New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-16

surface until AN hour later.
Badger liyvs1 for three-quarters of an
hour after he had been extricated from the
remains Of HIS engine. He did not recover
consciousness, and died almost at once
after he had reached hospital. His death
was the first serious accident OF the meet.
although thirty-fiye flyers have dipped and
giided here for three days. and experts say
several similar, accidents have been mar
rowly averted.
Badgers First Public Flight.
Through Louis Strang Badger became in
terested in aeroplanes, and both became
amateur aviators. The meet here which be-
gan last Sunday was Badgers first public
appearance The big mechanical signboard
after his death recorded that he had flown
IN to to-day Just hours 70 minutes and 10
seconds The fisht that ended his life
rad earned him possibly an hour more
when he fell.
lie dropped just in front of the centre of
the grandstands and thousands Of specta-
tors were within a few hundred yards Of
the accident Hundreds leaped the fence
fought past the line of police and rushed
into the pit where the wrecked biplane lay
There was a near panic In the field and
clubs
In the general audience, largely sprinkled
with women. there was a murmur Of ex-
element accompanied by craning Of
necks The injury was announced through
tho rnpgaphone. and five minutes later,
while Radger was on his way 10 a hospital,
= attention and interest had reverted to the
Nrnen stil flying any of whom offered pos
N abilities OF similar thrills and possible
fatalities
Johnstone's accident was due. according
TO expert aviators. TO a similar unsus-
pected flaw I'm the mechanism Of his mono
plane Just what It was probably Will
never be known. as the engine is deep in
The lake. and the wood and canvas Of the
pIane were broken and scattered by the
tremendous impact with the surface of the
water.
Johnstone's actual fall was witnessed by
MS young wife. although It was not until
half an hour later that she was Informed
of his death.
AS the monoplane faltered in midair.
then crashed downward 10 the surface Of
the lake. the young aviator's wife. who had
been following his flight closely, grasped
a mechanics arm and exclaimed in fear:
Wife Saw tombstone Fall.
"oh. Oh. pity. he's falling! My boy will
be killed"
Wives of a half dozen other aviators.
whose attention had been riveted on the
plunging machine that was to carry the
second victim of the day TO his death,
rushed TO Mrs Johnstone's side. and as the
machine hurtled into the lake and out OF
sight they tried TO assure her that john
stone would suffer nothing worse than a
ducking
Possibly not" exclaimed the fear
stricken wife. but you could see, the way
the machine plunged. that ST. Croix had
completely lost control Of II. Oh. why don't
th.v hurry UP and get out to him. Some Of
YOU men must take me to boat. so I can
20 out and help hin"
Rut bv this time a half dozen mechanics
and hangar attaches had rushed up to the
vrorp They whispered 10 the women sur
rounding Mrs tombstone that she must he
tst.n hack TO her apartments in a Michi-
pan avenue hotel. For five minutes Mrs.
Johnstone pleaded 10 be allowed 70 cross
the field and out 10 the lake. where her
husbands machine had plunged. Then an
other mechanic rushed up to the group and
assured Mrs. tombstone that her husband
Rad been picked out Of the lake. ur-
harmed. that a boat was bringing him
ashore. and that he would Join her in the
hotel Immediately.
Reassured by this information. which had
been deliberately invented 10 calm the
fears of the aviator's wife. she went back
20 her hotel and hurriedly laid out dry
clothing for her husband. For half an
hour and more she waited Then mem
Der of the tombstone family took her word
OF the aviator's death. The young wife
was Frustrated.
Family Watched the Flight
Twenty minutes before the break in the
r1onoplane's warping strand-the accident
that sent young tombstone careening into
the lake-his father. DR.. Stuart tombstone.
and Mrs tombstone stood in front Of the
Noisant hangar with ST. Croix's wife.
watching the young aviator in what they
thought would be the last few minutes OF
the flight that he had started from the
field at 3l5 o'clock and had sufficient petrol
10 keep him In the air until $50.
Finally. an engagement I'm mind. Dr.
JOhnstone turned 20 his wife and daugh-
ter-in-law and remarked: Well must
be going" and they left the field
Less than twenty minutes later the warp
ing strand in the MOisant broke, the wings
of the machine crumpled like paper and
the machine hurtled into the lake. It's
heavy engine and tangled wires dragging
its pilot TO death.
tombstone had been one Of the spectac-
uIar flyers during the four days of the meet.
Although he had won no races. he had be-
come a favorite with the crowds, which had
come to know him as a daring aviator. lie
made several startling descents from the
clouds yesterday. and the appearance OF
No. Is, mis- identification flag at the meet.
always was the signal for special attention
from the grandstands.
Lincoln Beachey was the individual star
in the speed events to-day. lie made the
fastest trip around the mile and third iap