New-York tribune., 1922-09-24
Giant Bombing Machine
plunges to Earth in
War Game and Cir
Gus at Mitchell Field
Bursts Into Flame
AS 1t Hits Ground
searchlights Follow Nose
Dive for Benefit of Spec
tasors, Who Think 1T Play

st Mitchell Field, Mineola, ended with
a isst minute tragedy last night when
giant twin motor Martin bomber
failed to right after nose dive and
crashed to the ground with both en-
gines driving at full speed. The plane
burst into flames as it landed, and be-
fore sny of the spectators could reach
the spot First Lieutenant Raymond f.
Davis, of the regular army, and the
FIVE passengers whom he had taken up
we're dead
Immediately after the accident all
sources OF information at Mitchell
Field were closed by order of Major
Weaver, the commandant, pending the
outcome of an investigation and the
ascertaining of the identity of the vic
tins.
All through the flying circus and
the war game the sky had been bril-
liantly lighted up by batteries of huge
searchhghts which swept from plane
to plane, but always came back to the
giant bomber, the largest which took
Of. They followed it as it left the
ground on its last flight, followed it
downward as it began its stunt flying
With a nose dive, followed it as it
yhirled like leaf as it drove toward
the earth, while $4,000 spectators stood
pellbound at the boldness of the pilot
in venturing down so far.
Tragedy Came Suddenly
Not until the plane was few hun
dred feet from the ground did the least
Suspicion of danger enter the minds of
the thousands who had watched the
syiators risk their lives all evening.
When the idea did strike them a
great cry went up from the crowd, u
cry in itself almost as terrible as the
tragedy which they stood watching
hslpessly. Some of them turned their
heads away. Half a dozen searchlight
operators lost the range as their hands
jetsel with the last-moment agony of
The eaing crash. Batteries which had
DeFasveeping the sky after other ma
ssiaa focused on the falling plane.
Pottofs and officials began shouting
rhieh the bomber was crashing down.
Plane Bursts Into Flame
There was another cry when the
plane struck, and then a deep silence
Is it burst into flames, adding one
more light to the blare Of searchlights.
Running figures were seen silhouetted
sgalnst the burning wreckage, dashing
this way and that, but still held back
BY the terrific heat as the flames
seethed in the burning oil and licked
the wings bare of canvas. For a sec
end the fire shot high into the air as
ths tanks burst with roar, which
soanded louder for the silence in the
sFewd.
Lieutenant Davis had been one of the
stacking force in the night air raid
which was the feature of the spectacle
and because of its size the bomber had
besome familiar object to the crowd
long before it returned from the
maneuvers. Again in the flying cir
Gus the spectators turned toward it
more than to any other plane as it
swired and dove and recovered in the
"thriYers' they had come out to see.
" fell in the last event of the eve
ning when some 500 reserve officers
tor whose benefit the war problem was
Deine worked out were being taken up
as passengers, along with few civil
ians.
FIVE planes bombed the field as part
o. the maneuvers preliminary to the
theoretical landin~ of a force of 5O,-
VVV troops to-day. 1t was war be-
tween Reds" and Blues"
Inc field was defended by the
.i3la pi9eS with airplanes, powerful search
.gats ss and artillery. They repelled two
attacks On the third attempt the Red
ialirplanes gained their objective and re-
Nased parachute flares which illumi-
saIed the entire 300-acre aviation field
ior their attack.
while Blue machines leaped into the
ar In a desperate and unavailino AZ
smpt to drive them away, the raiders
s1opned dynamite bombs which accom-
aasned their purpose. According to
.I ss umpires, they lost only one ma
sa,ne in IN the attack. The Blue forces
Wi endeavor to fight off their fleet to-
0ay with field artillery.
ahe maneuvers are being carried out
- ~ she benefit of reserve officers of
as second Corps Area. Motor cars of
as.l aspsse.lators were parked on all sides of
Aischel Field last night.