Putnam patriot., 1918-10-18
BATTLE AIRSHIPS
 FAILED TO COME
Two Machines Land In Tree Tops, Another Hits Roof, q Fourth Gets Lost In Fog, and Fifth Is Not Heard From.
Hundreds of People Had Gathered al Alexander's Lake to Witness Ex-
 hibit,pn of Flying.

The aviation section of the United States army made an eloquent. if un- expected. appeal for the Liberty Loan in Connecticut yesterday, when three airplanes were badly disabled, involving the expenditure of large amount of money, and two others failed to reach their destinations. The appeal was made in an entirely novel way, as the scheduled means of using the airplanes to inspire the sale of more bonds was bombing" of sec tions of the state. the ammunition be- ing aerograms.
 The six machines left Mineola early yesterday morning. When they left Brentley Field. they made climb in order to avoid the clouds. When they got up. it was necessary to signal to each other to keep together and one machine in the fleet turned back to the field. leaving the five, under the command of Lieutenant Kenneth Reid. to pursue their course to Hart ford. which under ordinary circum- stances, would take about an hour. The only one to reach its destination driven by Lieutenant Harold Merritt, arrived at Goodwin Park about 9.15 a. m.
 Because of the dense fog, Lieuten- ant Merritt was unable to distinguish the place to land, which appeared like A pond, but nearby smooth green section looked safe. But this proved to be two roofs, and resulted in the machine scraping one and hit' ting the other. The plane bounded from the roof and made nose dive into the street, smashing one wing, wrenching the body, dislocating the radiator, but doing little damage to the engine and none to the right wing. The men, too, were unharmed. The machine will be taken apart and re- turned to Mineola on motor trucks.
 Another of the planes landed near Berlin in the woods and the men were catapulted from their machine winch was badly wrecked. The pilot and mechanic in another machine, which struck a tree and fell, also escaped injury, while their machine was put out of service. This machine hit 3 tree square. turned and the occupants were thrown out. The ship remained in the branches of the trees.
 Lieutenant Kenneth Reid made safe landing in Berlin, and the flttf machine was not heard from late Thursday night
 As the people of Danielson and Putnam had made elaborate prepara' tions for the arrival of the planes al Alexander's lake, it was decided that if possible. Lieutenant Reid make the trip. But it was impossible for hin to extricate the machine from its landing place. It was taken apart brought to Goodwin Park, and reas. sembled and at 445 o'clock. Lieut. Reid started for Danielson and Put. nam. He arrived at Willimantic in heavy fog, did not dare to chance the trip to northeastern Connecticut IT the approaching darkness and return. ed to Hartford.
 The crews of the other two ma chimes returned to Mineola yesterday afternoon.
 Hundreds of people had gathered at the lake to see the exhibition ol flying, and many remained until iats in the afternoon in hopes that one oi the ships would succeed in reaching Windham county It is understood that no further attempts will be made to send the aviators here.