The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1921-06-01
SEVEN ARE KILLED lin
GREAT AIRPLANE WRECK

! .
and the passengers. All of the bodies
were badly mutilated.
The Curtls-Eagle was returning
from trip to Langley field, near New
port News, Virginia, and had just
crossed the Potomac river when it
ran into the storm which had passed
over Washington an hour before. The
exact cause Of the accident probably
never will be known, as those in the
machine were dead when witnesses
from Morgantown, village near In
| dian Head, reached the scene.
An official investigation of the &C
| cident will be ordered. At that inves-
tigation it is possible an inquiry will
ibe made into the general design and
practical use by the army OF such a
machine, the only one OF its type in
the army air service. Air service ofiic-
ers said today that when the plane left
Langley field, 1t was apparently in
perfect running condition and had
hcen functioning properly during sew
eral hours in the morning and aftcr-
noon.
Captain dc Lavergnc, air attache of
the French embassy, who made the
trip in the Eagle from Washington,
said tonight that in his opinion the
Eagle was unbalanced.
"Thc machine was badly balanced"
Cptain dc Lavcrgne said at had q
small motor, of only 400 horsepower.
The weight was too much; the pilot
could not control it. l declined to re-
turn in i! and came back by boat"
Representative Campbell Of Kansas
chairman Of the House rules commit
tco, and Walsh Of Massachusetts, who
went to Langley field in the Eagle, al
so returned to Washington by boat
Mr.. Campbell said tonight the element
OF safety had not entered into their
decision not to return in the Eagle;
that both Of them were seasick and the
air in the closed plano was bad.
If the ship had been open VIC would
have returned in it," said Mr.. Camp
bell. II suggested to Walsh that VIC
return by boat. He was seasick and
didn't feel very steady. We had been
more than two hours at sea in a Mar
! tin bomber observing bombing expert
ments.
On the way down to Langley field
the air was rough and very bumpy. We
had wonderfully good pilot. He
would run into an air bank like it
was hillside and then tho machine
would drop. sometimes more than 100
| feet"
Brigadier General Mitchell, assistant
chief Of the army air service, who ac-
companied the plane in smaller one,
and who had an exciting battle with
the storm during his return flight, said
Lieut. Anes. plotting the Eagle, was
regarded as one Of the best pilots in
the service and that his ship was APP
parently in perfect condition
Eve felt no concern for his safety"
said the general. "and when the Eagle
circled over the field a couple OF times
before Strengthening out on the north
erly course for Washington, it was
running perfectly. We waived good
bye from the field, expecting that the
big boat would be in Washington be-
fore we were ready to leave Langley"
The Fable left Langley field about
1880 p. m. yesterday. The time OF the
wreck lis placed at 6:26 p. m, the hour
at which watch carried by Mr.. Con-
molly was found to have stopped.
Naval officers at Indian Head, who
saw the plane go down, declare that
Pilot Ames tried to bring his mchine
down before the full force Of the
storm struck, but that he was prevent
ed from making q landing at the first
attempt by grove OF trees. The air.
ship crossed over the trees safely and
appeared to put on power to reach
an open field short distance away.
| Apparently the motor either failed
to respond or the high wind checked
the ships flight for 1t was seen to turn
over and fall nose first 1t then was
only a few hundrc" feet in the air.
| Officers at Indian Il sent detach
mont to the scene, out 1t was some
time before they arrived and word
OF the accident did not reach Booling
| field here until II o'clock last night.
Ohlcers at the field had been await
ing the arrival OF the Eagle, but when