The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-05-16
TWO AMERICANS
DASH To DEATH
PLANE RusHEs TO EARTH FOR
UNKNOWN REASON.
THREE IOWA BOYS MENTIONED
Two Wounded and One Missing In
American Casualty List Given
Out Today--America Forces
Rout Enemy on Picardy Front.
tBy Frank ]. Taylor)


With the American Forces in Lor-
raine, May 15.--I saw two American
aviators die in quick and terrific
tragedy northwest of Toul late yes
terday afternoon.
Their plane became uncomfortable
and they crashed to the arth, The
cause is not known.
First | noticed three observation
planes skirting from low hanging
clouds over our lines at an altitude
of probably three thousand feet. Sud
denly the three darted into cloud.
Headiong to the Earth.
Then | observed one of the ma
chimes starting downward with the
motor of the machine going at full
power. expected momentarily to
see the plane fatten out but 1t kept
pounding and the motor roaring loud
er and louder. Then the plane
started to fall and crashed to the
earth about two hundred yards away
from field just behind the American
lines.
An ambulance party went out and
upon returning reported that the ma
chine upon falling nose downward had
torn large hole in the earth and
that the engine had completely crush
ed both the pilot and the observer.
The plane had been torn into bits,
Companions Return To Duty.
Quickly special detailed party
vent out to observe the fighting and
to pick up the dead for preparation
for burial
The other two American planes
were making great flights into the
clouds while their observers were
peering over the side of the machines
10 see what was the fate of their 9th
er comrades.
For several moments they maneu-
Vered towards us, then returned TO
their duty of watching the German
lines as though nothing had happened
other than the very day irony of war.
Three Iowa Boys Listed.
Washington, May 15.-Today's cas-
ualty list is one OF the largest yet re-
ported by General Pershing and con-
tains a total Of one hundred and
twenty names Thirty-nine of the
men are New England soldiers miss
ing in action"
The separate list of the eight
wounded in action" is apart from
the other wounded. and it was ex-
planned was due to the fact that there
has been no information received as
to the seriousness Of the wounds Of
the eight men.
Missing and Wounded.
The other casualties are: Three
killed in action, three dead from
wounds, Ave dead from diseases, two
from accidents, seven from other
causes, six wounded severely and
forty-eight slightly, and eight others
wounded in action.
The Iowans in the list were; Richard
wickersham of Estheryille and John
ID. Leggett of Rodney.
John M. Jennings of Belle Plaiae
was among those missing in action.
American Patrol Routs Enehmy.
With the American Army in France
May 15.-An American patrol in Pie
ardy met and routed a German pttrol
Of twenty rhen last night.
In this part Of the front the Ger
mans are using searehlights and
treich mortars occasionally. although
the artillery fire is under normal The
American front lines are swept by en-
envy machine guns, but there has
been no casualties.
There is considerable activity back
of the German lines.
The Toul sector. where American
troops are stationed. has been ex-
ceedingly quiet during the last TWEEN
ty-four hours. The artillery fire has
been at minimum and there is little
aerial activity until late in the day.
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