Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1921-09-09
PlUR6ES TO EARTH in NICHOLAS COUNTY

->>N~ ~ 40 H. iulS W.. as
went to destruction in Nicholas
county last Saturday afternoon as
seen by eye witnesses from COM
panion plane:
The men on board the missing
plane were: Lieutenant Harry l.,
Speck, pilot; Lieuteant Fitzpatrick,
observer. Sergeant Arthur Brown,
Kentucky; Corporal Alexander
Hazelton, Wilmington, Del; Private
Howard, San Francisco. Cal.
Plane No. 5 was one of three in
fleet of bombers which had been
ordered to proceed to the home
port at Langley field, Newport News
Virginia. from Charleston. The
other two planes in the fleet were
Nos. p and "a, both Martin bomb
ers OF similar type.
Members Of the crew of No. q.
which was flying in the wake of
NO. 3. reported upon their return
to Charleston that they were in
clear view Of the accident at the
time 1t occurred. Plane No. $.
tncy report, flying at approximately
~ miles an hour and al an altitude
Of 1000 feet.
plane No. 5 was directly in front
OF our plane," said PrIyateRyston
r. Zambro, Hagcrstown, Nd, a mem
Der of the crew Of No. "a. in re
counting the affair, land from our
observation we saw that the pilot
was making definite left bank
with the evident intention of re.
turing to the field in Charleston.
Inc storm had been raging with
vlgor at the time that it was an
parent decision had been made to
return to Charleston instead of al
tempting battle with the storm en-
route to Langley field.
After making the left bank he
went into a nose dive, but before
he could recover was swept into =
tail spin and fell directly to the
ground. For the size of the plane
and her weight, the fall TO the
ground was comparatively slow.
Hhc fell straight downward without
dcVlatlnS from her course. -
"The country il that vicinity IS
very mountainous and hilly, but
strangely enough No. 5 crashed
downward into Il ravine that forms
road in these parts. AS soon as
we saw her fall we circied around
ana Siided down as far as safe fy
ing IN this region would permit, and
saw that No. 3 had crashed into the
ground nose first, with her tail pro
lectlng up in the air at an almost
horizontal angle.
NO sooner had the plane crash
Ell tilan she was wrapped i'm flames
apparently from an explosion in The
gasoline tanks. We could not ascer-
tain definitely the fate of the men on
board because of the impossibility
OF getting any closer to the ground
and the darkness caused by the
Storm"
While No. 2I did moi gel into
similar difficulty in the storm. lv.
ing was not easy, according TO the
crew, FOR, as Private Zambro cx-
pressed ii, No. "a was finding il
tough going" The pilot of No. "a
Lieutenant McRcynolds, found
landing impossible and directed
his plane out around the storm, land
ing some time later near Poin Pleas
an. Hundreds of men in the vicjn-
NY where this plane met destruction
began a search and it was found by
ben Hughes who was attracted TO
Inc spot by the means of Corporal
liazleton, who had survived, In,
othcr four having met instant
dcath. One view Of the wrecked
plane convinced him, Hughes said,
That the four companions of Hazel
ton were dead, so he immediately
centercd his efforts towards giving
first laid to the injured aviator. Ac-
cordlng TO Hughes, Hazelfon was
distorted with the pains that pierc-
ca his body, but an expression of
relief llickcring over his countc-
nance as Hughes poured water into
his "half-parched throat"
Every possible assistance at his
command having been rendered
Hughes left Hazelton TO rush for
help and brought additional forces
in the vicinity back with him,
where arrangements were made TO
take the injured man into Summer.
vile.
The character of the country in
this part Of Nicholas county is
very hilly, heavily wooded, filed
with many deep ravincs, and very
sparsely inhabited. There were no
roads through which could be op-
Grated an automobile and, il was
necessary for the searching parties
to carry HazelIon and the bodies of
his four companions for more than
a mile out OF the dense forests, be-
fore he could be placed in an auto
mobile. The remainder Of his Jour
ncy was nearly as nrrvc-racking