The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-16
tombstone and Badger Dive
to Death in View of Vast
Multitude
YOUNG WIFE SEES
FORMER FALL IN LAKE
Badger, Victim of His Own
Foolhardiness, Dashed
to Earth Near
Grandstand

+ CHICAGO. August 1.-two fatali
/ ties and four minor accidents that
! might easily have proved fatal marked
! the International aviation meet to-day
| st. Croix Johnstone. only recently
married, q brother of Ralph john
/ stone, who was killed at Denver
/ Year ago, met death In the sensa-
tional plunge of a Moisant monoplane
! from an altitude Of 200 feet. John
/ stones motor cut OFT when he was
/ high In the air, lie dlved straight
| for the lake at frigntful velocity and
/ fell out Of his seat when tho ma
chine was not more than 100 feet
from the water. He was crushed and
! killed In the wreck. sinking with IL.
His body was recovered.
William r. Badger, driving a Bald
| win machine. was fatally injured when
his plane became uncomfortable while
/ he was flying close to the ground. In
/ the north end OF the field. He died
within an hour with = fractured skull
| and internal injuries.
Walter Brookins, a chum OF John
/ stone. narrowly shaved death for him
self and his passenger. Francis Win
! trop Taylor, secretary TO Franklin
Macveagh. secretary of the United
/ States treasury. The two men were
4 tilo~u iIoIl lHStF IndCIllUG dS II
struck the ground with hard jolt
but they escaped with slight In
7 Juries.
Multitude Sees Death Plunge
Johnston lost his life when his
aeroplane plunged into the lake
about a mile from shore Just north
| of the Illinois Central depot The
screams Of half million horrified
spectators went Into the air when he
plunged out Of sight beneath the sur
! face OF the water. This accident
completely upset the nerves of the
multitude, strained to the breaking
point by the horrible death of Bad
ger earlier in the afternoon.
! The Moisant fiier mad been trying
for the endurance prize and had been
/ up in the air since 1870 His fall
| took place Well after O'Clock The
| first warning that the spectators had
| was cannon like report accom-
panied by fash of fame. The gaso-
/ line tank had exploded. partially
destroying one of the wings.
From a height of q thousand feet
| almost straight as piummet, nose
pointed downward. loose cloth
streaming out behind. the aeroplane
dived towards the earth
Robinson to the Rescue
A groan which gathered volume
as IL passed from one end of the field
! 10 the other went up. Then the ma
| chine went into the water there was
a period OF intense silence. Then an
| other cry went up. this time one of
| almost hys,erical JOY. Hugh Robin
son. flying his Curttss hydro aeroplane
/ at the north end of the aerodrome.
had seen Johnstonos plunge and had
started TO the rescue. Something ap-
SstAFad floating an the water where
the monoplane had struck and II
! vas thought 10 be the aviator,
j He is swimming" the shout went
l. up, and Robinson will rescue him.
| Hurrah! hurrah.'"
Four minutes later the Curtiss
machine landed In the water. float
! ing lightly on its pontoon, darling
! here and there. A thousand field
/ glasses trained In his direction. but
soon Robinson was seen to wave his
| hand hopeiessiy. The body had not
risen to the surface. No motor boats
Were within mile of the scene. al
! though fleet of a score or more
| had already started from every direc-
ton. posthaste. Following his failure
! to find Johnstone's body, Robinson
! took to the air and continued his
flight for time.
Body Caught I'm Wreck.
| Among the fleet OF rescue boats
was the river police patrol boat. in
command OF Captain George DeMar
accompanied by Charles Bunte. Ed
ward Feaherman and Dr. McKfnlock.
The tail of the ,nonoplane was float
ring ON the surface or the water. II
was this that was at first thought to
| he tombstone swimming about For
more than an hour futile attempts
& NOR H. ~ntn ~
/ nose OF which was embedded In the
, mud. When 1t was finally brought to
the surface the aviator's body was
| found entangled In a mass of broken
wires and splintered wood. Life SEEM
/ ed to have flown.
| The bruised and battered body was
! taken to the Chicago Yacht Club.
where physicians. under the direction
/ Of Or. MeKinloek.. made every effort
| TO revive him. Hypodermic injections
| were given and every other revivify-
| ing means known to science Once he
| breathed and Is seemed that the bat
tie against the grim reaper was won.
but the breath was only a dying
sigh and few minutes later he was
pronounced dead.
Mrs. tombstone. the young bride of
the Chicago boy. was In the Moisant
/ hangar. a mile to the north when
she heard the rumor that her hus-
band had disappeared into the lake.
| She implored friend to take her
| to the lake shore wnere an ambu-
| lance was waiting for the body to
| be recovered.
MY poor boy. my poor boy" she
muttered piteousiy.
| Mrs. JOhnstonc on Scene.
Hympathixing friends attempted to
reassure her and told her that John
stone was alive and we'll and had been
picked up by one OF the launches.
| She finally consented to go to the
Auditorium hotel and was not pres
ent when the body was brought to
the surface.
| Johnstona had left the hotel before
(Contipuod on Sixth PagA)