Valdor Lund and Elmer Hjelle Die in Plane Crash at Barrett Well Known Barrett Young Men Instantly Killed As Wing Is Stripped From Plane In Power Dive.

Valdor S. Lund pilot, and Elmer Hjelle who was riding with him, were instantly killed when Lund’s plane crashed a mile and a half west of Barrett, Wednesday noon. Scores of friends of the two men were watching the plane as it was being put through loops and snap rolls. People commented on the skill of the pilot in handling the plane. Scores saw the wing torn from the side of the plane by the stress of a steep power dive and saw it whirl down through the air to the ground crushing the men beneath it.

Valdor Lund, who has a third interest in the Sioux Flying Service of Sioux City, Iowa, had flown up in Barrett Tuesday evening, arriving at seven o’clock. With him was L.E. Reilly, a student of Valdor’s and a frequent companion on trips. Valdor had come up to visit his parents Mr. And Mrs. Martin Lund. Mr. Reilly and Mr. Lund had planned on returning to Sioux City Wednesday afternoon at two o’clock.

Wednesday morning Valdor had taken up a great many people in Barrett for a flight.. ‘ Shortly before noon Elmer Hjelle, who has been greatly interested in aviation, went up with him for some stunt flying.

They had done a number of loops, snap rolls, and other stunts. Lund took the plane into a steep power dive after flying upside down and righting the plane. IT seemed to get out of control, Mr. Reilly who saw the accident said, and before Lund could bring the ship out of the dive, the wing crumpled and fell free of the fuselage. The plane circled quickly to the ground. Then crash was heard for miles around by farmers who had been watching the plane.

Other observers state that they saw bits of fabric bursting from left wing as Lund was righting the ship after flying upside down.

Valdor Lund has become a very skillful pilot. He had five to six hundred hours of flying to his credit. He started his training in the Gene Shank School at Minneapolis. Later he went to the army training school where he took the complete course offered by the United States Army. For the past four months he has been an instructor with the Sioux Flying Service at Sioux City, a company in which he was also interacted as a partner.

The plane dropped in an alfalfa field southwest of the Wesley Il. Beach house, about a hundred feet from the gravel road. Hundreds of people went to view the wreck Wednesday afternoon.

Valdor Lund was thirty years old. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. V. S. Lund of Cameron, Wis. and his parents, Mr. And Mrs. Martin Lund of Barrett.

Elmer Hjelle is son of the late Ole Hjelle. He was engaged in the ice business and in gravel contracting. He was thirty-three years old August 24. He is survived by his wife and three small children.

The tragedy has been a sever blow to many friends and acquaintances of these young men, not only at Barrett, but throughout Grant county. A dance scheduled at the Barrett’ pavilion for Saturday night has been cancelled. No arrangements had been made for the funeral at the time of the Herald went to press.