Smyrna times., 1919-05-14
AIRPLANE FALLS IN SMYRNA
Thrill Given Large Crowd Assembled
in Smyrna to Witness Exhibition.
Plane Crashes Wire and Falls.

Thrill GlVen Large OIOMu ASSO"'"ANN
in Smyrna to Witness Exhibition.
Plane Crashes Wire and Falls.
Citizens of Smyrna had an exhibit
ton of thrill and intense excitement
for a while Friday morning when a
Curtiss aeroplane from the proving
grounds of Aberdeen, Md, flew to
Smvrna to aid and boost the Victory
Loan Drive, and was wrecked by COM
ing in contact with telephone wires
as thev were landing in the exhibition
field. The plane reached Smyrna
about ten o'clock, but first stopped at
the Gootee farm just west OF Clay
ton town limits, to get their bearings.
They hoped off shortly and headed
toward the big field opposite "Wood-
lawn" the home of Frank Slaughter,
where a large crowd of thousand
or more people had assembled. The
plane was in charge of Lieutenant
Richmond and Aviator Edwards.
Coming out of cloud from an altl-
tude of 1000 or 1900 feet, the avia-
tors were exhibiting tail spin, MAX
ing nine complete spins before they
} righted themselves to land in the
: field. They did not notice, however,
5 the telephone wires, because OF the
1 foo and mist (for then they were
4 over the field on the opposite side OF
the road), and in a moment they
d crashed telephone wires, cutting more
S than forty of them as though they
e had been threads. The machine thus
n imneded dived nose downward into
o the field. The crowd stood agaspi
S expecting to see the aviators both
d killed, but they emerged from the
Y wreckage without hardly a scratch
e It was a miraculous escape. AnC
L apparently for the crowd, too, for ha(
70 the machine swung down on th'
crowd and automobiles, the resul
would have been appalling. Prof. M
=. F. Thurston and some others wer
- - scratched by the falling wires but t
ne no great extent.
he Over 40 Telephone Wires Cut Into.
The whole trunk line and telephon
er system to Dover and the South wer
he mt out of commission. Some fort
he wires being cut and pole felle'
ID The crowd rushed to the field, cage
20 to see the wrecked airplane, whiC
he was one of the best of the Aberdee
ter collection. At first it was announce
OF another machine would be over, bV
OF as four already had been wrecked
Mt Delaware recently, the officers r
est fused to allow any more to go ou
OF It was a great disappointment to Il
iss crowd, for not only were air stun
gh- to be a part of the program, but
on; least four citizens were to be CIV
ra- the opportunity to go up.
,.4I Wrecked Plane Taken Away in Tru
and In the afternoon a big Army tru
E motored over from the Aberde
,or- Proving Grounds and the wreck
,+b- nlane was taken back for repal
;f+b ,1ert. Richmond and Aviator Edwal
Ian were entertained by Ralph Tuck
fred while in Smyrna, Aviator Edwal
bird heino a friend of Mr.. Tucker W
lion knew him while in Wilmington.
outs less than two hours telephone n
who arrived promptly in big tru
W. had the trunk lines in operation,
,.aao bv early afternoon all the teleph'
lines were connected up again.
,cIu- Souvenir Hunters Strip the Airpla
t by While the /airplane was in
"Woodlawn" field, souvenir hunt
Top, took upon themselves to get eve
thing they could, some things
value. 1t did not matter so much
the parts of the damaged planes,
Chairman Raymond has instruct
from the Government officials
would like to have all equlpn
e. taken returned. There is knl
helmet. two wrenches, two sc
RS. drivers and two halves of a
belt missing. This is Govenr
aurel property and might result
ton iouslv if not returned. Mr..
e and mond would be glad if these or
sbury more articles of value taken, are
n Nc turned to him promptly.
Eek