White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-25
MAIL PLANE BURNED;
SCOTT HAS ACCIDENT

The Ely-Elko mail plane No. 149
was destroyed by fire after a forced
landing near Currie last Thursday
afternoon.
pilot Boonstra escaped uninjured
and the plane was not carrying any
mail, due to the fact that 1t was de-
layed from starting on it's regular
outgoing trip from Ely las Wednes-
day owing TO severe weather and the
absence of a hangar for the proper
care of the plane at the Pittman field
in Fast Ely
The air mail service was not de-
layed by the unfortunate accident
and Pilot r. b. Leyisee arrived in Ely
from Elko Friday afternoon at 2:15,
making the trip in one hour and for
ty-five minutes, carrying nine sacks
or 1s6 pounds of mail. He drove
plane No. 101, which was built at the
Salt Lake field and completed only
last Wednesday. No. 10t is the ship
which Was built for the use of Monte
Mutton of international airplans derby
fame, as told in the last issue Of the
News
The exact cause of the accident TO
plane No. 14a has not yet been de-
termined, but as far as can be learned
there was no motor trouble and Pilot
Boonstra was forced to land owing to
fog and clouds hanging low. When
the ship hit the ground the under
gear mired in the mud. nosing the
plane in the ground The motor lack
fired. igniting the gasoline. and in
stantly the ship became mass of
ilames
Pilot Boonstra arrived in Ely at
O'Clock last Wednesday and was ad-
ised by wire from Elko not to at
tempt to make the return trip that
day on account of the severe storm.
The nlare was left at the field until
Thursday, when Bud Bode;l looked it
over at 7.20 a. m. He swept all snow
and ice from the plane and control
wires and procured a fifty-gallon steel
drum from the county in order TO
heat the water Hot water was Tut
in before the oil could be gotten into
the motor Everything seemed in
perfect condition when Pilot Boonstra
arrived at the field and he had no
trouble in going up. Bodell had tax
led the plane around the field pre-
paratory to the start.
When the landing was forced near
Currie Pilot Boonstra went to the
Nevada Nothern railroad depot and
wired In the news OF the accident.
General Manager Hickey of the rail
road company directed that the avi-
ator be taken to Shafter on one Of the
con,pany's speeders and from there
he went by train to Elko.
According to the story told by Pilot
Levisee upon his arrival in Ely Fri
day much trouble has been expert
enced by the airships during the last
week.
pilot Scott. who brought the first
mail plane to Ely and who Is now
driving between Salt Lake and Eiko,
met with an accident Thursday when
a connecting rod in the motor of his
plane broke. forcing him TO land on
the mountain about twelve miles
from Eiko. and he was thereafter
forced to walk to town through about
a foot of snow.
Manager Nelson of the Salt Lake
field is expected to arrive in Ely next
TUESDAY, to take care of the wrecked
plane No. 14a, according to a tele-
gram received bv Field Manager Bo-
dell. which reads as follows:
"Bodell. Manager Air Plane Ser
vice. Ely. New: VIII arrive Ely Tues
day to handle wreck one fortv-nine.
Please instruct sheriff sheriff. currie.
keep ship untouched until my arrival.
NELSON"
When Pilot Levisee arrived in Fly
last FRIDAY he remarked: "You have
Please instruct sheriff. Currie,
you need is a hangar
Manager Nelson, who has been
looking into the matter of procuring
hangar for the East Ely field. has
wired Bud Bodell here that a hangar
identical to the one now in use al
Elko is available. The hangar Is al
the government warehouse in New
ark. n. j.. and can be procured by
paying cost of transportation here
No doubt the matter will be taken VI
at the next meeting of the county
commissioners and steps taken to
have the much needed hangar in
stalled at once in order that the air
mail service may be continued