Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-25
ARMY To PROBE
AIR DISASTER;
PHOTOS To AID
One of Six Killed in
Plane Crash Was
Stowaway.

Mineola. n. Y, Sept. 24.-Prspara-
tions were under way Sunday Tor an
army board inquiry into the crash of d
Martin bombing plane which killed SIX
army men at Mitchell field Saturday
night at the conclusion of the mimic
air attack on the land forces at the
cantonment. Major Weaver, command
ing the field. will appoint board OF
army officers Monday to hold an IN
ouiry into the crash, the cause of which,
it was said, probably never would be
known.
One of the six victims. it was re-
ported unofficially at the field, was a
'stowaway" Those killed were:
First Lieutenant Raymond e. Davis.
a regular army pilot Of Langley tleld,
Virginia.
First Sergeant Thomas Benefited,
Chicago.
Corporal David H. stivens, New
York.
First Glass Private Edward Kane.
who left no address.
Private Henry ]. Nichols, Route j,
Carr Hill, Texas.
Private Irving NJ. Whitney of Ash
burnham, Mass.
All but Lieutenant Davis were sta
toned at Mitchell field.
One a StoWaway
Whitney. it was unofficially reported
at the field, was a stowaway. An un-
official check up of post assignments
of the victims of the tragedy failed to
show that he had been assigned as one
of the men to man the bomber in her
single turn of the field.
The point most often stressed by
army officers in discussing the tragedy
is that the bomber was beyond the
field of powerful searchlights, which
were used by the blue" or defensive
forces in the msneuvers. 1t was at
first believed that Davis had become
blinded by the brilliancy Of the shaft
of light which criss-crossed the dark
skies.
Officers also disbelieved that the
purple land mist which drifted down
Long Island had in any way confused
Davis. who was recognized as one of
the best flyers of bombing planes IN
the air service.
Just another one of those air TRACE
dies which probably never will be ex-
planned" Major Weaver said, in his
brief official announcement of the ac-
cident.
Photos May Solve Mystrey
Photography is expected to play a
large part in the inquiries to be con-
Quoted into the accident. Men Of the
fourteenth Photographic section, head
quarters of which Is at Mitchell field,
were at the scene and had been making
night pictures of the maneuvers for
records at Washington. A picture was
made. it was said, of the bomber a
moment before she banked. Photo
graphs also were taken of the wrecked
plane after the crash. before the wreck
age was cleared away. Scores of per-
sons. however. hunting for souvenirs
who flocked TO the field Sunday. dug
parts of the plane out of the ground
Explaining the application of the
term, "stowaway," to Private Whitney.
it was said that there are any number
of privates and non- commissioned Off
GERS stationed at the flying field who
have never had time in the air. Many
of these men entered the service in the
belief that flying would become an
every day occurrence in their lives.
When they found, instead, that their
lives were filled from reyeille to taps
with an endless round of humdrum
details, which seldom takes them inside
an airplane hangar, no opportunity is
lost of ''going up" Whitney, it is be-
lieved, hoped into the plane in the
last minute and during the excitement
of taking off.
Funeral services will be held Monday
at Mitchell field for the six victims,
after which their bodies will b sent
to their homes.