Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-08-16
Padger and tombstone Are
Victims of Fatal
Accidents.
LATTER is DROWNED
Other PIungeS in Front of Stand
Crushed Before Eyes of
Thousands.

Chicago, Aug 16.-Following the IA
talfties which cost the lives OF two
aviators yesterday, st. Crotx John
stone and William R. Badger, there
has been much subdued talk among
those remaining for the aviation tour
nament here about the necessity for
sane flying" in the speed, altitude
and duration trials on the program for
today, although the official report is
that wind storm headed this way
may make flying difficult, if not i'm
possible, should the atmospheric dis
turbance matertalize.
'UNCIVuEZED," SAYS ATWOOD.
The aviatcrs are inclined to criticize
the local management for not calling
off the program for the day when Bad
ger was killed. Atwood. who is flying
from st. Louis to New York, sent
identical kilograms today to the after
noon newspapers characterizing the
non-action of the management in this
regard as eferocious and uncivilized," "
and airmen were warned to avoid dips
and other hazardous feats. The coro-
ner's jury being unable to fix the def
mite cause of Badgers death, returned
an open verdict. merely stating that
death was due to fall from an aero
plane. The inquest over Johnstone's
body was postponed until Saturday.
STORY OF DUAL TRAGEDY.
Chicago, Aug. 1G.-Wiliam r. Bad
ger. OF Pittsburgh. and st. Croix
Johnstone of Chicago, young aviators,
lost their lives at the international
meet late yesterday afternoon. In dy-
ing both revealed -Ahe frailty Of the
craft in which a score or more await
ors were curving and gliding about in
the air, with scarcely a pause for the
deaths OF their contemporaries.
Death in both cases was due to un-
explained accidents, probably the re-
suits of unsuspected defects in the
mechanism OF the machines and was in
no way caused by carelessness or lack
OF responsibility of the drivers.
Badger. a wealthy youth, careened
TO his death In a sunken lawn in the
aviation field. There had been a flaw
In wings Of the propeller of the Bald
win which he drove. The centrifugal
force broke the propeller, and Badger
dashed downward 100 feet, the wings
OF the biplane folding upwards and
crashing together above him when he
was so feet from the ground. His neck /
was broken.
TOMBSTONE IN LAKE.
tombstone fell 500 feet under his en- /
gine and was drowned nearly a mile
from shore as a result of equally un-
suspected defects. Caught under the /
heavy engine in the Moisant mono /
plane, he was carried deep into the .
lake, and his body was not brought to (
the surface until an hour later. a
hydroplane went to his assistance, but .
the aviator did not come TO the sur
face after the plunge
Badger lived three-qdarters of an
nOur after he had been extricated
from the remains of his machine He
did not recover consciousness. His
death was the first fatality of the
meet, although flyers have dipped
and glided and risen q mile and
half for three days.
BADGER AN AMATEUR
Badger. as he formerly drove racing
automobiles. purely was an amateur
He was the stepson of John Goett-
man OF Pittsburgh. and was % years
of age. He possessed an independent
fortune and gratified a well developed
speed mania. In the early days of
automobiles he was among the first to
make amateur records at Daytona and
Palm Beach He was an intimate
friend of Louis Strang, who died be-
Meath the engine of an automobile in
Wisconsin month ago. Through
Strang. Badger became interested in
aeroplanes and both became aviators.
The meet which began last Saturday
was Badgers first public appearance.
The big mechanical signboard record
ed that he had flown up TO yesterday
just , hours l minute and 19 sec
ends. The fight that ended his life
had earned him possibly an hour more
when he fell
FALLS IN FRONT OF STAND.
He fell just in front of the center
OF The grand stands. and thousands of
spectators were within a few hundred
yards Hundreds leaped the fence. 4,
fought past the line of the police ard
rushed into the depression where the
wrecked biplaue lay There vas a
near-panic in the field. and numerous
heads were thumped with police clubs. :
As soon as Badger was on the way tc
the hospital attention and interest re- {
yeTted TO the men sun fying, and /,