The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-08-23
INQUEST ABOUT
PLANE DISASTER
Held by States Attorney
Before Judge Stowe
This Morning
PILOT HUGHES AND
BROTHER PRESENT

Fred III. Harris and Charles A. Harris
Also Presont-PiIet Hughes Gives His
Version of Cause of Fridays Accident
to Reformer.
/. An inquest was held this morning
in the municipal court room by
States Attorney Harold E. Whitney be-
fore Judge It. d. E. Stowe in connection
with the recent airplane tragedy north of
the Retreat meadows. The inquest was
held behind closed doors and was at
tended by Charles A. Harris, Fred II.
Harris, Pilot G. II. Hughes and his
brother, G. F. Hughes Although the
inquest was private and no information
was given out. it is believed from stray
bits of information that have been picked
up here and there that no grounds were
found on which to base a prosecution.
Another airplane passed over Brattle-
boro about S.25 this morning. and when
it was over the northern end of the town,
people noticed that the power was shut
off, indicating that landing was to be
made on the aviation field
Upon investigation, the plane was
found to be a Curtiss Oriole and had
just come from the Curtiss company's
field at Mineola, L. l. 1t was piloted By
G. IT, Hughes, who was driving the i'll
fated Oriole last Friday, and he was ac-
companied by his brother, G. F. Hughes
who also has seen service with the flying
forces IN France having been a captain
in the 25Sth aerial squadron.
The Oriole left Afineola this morning
at 600 and arrived on the aviation field
at $50, the direct, nonstop fight having
been made in one hour and 40 minutes
The direct distance front Mineola is 1865
miles and the plane, therefore made an
average speed of 996 miles an hour.
Pilot Hughes made the trip to BrattIe-
borO this morning for the express purpose
Of visiting Fred II. Harris
when interviewed bg, a representative
of The Reformer shortly after the Oriole
had landed on the field, Pilot Hughes re-
Iterated his former statement that had it
not been for the high tension wires along
the West River railroad the tragic acci-
dent never would have happened He
said also that in order for Brattleboro's
field to be first class the hummock in the
center should be removed and the trees
and shrIbbery which grow on The north
ern edge of the field should be taken
away, in order that plenty of leeway may
be had by pilot in case anything should
go wrong with a plane.
Pilot Hughes also explained why he
had such difficulty in trying to attain al
titude at the time of last Fridays dis
aster. lie stated that he found numer-
Gus cross currents over West river, some
of them being caused by the hot breezes
of the day coming in contact with the
cold water of the river. There was also
a stiff current of air that came down
from the northwest along the course of
West river. On the field, the atmosphere
was practically normal. but above this
strata of air Hughes encountered cur
rent blowing about 20 miles an hour.
Consequently when the 0riole struck this
upper current the progress of the plane
was retarded in speed by this current.
This is why the plane labored so strenu-
ousiy in trying TO get altitude.
There is also a large tree midway along
the northern edge of the field, and when
Pilot Hughes saw this tree looming in
front of him through the left wings he
yeered his Oriole to the right and on
account of the failure of the plane to
make altitude quickly the right wing
came in contact with the tip of another
tree causing the plane to yeer to the
right angle at an angle of 90 degrees. 1T
was immediately after this that the plane
struck the wires and went to its doom.
When Pilot Hughes was explaining
the air condition this morning, which ex-
sted over the field at the time of the dis
aster. he pointed to the smoke which was
pouring from the tall chimney of the Re
treat. A breeze which was blowing from
the southwest Mt the time struck the
heavy, black curls of smoke as they
emerged from the chimney and bore them
down toward the water in the meadows,
leaving dull, grimy shroud of vapor
directly over the waters This illus
trates. Pilot Hughes pointed out, Just
how currents of air cross each other,
forming what are commonly called air
pockets, due to the difference in tempera-
ture of the various strata of air.
After the conference with Mr.. Harris.
Pilot Hughes expects to return direct to
AIineOla He probably will leave the
field sometime this afternoon.