Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1922-08-25
AIRPLANE MEET.
Continued from Page ~

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Miss Harris and Pilot Hughes were
taken to the Memorial hospital where
Pilot Hughess injuries were dressed, and
in short time he was able to leave for
the Brooks House, where he had made
his Headquarters.
Pilot Hughes was completely unnerved
after he had been taken to the Brooks
House that evening, and his mental con
dition was such as to prevent the obtain
ment of a clear and accurate account
as to how the tragedy actually occurred.
As nearly as can be learned and with the
additional information secured from Pilot
Casey Jones, Hughes decided to take off
the field from the northern end on this
particular flight because he had had diff
Guilty in taking off from the southern end
in several previous flights. Spectators
will recall that on the take-off just previ-
Gus to the Inflated fight, Hughes's Oriole
made leap in the air as it struck the
bump in the center of the field when
landing from a previous fight, going to-
ward the south. This particular expert
ence caused Hughes to make the next
take-off in northerly direction
Hughes and the other pilots were in
accord with the statement that consider
able dead air. hung over the northern
end of the field and the meadows north
of the West river. IT was this dead air
or air pocket that prevented the Inflated
Oriolc from attaining the altitude that
Hughes expected to attain While the
pilot was attempting to gain altitude,
the plane crashed hardly with any warn
ing into the elm tree, deadening the mo-
mentum of the ship and causing it to
drop among the wires which carry 10000
volts of electric current. The impact
with the heavily charged wires not only
set fire to the plane but charged the wires
of the plane, which hold the wings firmly
tprptbnr IF those phn rpp1 wirpS
that gave Hughes his shock when he at.
tempted to assist the passengers. Had
he stumbled into the actual live wires he
would have been instantly electrocuted
The plane fell directly on its nose with
its tail sticking high into the air and
as soon as the fans reached the body
of the ship it became a chimney of seeth-
ing fire. Hughes succeeded in jumping
from the ship only after he had bumped
on tie windshield, which gashed the right
side of his nose.
Miss Harris Throws Herself Out.
The position of the plane prevented
immediate access to the passengers
buried in the burning wreckage. They
could not be reached from the rear of
the machine on account of the shape of
fusilage or framework of the plane; ac-
cess to the cockpit was between the wings
through the heavily charged and twisted
herself out, and after managing to reach
her he pulled her away from the burning
wreckage and with his bare hands put
out the flames which were burning her
clothes. When he attempted to reach
Mr.. Trahan and his son, Norman, the
flames were so intense that he was an
able to reach them.
Pilot Hughes is of the opinion, that
Mr.. Trahan and his son were stunned
by the sudden impact of the plane with
the earth. Lieut.. Casey said next morn
ing that in every fatality connected with
burning plane. it is always preceded
by intense shrieking on the part of the
person succumbing to the flames: In the
tragedy Friday, not sound eman-
ated from the persons in the wreckage,
which seems to corroborate the belief
that Mr.. Trahan and his son were
stunned, perhaps into Inconsistencies
and probably never knew that they were
being burned. The pole fell across Mr..
Trahan and his boy. The latter was sit
ting in his fathers lap.
The work of rescue was hampered fur
Their by one of the poles carrying the
electric wires falling over the fusiage
directly on to the cockpit where the
passengers were imprisoned. The pole,
which also caught fire, was removed
with ropes that were secured from a
truck driven by Frank Holland, who was
one of the first persons to reach the spot.
George F. Stanley, Carl Herrick and
man named Weasel, who were watch
ing the meet from a motorboat on the
West river, saw. the plane as it went to
its doom and they immediately hurried
to the spot but were too late to rescue
Mr.. Trahan and his son. Their bodies
at that time had been burned beyond
recognition. Miss Harris already had
been rescued They secured a rope from
MIR. Hollands truck and succeeded in
pulling the burning pole from its posi-
ton.
The impact of the plane with the cleo
trio wires broke two of the wires, while
the third wire swung loose from the
fallen pole and remained suspended in
the air. Stanley, Herrick and four or
five Others who had already reached the
spot. attempted to put out the fire by
throwing cans of dirt and water. on the
hot flames, but the infammability of
the material of which the wings of the
plane were constructed was not in the
least affected by the attempts to put out
the fire. Someone brought four cans of
new fire powder, which is said to be
extremely efficient in fighting flames,
but the use of this powder also had no
effect. Two tubes of chemicals also were
brought in an automobile. but in the ex-
element, the tubes were denied or torn
open and the chemicals leaked out on
the way to the scene. Mr. Stanley and
Arthur ingalls, went over to the cream
cry nearby and secured two more chem
icals which produced no effect on the
flames.
Lieut.. Jones said next morning that
the material of which the wings are con
structed, is so infammable that once it
gets on fire there is hardly any chance
of it being eXtinguished
Leslie C. Whitney, employed by the
Windham County Cooperative Milk
Producers, Inc, arrived on the spot with
his Ford car and was one of the first
persons to reach the scene. He took
Miss Harris to the Memorial hospital
Pilot Hughes helping to hold her in the
seat of the machine on the way.
Governor Visits Hospital.
Fred II. Harris, after assisting to put
out the flames. left for the hospital in
the automobile of w. Z. Carney with
Pilot Jones, and he was shortly fol
lowed by the Governors car, containing
Governor Hardness, his secretary, and
representative of The Phoenix. The
Governor was greatly concerned over the
tragedy and at the hospital expressed
his sorrow over the misfortune Gov
ernor Hartness is an enthusiastic aero
naut and he flew one of the early Cur,
tiss planes when the pilots seat was