Norwich bulletin., 1922-09-25
SIX OCCUPANTS or BOMBING
 PLANE KILLED AT MINEoLA


 Alineola, N. T.. Sept 24.-Six occu- pants Of Martin bombing plane were killed last night at Michell field. whsn the machine fell in a nose-live following war maneuvres for the inStructiorf or reserve and regular army officers
 The plane piloted by First Llsitenznt Raymond E. Davis, C. s aruss. burst into flames on striking me Eround -1t was a twin motor bomber. sAs heaviest machine at the field and had pss ioipz-sd in an aerial attack On theSrstilA t2Ttla- cations ylt I'll
 After fhe war msneut ls lsnd 5lths judges had decided the rsidk-t-l lad ron.
 he airmsn engaged in ''iyag circiIs
 Illuminated by monster sesrehiights and .heered by Thousands of persons who had
 adhered from all parts of Long Islandt nd New York city 10 watch the pas aenEsrs Lieutenant Davis had taken up. Immediately saer the crash all sourc- es of information al the flying field wrr@- stopped by order of Major Weaver. tha commanding officer. pending an inresu- gstion and until the names of the victims had been sScertsined.
 Lieutenant Raymond F Davis home was in Dznviile. III. his birthplace. He entered the army service on July 11. 1917 and after the war was stationed stLzHg- Icy held. Hampton. Va
 One of the six victims. it was re- ported unofficially al the field was "stowaway" Those killed were:
 First Lieutenant Raymond P. Dsvis. regular army pilot. of Langley Field.
 First Sergeant Thonass Bsnheld. Of Chicago. stationed al Mitchell Field.
 Corporal David H. Stivens, New York. stationed at Mitchell Field.
 First Class Private Edward Kane. who left no home address. stationed at Mitchell Field.
 Private Henry J. Nichols. route three. Carr HIll, Texas: stationed al Mitchell Field.
 Private Irving NJ. Whitney. Of Ash burnham. Mass. also stationed al Mitchell Fled.
 Whitney. it was unofficialiy reported at the field. was a stowsway- An unof- | fcial check-up Of post assignments of the victims Of the tragedy. failed to show that he had been assigned as ona of the men to man the bomber in her single turn Of the field.
 Just another one of those air trage- dies which probably never will be ez- plsined." Major Weaver said in his brief | official announcement Of the aoci- dent.
 l Ine n1Cnt or the MdFIn NuulHTL Ncn scheduled as single turn of the neid in order 10 give officers Of the reserve corps. for whose benefit the msneurers are being held. an idea of the low yisis bility of a plane. even the size Of the Martin bomber. at night
 The turn of the field. as ordered. has been accomplished. The searchiights were at the regulation twenty degree angle. 1t was said. so that they in no way confused the pilot With his ham gar lights to guide ham. Lieutenant Da- wis suddenly banked his machine in pre- paration for landing. Al the top or tne bank. where the wings Of the plane were almost perpendicular, the bomber sud denly side-slipped. and fell A yellow flash Of light cut the dark for moment as every inhammsble obect on the plane burned The bomber struck the grosSld 1 with her two motors wide open. The iH- pact as the nose of the plane tore iieo the ground is reported 70 have shaken frsm building nearby.
 Three Of the bodies had been thrown clear of the wrecksge. When the hrsl army wagon reached the scene two oi the men were stili breathing They cieo before reaching the army hospital
 The bodies Of Davis and SerEear' Benaeld were burned beyond recognition a " RdE >diN Nk pug rANA1t-' ~~ pi,al that Davis body was in such s--con
 dition that it would be impossible to oe- terrnine whetrer or not he had beer | overcome while banking his plars, o' that his death had occurred from nsfur' 1 al causes. and the side-siipping ot th' plane resulted from his inability 10 op
 crate the giant bomber.
 1 Photography ix expected to play large part in the inquiries to he conduct
 ed into the accident -rsn Of the four
 teenth photographic section. headquar ters of which Is al Mitchell Field. wer'
 on the scene and had been making nigh
 pictures of the msneuvers for recoro'
 at Washington. A picture was made
 it was said. of the bomber a momenl before she banked. Photographs at' were taken of the wrecked plane afte'
 the crash, before the wreckase vas clear
 ed away.
 Funeral services will be held tonor row at Mitchell Fled for the six r.cfiHi' ; after which their bodies will De rhippe'
 to their homes