of the
plane, and was somewhat shaken
up, although. not seriously injured.
FLYING was Immediately suspend
ed after the accident on account ct
the high winds.
William j. Weissinger, of Beulah
Miss, and William G. Story, of Free
port, N. X, were killed Tuesday af-
ternoon at Park Field, when their
airplanes collided at an altitude Of
1000 feet over the north end of the
flying field.
Weissinger died en- route to the hos
pital, and Story expired at $3.50
o'clock in the field hospital. Both
men received internal injuries by the
fall, and were badly crushed.
Both were student aviators, mem
bers of the second solo or advanced
flying classes. They both were fly
ing out Of the same field and were
going in the same direction when
the collision occurred Weissingel
going east, and Story turning from
the east to the south to make glide
to landing. Story fell out of his
machine while it was falling and was
later caught beneath the wreckage.
Two other aviators were slightly
injured earlier in the afternoon when
their machines collided at a height
of 20 feet. Neither was more than
bruised, and no hones were broken
Immediately following the accident
in which Weissinger and Story lost
their lives, flying operations were
suspended for the day.
The first landing of an aeroplane
about here was made just north Of
the oil mill Thursday. The plane was
being navigated by Maj. Knerr, latt
Of Kansas City, naviation instruct
or at the Park Field, Wilmington. The
major was making an inspection Of
the country with a view of locating
q landing place for the machines
from Park Field, when he got Out
81 his course on the return tAip, anC
was compelled to land on account Of
shortage Of gasoline for his motor
The machine was guarded by three
men from Park Field on Thursday
night, and the return trip was made
Friday morning.
On Friday afternoon, the day fol
lowing the landing of Major Knerr
Major H. G. Kireen, Instructor F. A
Hoover and four cadets, Messrs
Rencke, G. Williams, Emricke and w
W. Smith flew over from MillingtOr
and landed in the clover field d
Mr.. Nal Smith, "a mile and hall
north of the city. II was quite ar
abrasion for our people, many q
whom had never had the opportunity
~ view the successful landing anC
starting of an aeroplane before.
The landing. Of nine airplanes OF
fhe Nal Smith farm was another
ereat attraction for Saturday, anC
many hundreds Of people, both from
twon and country, viewed the spec
tacle. Major Hoover was in com
mand Of the planes, and it was nee
essarv to have a marshal to keeI
fhe crowd back from the landing
nlaces DR.. William Murray filled
fhe position to the satisfaction Of all
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