Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1920-07-20
is KILLED AT
COEUR D'ALENE
GUST ERICKSON ONE OF THREE
VICTIMS OF SEAPLANE ACCI-
DENT SUNDAY AFTERNOON
LIVED HERE PAST TWO YEARS
In Empty Of A. C. White as Timekeep-
er at Camp No. 3.

0uSl ErlCkSOn, tlmekeepef Tor the A
c. White Lumber company at Camp 8,
near this city, was killed Sunday after
noon at Coeur d'Alene when a sea-
plane in which he was riding as
passenger, fell 100 feet and dashed into
the beach on Lake Coeur dAlene. Lieut..
Miller, the pilot of the plane, and Pete
Savage, of Kellogg, a passenger, were
also killed in the accident.
Erickson was about 80 years old, un-
married, and had been in this district
for about two years in the employ of
A. c. White. He was a man of good
habits and a genial disposition and
was highly regarded by all his ac-
quaintances.
Following is the account of the acci-
dent published in the Spokesman-Re-
view yesterday:
According to eyewitness es, the plane
had scared over the trees in the park
and Lieutenant Miller banked his plane
preparatory to gliding down to the
lake He had shut off his engine. Aft
er clearing the trees and coming over
the beach the plane appeared to pitch
forward suddenly and crashed on the
beach within 20 feet of the water. The
pilots and passenger seats are in the
fore part of the plane and when the
machine hit they received the full
force of the crash. Their compart-
ment was entirely demolished. The
plane was standing nose on end with
the three men beneath it and had to be
turned over before 1t was possible to
remove their bodies.
"The crash could be heard for blocks.
l.. C. Beathe was sitting in his front
yard three or four blocks away "I
saw the plane start to fall and then
heard the crash" he said. "It must
have struck with terrific force"
Forest Russell, of Spokane, manager
of the company which operates the
seaplane was an eyewitness.
"'I believe the accident resulted from
the plane losing its forward speed
when Lieutenant Miller attempted to
land. / was watching him. He had
circled the flag pole at about 100 feet
and banked his plane. He then shut
off his engine as is customary before
landing. / believe the plane stalled
and went into a tail spin. Because of
the nearness of the ground it was inn
possible for him to right the plane be-
fore the crash"
OH HdIQ tOl lut OpOhdHe ANld-
tion company agreed with Mr.. Russell
that such was the cause.
"The plane fell while the beach and
lake were crowded with bathers. Be-
cause of the hot afternoon many peo-
pie from this city and other towns
were there and the city park was
crowded with people It is estimated
1000 people saw the plane fall.
t,I 4,.4.. A..
made by the plane today. Two pre-
vious trips had been made without
mishap. II. w. Gregory chief clerk
of the Davenport, together with the
manager of the Hotel Idaho made the
trip previous to the fatal fall They
had but few moments before climbed
out of the plane and were remarking
on the pleasure of the ride when the
plane fell before their eyes.
Misfortune has seemed to follow the
plane, a Curtiss sea gull since it's
launching shortly before the oFurth,
according to T. B. Scott, Coeur d'Alene
newspaper man and one of the stock
holders in the corporation which OPP
Grated the plane.
1t was put in service on July g."
said Mr. Scott, preparatory for flights
during Jne regatta On July IL went
out of order and needed repairing On
the 7th of July while I was flying
with Lieutenant Miller, while attempt
ing to land, something went wrong
and instead of landing in the water
we landed on the beach, the hull strik-
ing log and damaging it to such an
extent that it was laid up for several
days A few flights were made Satur-
day afternoon. Yesterday the plane
was apparently in good running order
1t was a $4,000 plane All that will
be saved of it is the motor. / estimate
the loss to be about $1,000
"The plane was virtually demolished
The wings were shattered. The COM
partment for the pilot and passengers
was pile of splinters. stained with the
blood of the victims. The propeller
was broken into hundreds of pieces,
and with the exception OF the motor,
which is not in front as on land planes
and which miraculously escaped ap-
parent injury, the once graceful sea
gull, was a mass of twisted wire and
shattered parts. The spot where the
plane lay was roped off and policemen
guarded it to ward off souvenir seek
| ers and the surrounding crowd.