The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-08-19
DOUBLE TRAGEDY
MARS OPENING DAY
At FLYING ! ..l$ D..li;' +;
Two Perish in Flames When
Plane Crashes at Brattleboro
FATHER AND SON KILLED
Miss Evelyn Harris Badly Burn
ed But May Survive
Shocking Accident
FATHER AND SON KILLED

'Afio anu u hslllu na6 btl lOuHiJ II nOl
fatally burned.
The accident occurred when the big
Orlole &C model alrplane struck a
deadly ar pocket over the Connectl-
cut river just to the north of the
field and dropped. nose-on, into a
tangled mass OF high.tension electric
wires.
Joseph Trahan. 30, owner OF the
Brooks house barber shop. and his
/ gyayear.old son. Norma9, two OF
the three passengers, were burned to
death In the flames which Immediately
enyeloped the fallen plane. Miss EY.
elyn Harris, sister OF Fred H. Harris,
president of the Outing club. under
whose direction the air meet was be.
ing run off, was the third passenger.
She is at the Brattleboro Memorial
hospital with fighting chance for
her life Should she live, however,
she will bear the marks OF her expert
ence forever
G. II. ("Jerry') Hughes Of Garden
City, Long Island, ~ Y. the pilot.
escaped bodily injury save for a few
scorches, but he is in such a mental
state that a coherent explanation Of
what happened could not be obtained
from him.
1t was only due to the fortunate
escape of Pilot Hughes that Miss
Harris Is still alive. Hughes was driv-
ing the plane from the rear seat and
his passengers were crowded into tho
seat in front OF him As near as he
could explain it to his fellow aviators
! last night. he jumped or fell from his
seat just before the plane struck the
ground, going clear OF the wreckage.
Almost before the front of the ma.
chine touched the ground there was
a burst Of flame which followed two
electric flashes as the circuit was
completed through the broken wres.
As soon as Hughes was able to re-
gain his feet he rushed to the aid OF
his passengers. Miss Harris was
caught in the wreckage. and II was
only heroic effort on his part that
dragged her forth Hughes Is a slight
ly built man AS he extricated her.
the wires touched her clothing and II
| lignited. He eXtinguished the b aze
before other aid reached him and re.
turned to aid the man and boy In.
stantly he saw it was too late. the
entire wreckage was seething mass.
Not more than Is minutes afterward
nothing was left but smouldering EN-.
/ bers and the charred remains OF the
two victims,
The crash came at a time when
the program was drawing to a close
and lie fall OF the plane was actual.
ly seen by thousands who lined the
flying field and the river which runs
beside it,
A lone tree stands at the rivers
edge at the extreme northerly side
OF the field and as the plane climbed.
| 1t sweryed to avoid this tree. 1t
went on. however, until it dropped
slightly over the river, Ayiators saiy
that It struck spot of dead air"
there which they had observed before
during the day. AS it approached
the east bank Of the river, it was still
low and another swerve was noted.
This time, however, the tip of its
| left wing struck the top of a tree, and
in the twinkling of an eye. it turned
completely and nosed down. There
were two blue flashes and a puff of
| smoke, Then a burst of flame,
Fred II. Harris, who was in the air
at the time of the accident, riding in
one Of the army planes from Fran
| ingham. Mass, hurried to the ground
and rushed to the scene. He and sey.
eral others directed the work of put.
ting out such of the flames as were
still burning, and then he was hur-
red to the hospital,
Gov James Hartness who had been
spectator through the day, followed
j in his official car, He arrived vt the
hospital nearly overcome by the
events. He was yisibly unneryed and
depressed extreme regret for what
had happened,
Trahan, the dead man, was born
at Danielson Ct and came to Brat
teboro about eight years ago to work
for James Allen at the Brooks House
barber shop. Following the death of
Allen four years later, he bought the
shop and has since conducted It, Be.
side his wife, he leaves his mother
and step-father, Mr., and Mrs. Henry
Rosseau of South Main street, two
sisters in this town and three in Con.
necticut. There were two children,
one, a girl of three who died last
spring, and the boy Norman, who lost
bic Iffa in tha accident
Miss Harris is a very popular mem.
ber of the younger set of this town.
She is the only daughter of Mr., and
Mrs. Charles A, Harris of North
street. She was born here in 1897.
She graduated from Brattleboro high
school in 1916.
It was reported from the hospital
late last night that she was severely
burned about the arms and body, par
ticularly on her chest. She was on
the danger list, but hope was held
out for her recovery.