While Dr. Alfonso Lopez, President of Colombia, and other officials were reviewing military land and air forces, Lieut, Cesar Abadia, flying a Curtiss Hawk plane, crashed into the crowd of 20000 spectators, killing 37 persons and injuring more than 100, including many women and children, today, Plunging into a thickly peopled section of the crowd near the reviewing stand, the plane became an in-feme after landing.
It was feared that there would ultimately be forty deaths as several of those injured were seriously burned.
The plane crashed when diving 65 feet behind the reviewing stand but one wing of the large aircraft hit the stairway leading to the main platform.
Propeller Kills Many The cutting blades of the propeller killed many, Numerous persons were also crushed by the weight of the engine, although scores of gallons of petrol which burst into flame took the heaviest toll of lives, The petrol spurted out of the tanks splashing scores, many of whom were wrapped in flames as the fire spread from the plane, fanned by a stiff breeze, There was a wild rush among the crowd, as scores fought their way into the open areas away from persons who had become flaming torches.
In the panic that followed several women and children were crushed and suffered broken bones.
Many bodies were so badly burned that they could not be identified.
The accident, however, did not cause any cancellation of the review as it occurred during the last event Thousands See Spectacle Twenty thousand spectators jammed the field to witness 5,000 troops and 35 sleek planes manceuvre for the benefit of the President, The review went off without a hitch until the final event when Lieut, Abadia appeared in his plane and di: played usual tactics until he suddenly went into a dive and crashed.
He came down so suddenly that the crowd did not have time to run for safety and many thought that he was performing a stunt when he was plunging to the ground.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.