The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-06-03
I DIE IN CRASH
Of ARMY PLANE
Two Civilians and Five Service
Flyers Are Killed.
STORM WRECKS BIG MACHINE
Latest Type of Hospital Airship Fails
to Ride Out High Wind Near Wash
ington-Bodies of Passengers
Nearly Destroyed.

Washington, May 31.-Five army
flyers and two civilians were crushed
to death when a huge Curtiss Eagle
ambulance airplane went off balance
and fell several thousand feet near
Indian Head Md.
Scores witnessed the fall and saw
the big plane burst into flames, but
details of the crash will never De
known
Every person on the plane was
crushed or burned to death and the
bodies were gathered up as unrecog-
nizable masses.
Among those killed were some or
the army's best known flyers and Of
ficers and two noted civilians. Those
dead are:
Lieut.. Col. Archie Miller, recent
graduate of the War college.
Lieut.. Stanley Ames, pilot OF the
machine
Lieut.. Cleveland W. McDermott,
Syracuse, n. Y; stationed at Lang
ley field.
Lieut.. John M. pennywell, stationed
at Langley field.
Serg Richard Blumenkrantz, me-
chanic at Boiling field.
A. G. Batchelder of Washington,
chairman of the executive board,
American Automobile association.
Maurice Connolly, sales manager or
the Curtiss Airplane company. a ma
jOr in the army reserve corps and for
mer congressman from Iowa.
The plane, a huge Curtiss Eagle,
was one of the latest hospital ships
Parts of her hospital equipment had
been removed to make room Tor
Batchelder and Connolly.
The plane encountered a severe
electrical storm shortly after it took
off from Langley field, Hampton, Va,
Saturday night. 1t was seen the pilot
was having trouble in keeping above
the storm.
Light Plane Saved.
Brig. Gen. William Mitchell, fly
ing scout plane, lighter craft, had
no trouble in climbing and succeeded
in avoiding the worst OF the storm.
He landed in Washington safely.
While IEyIuS W SlllhO oOONN ~AAS
storm clouds over Indian Head the
hospital plane darted into another
storm travelling in another direction,
and in an instant was in the very
center Of one of the most vivid cleo
trical displays ever seen by natives
in that part of the state.
Famed to flames by. the Onrush of
o. Mo mo-
of fire when it struck the ground.
The exact spot where the plane
landed was on the outskirts of a farm
10 miles from La Platte,
All telephone communication be-
tween the scene of the crash and
Washington had been interfered with
by the storm, and TO this the War de-
partment lays the delay in learning
of the crash and the death of the
army flyers and their passengers.
The plane was flying at a great
height. probably several thousand feet
according to the nearest estimate that
could be made by experts from the
stories told them by witnesses of the
crash.
Pilot Loses to Storm.
The pilot fought for some time to
master the swirling storm clouds and
then decided to land. A quick move
ment of the big plane destroyed its
balance.
The plane was on its way to Boiling
field. near Washington 1t left Lang
ley field. 200 miles to the south, with
two other planes early Saturday. Both
of the other planes came through the
storm successfully.
The Dolphin. a naval cutter, hap
Dened to be in the lower Potomac In
the neighborhood of the accident. The
ships officers took charge and ar
ranged for transportation of the
bodies
Lieutenant Ames. pilot of the ship
was known as one Of the best flyers
in the army. Batchelder and Connel
" were passengers in the plane anC
were returning to Washington from
Langley field. where they had beer
on business.
The big plane represented new
kind of air carrier, the hospital ship
on which experiments have been go
ing on in Europe for some time. L
was only recently the army air service
has been experimenting with this type