The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-06-24
A|RPLANE CRASH !
COSTS ONE LIFE
MARTIN BERGH OF VOlGA, is
FATALLY INJURED WHEN
SHIP FALLS
THE PILOT, JOHN HOAG, IS INJURED
Accident Occurred on Bergh Farm
South of VoIga where Victim
Was Born and Reared

Was Born and Reared
Attempting TO wave from an aero
plane to his brothers working in a
corn field below him, cost Martin
Bergh of Volga, his life last Tuesday
afternoon in an accident about four
miles south of Volga. Bergh was a
passenger in the Curtiss Standard
plane, owned by the Lieb Getty Air
plane company Of Vclga and piloted
by Lieut. John Hoag of the CurtiSs
Airplanc Co. of Minneapolis. They
started on their trip about 4:30 p. n.
Tuesday afternoon and after flying too
the northwest a short distance the
ship proceeded south to the Bergh
farm four miles south Of Nolga where
Martin was born and reared His two
brothers were cultivating corn in the
field at the east side of the road and
about forty rods southeast Of the
schoOlhouse. AS the plane neared the
brothers Martin requested the pilot
to drop closer to the ground so that he
might wave to his brothers and so
that they might recognize him. Going
south the ship was travelling with the
wind and as the bank was made to
turn north, there was quite a tip side
wise Martin had been leaning 70
the side and it is believed that he
thought he was going to fall out and
threw himself back into the ship. AS
h. l. Ill l.
and hit the gas throttle in the forward
cockpit and shut off the engine. The
plane then went into a spiral and
plunged to the ground. Had it not
been for a little knoll at the scene of
the accident, the pilot believes that he
could have prevented so serious an
accident. He did everything he could
in the few seconds at his command
and the engine had started and the
plane had started on the straightaway
but the projecting knoll was high
enough to catch the machine before
il could get away.
AS the ship fell, Cne Of the wings
struck one of the horses used by the
brothers in cultivating corn and all
three teams ran away. The plane
struck the ground on a slant and John
B"rgh stated that the lower wings
really hit the ground before the en-
CINE. One blade of the propeller was
buried to some extent. The machine
was badly damaged but it is said that
the motor is still good.
John and Alfred Bergh immediate
ly rushed to the assistance of the
men in the plane. The pilot was
taken out first and he called to them
to get the other fellow out 1t was
not until they unstrapped Martin, who
was bleeding profuSely, and carried
him out that they discovered that it
was their brother Fred Fehlberg and
O. L. Olson, who were driving along
the road on their way to Sinai came
to the rescue and nrried the injured
men to the Volga hospital 1t was
found that Martin Bergh was in very
serious condition, his skull was frac-
tured, his upper jaw smashed and sew
eral other injuries about his legs and
body. He never regained conscious
ness and passed away within an hour
after the accident. Mr.. Hog was in
jured about the face and his nose was
broken 1t was first thought that he
! as injured internally. He is in
serious nervous condition and is be-
ing cared for at the home of Mr.. Lieb
Martin Bergh was the son of Rev.
and Mrs. o. O. Bergh, for m&ny years
residents of Oslo township, out now
residing in st. Paul. The sympathy of
the entire community goes out to the
b" eaved parents and family
The plnne was a brand new Curtiss
Standard just brought from Mime
apolis on Monday evening by Mr.
Hoag and Hugh Getty, junior member
of the firm. The machine was double
controlled but before passengers were
t ken up the controls of the rudders
and planes were disconnected but the
gas throttle was left connected. A
number Of flights wore made Tuesday
afternoon, all successful, and the pilot
demonstrated thrt he w. , an expert
enced man at the business. He served
for several years in the British air
service and held commission in the
Royal Air Corps, he Is, however,
American born