, 1919-10-16
u. S. Military Airplane Wrecked
Near Saratoga, and Pilot Killed

Lieutenant f. V. Wales. one of Uncle
Sans air pilots. lost his life near the
summit of Deer mountain. some Is
miles northeast of Saratoga, last
Thursday afternoon, IL his mecha-
%nician, Lieut.. w. G. Goldsborough, re-
ceived very numerous though not seri-
GUS injuries, when the De Haviland
military airplane which they were OPP
Grating vas wrecked i'll Il rocky can
yon near h top of the mountain
range. The machine was one of TWEEN
ty which left San Francisco the day
before i'll the coast-to-coaSt endurance
and reliability contest. The machine
arrived i'll Rawlins at IL 90 a. IN. and
started east again after Il stop of 30
minutes.
In the Pass Creek country north of
Saratoga IA binding SNOW storm was
encountered, which was primarily to
blame for the accident. as the aviators
were unable to see where they were
going, and when the side of the noun
tain suddenly loomed up before them
he pilot was unable to climb rapid
ly enough to avoid IL collision. In his
efforts to do so, Lieut.. Wales had to
elevate the nose of the machine to an
angle beyond the capacity of the ma
chine and it ''side-slipped,' falling
about $50 feet into IL rocky ravine,
within n very short distance of the top
of the mountain. But for the blizzard
which was encountered on the west
side of the mountain, the driver could
have easily attained the few neces-
Sary feet of elevation to carry the ma
chine safely over the top.
According to Lieut.. G%oldsborough.
he and Lieut.. Wales, after encountering
the blizzard, had some discussion as
to whether to follow the compass
route" which was IA straight line from
Rawlins TO Cheyenne. or to swing Il
few miles northward to follow the
Union Pacific tracks. They finally de
cided to stick to the compass route
and take chances on being sufficiently
high to pass over the mountains.
The first news of the accident came
by phone from the H.. C.. PaulsOn ranch
in Pass Creek Basin, where Lieut..
GoldsbOrough summoned assistance
after Il fiye-mile walk down the noun
tain from the scene of the accident.
He had eXtricated himself from the
machine after the crash. had removed
his unconscious comrade from the
wreck, and although himself in a pre-
%carious condition from many severe
bruises and injuries, had managed To
administer first aid measures. had re-
moved his w underwear to make
bandages, and after using Some parts
of the machine for shelter and kindl-
ing II fire. he started out through the
storm to find help. He was observed
tat some distance from the Paulson
ranch. stumbling along through the
snow, and a man was sent out to meet
him. BE told of the accident and urg-
ed immediate assistance for his wound
ed comrade. Several men left the
ranch ut once IN saddle horses. tax
ing coats, blankets, etc. but Lieut..
Wales vas dead long before they
reached him. and it is likely that he
expired within n very few minutes
after the accident, as he had sustained
terrible injuries about his head, one
bolt having penetrated his skull to II
depth of several inches.
In following the trail of Lieut..
Goldsborough up the mountainside to
the scene of the wreck, the snow gave
mute evidence Of the nerve of the
young man, many places being found
where he had fallen over instructions
and down establishments, but always
regaining his feet and keeping pluck
lily inward in the effort to summon
help for his friend and comrade.
DR.. Irwin was summoned, and after