Norwich bulletin., 1911-08-16
William R. Badger and St. Croix Johnstone
Lose Lives at Chicago Meet
DUE TO DEFECTS IN THE MACHINES
Badger Has Neck Broken by 100 Foot Drop, John
stone Drowned in Lake Michigan-Latters Wife
Witnessed His Fall But Was Assured He Was all
Right-Father Refused to Buy Him Aeroplane

Chicago, Aug 1.-two aviators.
William R. Badger of Pittsburg and
st. Croix Johnstone of Chicago. both
young men, lost their lives at the in
ternational aviation meet here TODAY.
In dying, both revealed the frailty of
the craft in which two score more avi-
ators were curving ard gliding about
the air, with scarcely a pause for the
deaths OF their contemporaries.
Death Due To Defects.
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.
Badgers Neck Broken.
Badger, a wealthy youth, careened
to his death in pit in the aviation
field There had been flaw in one
OF the wings of the propeller of the
Baldwin machine he drove. Centrifu-
gal force broke the propeller, upset
the delicate equilibrium of the ma
chine, and Badger dashed 100 feet to
the bottom of the pit, his neck being
broken.
Johnstone Drowned In Lake.
Johnstone fell 500 feet under his en-
eine and was drowned as the result of
an equally unsuspected defect. Caught
under the heavy engine in the Moisant
nonoplane, he was carried deep into
Lake Michigan and his body was not
brought to the surface until an hour
later
Badger Lived Three quarters of Hour
Badger lived for sthree-quarters of an
hour after he had been extrfcated from
the remains of his engine. He did not
recover consciousness and died almost
at once after he had reached the hos
pltal; HIS death was the first serious
accident of the meet. although 35 fly
ers have dipped and glided here for
three, days. and experts say several
similar accidents have been narrowly
everted.
Badger Friend of Strana.
Badger few as he formerly drove
facing automobiles, purely as an anna
teur: lie was the stepson of John
Goettmar of Pittsburg, and was 25
years old. He possessed an independ-
ent fortune and gratified a well deveI-
oped speed mania. In the early days
OF automobiles he was among the first
10 make amateur records at Daytona
eHn ram Beach: He was an intimate
xrleno OF Louis Strang, the automobile
race driver who died beneath the en-
gine OF an automobile in Wisconsin a
month ago
Badgers First Public Appearance.
Through Strang, Badger became in
aerested in aeroplanes and both be-
came amateur aviators. The meet here
which began last Sunday was Badgers
hrst public appearance. The big me-
chanical signboard, after his death. re-
corded that he had flown up to today,
just two hours, 13 minutes and 10 sec
onds- The fight that ended his life
mad earned him possibly an hour more
when he fell.
Almost Panic On the Field,
He dropped just in front of the CEN
ter of the grandstands and thousands
of spectators were within few hun
dred 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
near panic in the field and numerous
heads were cracked by police clubs.
Trained by Captain Baldwin.
Through his friendship with Strang,
Badger met Captain Thomas /. Bald
win. He bought an aeroplane outright
and received his first flying lessons at
Mineola, y. y. On June Is he made
successful fight and was granted a
pilots Incense. Following this he
made further flights, and his awaiting
enthusiasm grew.
Practieed With "BudD Mars.
He praeticed with J. C. Bud" Mars
er decided TO enter the meet here
with Mars. although his entry was dis
tinct from the entries controlled by
Captain Baldwin. Ife had pinned to
finish the meet here and then take the
train to Wheeling, whence he wanted
to make a triumphal fight into his
home, Pittshurg. He was entered at
coming meet in Boston.
Baldwin Withdraws His Machines.
Captain Baldwin, after the accident,
at once withdrew all his machines from
the meet. Badgers mother died re-
Gently, and so far as is known his
stepfather, Mr.. Goettman, is his only
esrvivor.
Sohnstones Accident.
5ohnstone's accident was due, ac-
cording to expert aviators. to a similar
unsuspected flaw in the mechanism Of
MS monoplane. Just what it was nrob-
ably will never be known, as the en-
gine is deep in the lake, and the wood
and canvas of the plane were broken
pact with the, surface of the water.
Wife a Witness of His Fall.
Johnstone's actual fall was witness ed
by his young wife, although it was NOT
until half an hour later that she was
informed of his death. AS the mono
plane faltered in nidair, then crashed
downward to the surface of the lake,
the young aviator's wife, who had been
following his fight closely, grasped
mechanics arm and exclaimed in fear:
"Oh, oh, Pity. He's falling. My
boy will be killed.
Attempts to Comfort Her.
Wives of a half dozen other aviators
whose attention had been rivated on
the plunging machine that was to car
Ty the second victim of the day to mis-
death rushed to Mrs. Johnstones side,
and as the machine hurtled into the
lake and out of sight they tried to as
sure her that Johnstone would suffer
nothing worse than a ducking.
Wanted to Help Him.
Possibly not" exclaimed the fear
stricken wife. but you could see the
way the machine plunged, that ST.
Croix had completely lost control of, it.
<sh, Why don't they hurry up and get
Sirn out? Some OF you men must take
1ne to a boat so | can go out and help
him.
Given Misleading Information.
Ev this time half dozen mechanics
and hangar attaches had rushed up to
the group. They whispered to the
women surrounding Mrs Johnstone