Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1918-07-05
Killed in IN Aeroplane Accident.

Killed in IN Aer0pIaDe Accident.
A Cresco boy, Corporal Ray Banning
eldest son of Mr.. and Mrs. P. NJ. Ban
ming, was killed last Sunday forenoon
at flying field at Fort Worth, Texas,
by an accident which cost the life OF
two, Banning and Lieut.. Revenal, Of
Washington, D. c., ., young man about
23 years of age but an experienced pi.
lot.
From Corporal McInness, of Duluth,
Mimi, who accompanied the remains
to -Cresco. we learn that Banning, who
had previously spent about sixty hours
in the air as mechanic for different Of
ficers, was making his first student
flight with an instructor. 1t seems
that the commanding officer had re-
ceived permission to train a limited
number of mechanics and others who
had shown marked adaptabiiity for fly
ing; and Ray, in furtherance of his
ambitions, volunteered and was accept
ed. The lieutenant who was with him
had also volunteered as instructor.
Sunday was the morning Of the first
flights of the new students. All the
others had made their flights when
Ray and bis instructor went up, circled
about the aerodrome for about ten min
utea at height of 1900 to 1000 feet,
and had commenced to glide to a land
ng when the engine evidently backfired
through the carburetor, exploding the
sO-gallon tank of gasoline situated in
front of the pilot. Corporal McInniss
tells that this is the second accident at
that field resulting from backfiring.
The machine was seen to burst into
flames, and from all appearances. it is
believed that Lieut.. Revenal took con-
troll and attempted landing, but the
plane crashed a distance of about 200
feet to earth where it burned for near
ly thirty minutes before the bodies
could be recovered
The remains arrived in Cresco Wed
nesdsy evening in such condition that
the funeral, originally planned for to-
day, was held at 10 o'clock Thursday
morning at the opera house which was
filled to its capacity. The M. W. A.
attended in body in respect of the
memory of their deceased neighbor, as
also did the Commercial Club. ...a.
Rev. BockoYen had charge Of the fu-
neral, and his address was supplement
cd by DR.. Kessell and Rev. Norman.
all of whom spoke briefly but with
deep earnestness concerning the nature
of the occasion and with tender symps-
thy for the sorrowing family. One of
the speakers in referring to the day
and the occasion as it concerned the
community, remarked that on this ami
versary of American independence, in
these present times Of stress, it was
better to meet in the house of sorrow
than to participate in the usual rejoic-
ings and feastings of the nations natal
day.
Several appropriate hymns were
sung by . choir composed of Mesd. E.
Il. Allen and N. O. Swenson, the Mis-
ses Kathryn Davis and Mary Eaton,
and Messrs. Will Patterson, J. H. Bur-
CESS and F. D. Mead, with Miss Laid
law at the piano.
The remains were inferred in Oak
Lawn cemetery.
D. The so:rowing family have the deep
and abiding sympathy of the whole
community in the loss of their son and
brother, remembering that Ray died
to help save our country, and in SO
knowing that sorrow will be tempered
by the assurance that Rays future
with God is secure and that his men,
ory will ever be enshrined in the hearts
Of grestful people.
Rev. Bockoven re.d the following
brief obituary
Ray L. Banning was born near
Cresco, Sept. 6. 1891. and died June 80,
1918, aged nearly q years. He enlisted
Dec. 8, 1917, and At the time of his
death ranked Is Corporal of the Avia-
tion Section Of the Signal Corps. He
is survived by his parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. P. M. Banning, two sisters, Mrs.
". R. Libbey, Of Cresco, and Mrs.
Edwin Belts. of Wayside, Neb, and
two brothers, Roy H. of Davenport,
Iowa, and Ralph D. of Cresco.