The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-08
TWO ARE KILLED
BY AIRPLANE RUSH
Machine Flying Too Low
Crashes Into Crowd at
Chattanooga.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. Dec. S.-Two
persons were killed and 10 injured, some
seriously, at MARI flying field at East
chattanooga Sunday afternoon when an
airplane in making a landing crashed
INTO a crowd Of spectators.
The seriously injured are:
hurshal Blanchard, aged 5 years,
broken arm.
Herbert Locksley, Is; knocked uncon-
scious, seriously shocked and bruised.
May Elizabeth Deakin, Il; shocking
rectal injuries and cuts about head and
shoulders; condition serious.
Ethel Bacon, II; shoulder broken and
internal injuries, condition serious.
The other injured had not been iden-
titled to a late hour last night. but they
had been taken 10 their homes.
Mrs. Myers was a woman OF about 80
years Of age. The entire left side Of her
head had been torn, her skull fractured
and neck broken. She leaves, besides
her husband, a family Of 10 children.
The accident occurred at $3.50 pm.
Aviator Eddie Stinson was fixing T.
make a landing and was flying close
to the ground. The attention Of the
crowd was attracted by the machine in
the air, but according to Hollingsworth
when the former started from the north
n Of the field for the take-off the
crowd formed n lane at least 100 feet
wide. H"ollingsworth testified at the
inquest that his machine was running 10
miles an hour, not quite fast enough to
jump off, when, looking to the right, he
saw a small boy in his path. He was
forced to swerVe to the right to avoid
hitting the boy, when his machine struck
the woman and the impact turned the
plane which was just about 10 leave
the ground, to the left, running into the
crowd. Holingsworth declared that ne
did not see Mrs. Myers, but knew that
he had struck somebody when he felt
the impact, He insists that after he
had turned to he left he tried to take
the air and so over the crowd, but the
machine had lost its speed and 1t was
impossible to leave the ground,
1t was brought out at the inquest
that the airplane did not have any sort
Of brake and would stop only when its
energy was exhausted, Hollingsworth
testified that he shut off his power Inn
mediately upon finding that he could
not go over the heads Of the crowd, and
thai the machine ran so feet before It
came to a standstill. Other witnesses
testified that only the GOODNESS of Hol-
lingsworth prevented many others being
killed.
Following the accident. when the
crowd realized what had occurred, many
men lost their heads, women and chill
dren screamed and cried and a large
number Of men swarmed around the air.
| plane threatening to lynch Aviator Hol-
| lingsworth and declaring their intention
Of burning the machine after dark, AS
a precaution against any damage the
| crowd might do to his machine, Eddie
Stinson hoped off and landed about lC
miles doWn\the Tennessee river, Sher-
if Bass threw a guard round HolllnE-
woTth's machine. which was so badly
damaged as to prevent further flights
The left wing Of the machine was badly
damaged, being torn nearly off when II
came into contact with the head of Mrs
Myers. A hole in the center of the left
wing was caused by a little girl named
Baker crushing through 1t.
V. Price Hollingsworth, a commercial
flyer. who was driving the airplane, /
a native Of Chicago, and came here OF
invitation to participate in the dedica
ton of Mari field a few days ago. Hi
is out under bono on a charge Of man
slaughter.