Northwest History. Aviation 8. Wilkins' Expedition, United States.

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1926
• Subjects: news man; arctic plane; Palmer Hutchinson; Spokane; Fairbanks; Alaska; North American Newspaper Alliance; Arctic expedition; George H. Wilkins; propeller; Detroiter; Arctic wastes; Point Barrow; Spitzbergen; tragedy; Fokker monoplane; Major Lanphier; army observer; snow; Dr. Sutherland; Northwest; Pacific > History > 20th century; Aviation; Arctic; Detroit; Pacific; Sutherland; The Landing; Wilkins; Barrow
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/86078

News Man Killed By Arctic Plane: Writer For Spokesman-Review Slain By Propeller./Walked Into It./ Palmer Hutchinson Just Sent Story Of Plane Christening To Spokane. NEWS MAN KILLED BY ARCTIC PLANE. - Writer for Spokesman-Review Slain by Propeller. WALKED INTO IT. Palmer Hutchinson Just Sent Story of Plane Christening to Spokane. By Associated Press. FAIRBANKS, Alaska, March. 11 -- Palmer Hutchinson, a news write the North American Newspaper Alliance, accompanying an Arctic expedition of Captain George H. Wilkins, was killed here today when a propeller of an airplane chopped through his body. Despite shouts of warning by companions, Hutchinson walked Into the whirling propeller of the big three-engine ship Detroiter, which Captain Wilkins plans to fly over the Arctic wastes from Point Barrow to Spitzbergen. The blade, came down on Hutchinson's shoulder, slicing through his body. The accident happened after the Detroiter and the Alaskan, a single engine plane, had been christened. Their motors had been started for the first time. Walked Into Propeller. Hutchinson was walking from the rear of the big plane to the right wheel, apparently to remove an obstruction Impeding the movement of the machine, when he was struck by the propeller of the right auxiliary engine. He had just returned from cabling a story to the association. TELLS HOW HUTCHINSON DIED Eyewitness Describes Tragedy at Plane's Christening. (By George Hubert Wilkins of Detroit arctic expedition. Copyright, 1926, by North American Newspaper Alliance.) Fairbanks, Alaska, March 11. -- Palmer Hutchinson of of Detroit, correspondent of the North American Newspaper Alliance with the Detroit arctic expedition, was instantly killed by the propeller of the expedition's three-engined Fokker monoplane as it taxied over the landing field. The accident occurred just after the ceremonies . in which the plane had been christened the Detroiter, and after it had taxied but a few feet. machine was ready to fly after ceremony except for two washers that were to be fixed to the landing wheels. At 5 o'clock these washers had been fitted and I decided to taxi the machine over the landing field that had been prepared by the Fairbanks city council and test the suitability of the surface. The engines started at the first turn and everything seemed set for a favorable take-off. Hutchinson First to Act. Hutchinson had been busy about the machines all day and had helped of to start the motors. Major Lanphier, the army observer, took over the control and I climbed into the cockpit. The engines roared and the big machine started to roll over the field. It stuck In a patch of soft snow and the engines were retarded to enable the mechanics to clear the snow crust from before the wheels. Hutchinson, always to the fore when anything was to be done, rushed forward to clear the the snow from the starboard wheel. He waved "all clear" and the throttles were opened wide. I looked out of the cockpit and saw the mechanics waving wildly. At that moment Hutchinson was holding to the landing gear with his back to the propeller. The engines were then turning half-speed but Hutchinson seemed to be dazed by the blast of cold air and instead of stepping forward with the blast, he turned and the knife-like propeller cleft him at the shoulder. As Hutchinson fell, the tip of the propeller caught him on the right side of the neck. Death Was Instantaneous. Major Lanphier, at the sound of the blow, instantly slowed the propeller and switched off the engine but Hutchinson, who had endeared himself to all members of the expedition and the many people he had met in Alaska, was even then beyond human aid. A mattress and a ladder were rushed to the field and he was carried to a waiting car and hurried to the hospital. Dr. Sutherland made an immediate examination and stated that death must have taken place almost instantly.