New-York tribune., 1922-07-31
Propeller Snaps as They
Go for Ride, Airplane
Drops, Tank Blows Up
and Both Burn TO Death
Parents in Throng
That Fights Flames
Charred Bodies Ignored
by Motorists, WhoAiiack
Machine for Souvenirs
ss,csar Dispatch o. The Tribu.s


PORT JERVIS. n. Y. July 30
Tracey Lyons. a Reserve Corps avia-
ton officer. and Augustus Altemeier jr..
both residents Of this town, were
burned to death this afternoon in the
wreck Of the army airplane Cha while
men and women who ran TO the scene
Of the accident from the Port Jervis
Country Club strove In vain TO ex-
iinguish the flames which enveloped
them.
Lyons was twenty-five years old, the
son Of Mr. and Mrs. James Lyons. and
would have finished tonight a course
o. training he was taking at Mitchell
Field, l.. /. Altemeier was twenty
years old. the son Of Postmaster
Augustus Altemeier Of this place.
Parents See Son Die
Lieutenant Lyons's parents were
among the hundreds Of persons that
saw the accident and made an inef-
fectual attempt TO rescue the youths.
who were strapped 20 their seats in
the wrecked and blazing plane
With Captain Walter Dodd, OF Ches-
ter, n. Y, Lyons had driven the mir
plane from Mitchell Field yesterday.
Captain Dodd stopped at his home IN
Orange County and Lyons kept on with
the machine 10 this place. He was 60
ing back 20 Mitchell Field this after
noon, intending 70 stop at Chester and
pick up Captain Dodd.
Young Altemeier, a friend Of Lieu
tenant Lyons, accepted eagerly an In
vitation TO accompany him on the re-
turn trip as far as Middletown.
The start was made from the grounds
OF the Port Jervis Country Club about
s D m. The pleasant weather thronged
the club grounds. and several hundred
persons gathered 20 watch the air
plane get under way.
II climbed smoothly from the we'll
kept fairway Of the links and crossed
the automobile highway nearby at an
altitude of about 100 feet. Scarcely
an eighth of a mile from the club
house. however, the propeller snapped
and the plane faltered. Lyons could
be seen manipulating the controls, aIsd
II was apparent that, In spite OF the
fact that he was scarcely more than
100 feet above the ground, he hopf1 70
bring the machine TO safe landing.
Plunges and Tank ExplOdes
The airplane got away from bin,
however, and plunged nose first into
a MULLEN patch across the road from
the club.
As il struck the gasoline tank ex-
ploded. Flames seethed about the
crumpled plane and n column Of black
smoke shot skyward. Golfers, tennis
players and onlookers already were
running toward the fallen plane when
Il burst into flames.
No water was at hand, and II prob
ably would have been useless II it had
been. Women and men scrabbled IN
the sun-baked soil Of the MULLEN patch,
scratching up handfuls OF dirt, which
they flung at the blazing wreckage.
The intense heat singed their eyebrows,
blistered their faces and caused their
clothes 10 smolder, but they edged as
close 10 the flames as they could get
and continued their efforts to extinguish
the FIRE until the gasoline had burned
itself out and only mass OF mis-
shapen metal remained, with two STARK
blaekened figures, which once had been
human, bent above II.
Before the wreckage was cool enough
10 touch without injury, motorists
from the highway nearby and excur-
sionists from Neversink Beach clus-
tered about the spot, picking and hack
ing at the remains Of the airplane, IN
tent upon supplying themselves with
souvenirs and ignoring the two bodies
awaiting removal.
After the bodies had been removed
the souvenir hunters came in increas-
ing numbers and seemed intent upon
carrying the wrecked airplane away
piecemeal.
Captain r. s. Eaker, Of Mitchell Field,
said that Captain Dodd and Lieutenant
Lyons made the cross-country fight TO
their homes as a test flight, their
course Of instruction being near its
end. Captain Jones and Lieutenant
Hutchinson were sent from Mitchell
Field in an airplano to investigate the
accident as soon as news Of 1t was re-
eeived.
Arn,v Officer Ends