The sun., 1919-06-02
PLANESCRASH,
2 FLIERS KILLED
Corp. Katzman, Brooklyn, and
Lieut.. Keleher Die in New
Haven Fall.
COLLISION 1000 FEET UP
Occupants of Other Machine
Escape-MissiOn of Aeros
UndisclOsed.
1000 FEET UP
Special Despatch to TnE snN.

New HAVEN, Conn, June Thou
sands or persons stood in the streets
and roads in and near the city late this
afternoon admiring the grace with
which two Government airplanes
swept along 5000 feet in the air al
most directly above the big Yale Bowl
on the outskirts OF the city. Even
more intent became the gaze of the
spectators when the planes. preparing
to land and flying close together,
started a downward sweep in graceful
circles.
The machines. circling beautifully,
had descended 1000 feet, so that the
four men seated in them could be seen
plainly by the watching throngs. Then
something suddenly went wrong-just
what II was no one seems able to de-
termine. Almost before any OF the
watchers could realize what was hap
pening the planes had come into vio-
lent collision while they still were
1000 feet above the ground.
The heavy drone OF the motors stopped
started on a swift plunge downward
For moment 1t seemed as II 1t were
dropping straight into the big athletic
bowl. Instead it fell a few yards out
side the outer rim of the bowl and
buried Its nose deep in the yard of the
home OF Carey E. Libby In Westwood
road Hundreds of persons ran excitedly
to the spot where the plane fell. They
found it in splinters and its two occu-
pants Lieut.. Melvin B. keleher and Cor
poral Joseph Kaufman OF the United
States Army Air Service dead in the
wreckage
As the FIRST airplane fell the crowd
noticed that the speed OF the second.
which swayed perilously for few mo-
ments after the sound of the collision
had been heard Below. was quickened
and then saw 1t too shoot swiftly down
ward. Its pilot was Lieut.. Howard d.
Norris, and he was accompanied by
Sergeant Emil Steininger, both also
army fiiers. AT great risk to both him
self and his mechanician Lieut.. Norris
drove his plane at terrific speed toward
the earth. made 4 landing IN Pratt Field,
just beyond the Yale Bowl, and then
crashed into backstop on the baseball
grounds of the field. The aviators were
unhurt, but the propeller Of the machine
was wrecked and others OF its parts
shattered.
Lieut.. Norris hurried TO the spot where
his brother aviator had fallen and helped
get the bodies out OF the wrecked ma
chine. Police and others who hurried to
the scene were unable to learn the mis-
sion upon which the aviators were fly
ing. where they were going or what was
the cause of the accident. For a time
even the identity of the aviators was in
dispute and IL was reported that Ser
geant Steininger was a brother of Lieut.
Kelleher.
Coroner Ell Mix started an investiga-
tion after the accident, but he said he
encountered difficulty in getting infor-
nation from the occupants OF the sec
ond airplane Finally he served one Of
them with a subpoena ordering his pres
ence here to-day at an inquest that will
be held to determine The cause of the
accident.
Lieut. Kelleher was 23 years old. His
home was In Muncie, Ind. He was mar
ried about six months ago and his wife
Is said to be in Atlantic City. Corporal
Katzman lived at 203 Hamilton avenue.
Brooklyn. where his father keeps a hard
ware store. He enlisted in the Aviation
Corps two weeks before the signing OF
the armistice and was sent to Hazel
hurst Field. Mineola. 1t was said he
and Lieut.. Kelleher left there Thursday
in company with two other Government
machines on a flying trip to aid recruit
ing for that branch of the service. They
already had toured New England, and
New Haven. II is understood, was to
have been their last stop.