The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-11-15
Naval Aviator
Hurt in Crash
Lieutenant Commander Chey.
) ...vaiier May Die-Aee Of
e.s:e.g Naval Unit

Comdr. Godfrey Decourceile Cheva-
[lier. senior fight officer Of the ma
val airplane tender. Langley, is in
the Portsmouth naval hospital suf-
fering from internal injuries and
w. A. Paxton, a professional ftier,
is dead as result Of two plane
accidents in this vicinity today.
chevalier is expected to die.
Mrs. Chevalier, wife Of the injur-
ed naval officer, figured in the third
accident of the day when the plane
in which she was rushing from
Washington to her husbands bed
! side was forced to land in the Ches-
apeake bay. One Of the wings OF
the flying machine was torn off by
! the waves. All members Of the
party are reported to have been
ireseued uninjured from the crippled
plane by naval launches.
Lieutenant Commander Cheva-
llier, on his. way from the naval
base to the United States ship Lang
LEY this morning at 8 o'clock,
paused in his fight over Lochaven
as a salute to friends living in that
suburb, when he appeared to en-
counter trouble with his steering
lgear. After swoopings about in a
vain attempt to. effect a. landing,
| the machine crashed into marsh
IN the rear of William Sloane's
lhome. -
The accident was witnessed by
numeruos residents OF Lochayen.
The machine was demolished and
Commander Chevalier was, pinned
tbeneath the wreckage, sustaining
internal injuries. He was remov-
ed to the naval Tospitaa, where
lit was said tonight that his condi-
ton is serious. ~
Commander Cheyalier is regard
led as the ace of all American naval
/ iifiers. On October 26 Of this year
he accomplished the remarkable
feat Of landing a plane on the deck
of a warsnip, while the latter was
lgoing at the rate OF six knots an
hour. This accomplishment mark
led new. epoch in aeronauties as
la supplement to the navy.
During the world war he served
practically the entire time in
France and was decorated by the
French, English and American gov.
ernmeEts for: distinguished service
In many experiments in flying he
has taken a conseicuous part, be-
ing, the. first American to Ay his
! plane from the deck Of a vessel
| without the use Of a catapult. His
home is in Baltimore.
y A board Of inquiry was called a
the naval base this morning imme.
diately after the accident occurred
and Its. findings will be commune
Gated to Washington at once.
w. A. Paxton of the Paxton Fly
ing circus, which lis n winteraquar-
ters near Ocean View, went up 10,
a fight with a passenger at 12.3t
O'Clock. "A few minutes later he
encountered engine trouble and
attempted to make a landing. In
order to avoid crashing into a
cluster of trees in his descent, he
! threw his machine into tail spin
when about 200 feet in the air. The
machine. was totally wrecked wher
it struck the ground The passen.
ger escaped with a few minor
bruises. but the pilot was so severe
l.ly injured that he died four hours
later at the. United States, Public
Health Service hospital.
Mr.sPaxton was a native Of Penn
sylvania but had resided here for
about four years. He was associat-
ed with a professional flying troupe
that furnishes aerial thrills at fairs
and other events Of that kind
throughout thes country.
!! Washington, Now 12.-Lieutenant
Commander Godfrey D. Chevalier
first naval aviator to make a landing
on the airplane carrier Langley
about three weeks age and one of
the senior hiers of the naval all
tn