Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-08-16
LURE Of THE AIR
Takes TWO MORE
ANIATOIS BADGER AND JOHN
STONE VICTIMS YESTERDAY.
ONES neck IS broken
The Other Is Drowned in Lake Mich
igan-Eithcr was Young, but
Had Daring Spirit.
by Associated Press.

by Associated Pross
Chicago, Aug. 1.-Two awators,
William II. Badger Of Pittsburg, and
st. Croix Johnstono of Chicago, both
young men lost their lives at the In
ternational Aviation Meet here TO-
day
In dying both revealed the fraility
Cf the craft in which two score more
Of ayiators were curying and gliding
about in the air with scarcely u
pause for the death OF their contem-
poraries.
Death in both cases was due to un-
explained accidents, probably the re-
suits of unsupported defects in the
mechanism Of the machines, and was
I'm no way caused by carelessness or
lack Of responsibility of the drivers.
Badger, a wealthy youth came to
his death in pit in the aviation
field, There had been a flaw IN one
Of the wings of the propeller of the
baldwin machine he drove. Centrl-
fugal force broke the propeller up
setting the equilibrium Of the ma
chine and Badger dashed 100 feet
to the bottom Of the pit his neck be-
ing broken
Johnstone fell 500 feet under his
engine and was drowned in Lake
Michigan. Caught under the heavy
engine in the Molsant monoplane, he
was carried deep into the lake, and
his body was not brought to the sur
face until an hour later.
Badger liver for three-fourths of an
hour after the fall He did not re-
cover consciousness. His deoth was
the first serious accident of the meet,
although thifty-fiye fliers have dipped
and glided here for three days and
experts say several similar accidents
have been narrowly averted.
Badger flew as he formerly drove
racing automobiles, purely as an
amatuer. He was the step-son oil
John Gottman Of Pittsburg and was
% years old. lie had an Independent
fortune and gratified a well-developed
speed mania, He was one Of the first
TO make amatuer sped records at Day
tonia and Palm Beach,
He was an intimate friend Of Louis
Strang, the automobile race driver,
who died beneath the engine Of an
automobile in Wisconsin about a
month ago. Through Strang, Badger
became interested in aviation. The
meet which began last Sunday was
Badgers first public appearance.
He fell just in front of the stand
and hundreds witnessed the accident.
There was a near panic and numer-
ous heads were cracked by policemen.
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
monoplane faltered I'm md-air, and
then crashed downward TO the surface
the young avators wife, who had
been closely following his flight,
graspcd the arm of a mechanic and
exclaimed:
Ohl oh! pity he's falling. He will
be killed"
Wives Of half dozen aviators, who
had been watching the flight, rushed
TO Mrs Johnstone's side and tried to
assure her that her husband would
receive nothing moro than a ducking.
A mechanic rushed up to the group
and assured Mrs. Jhonstone that her
husband had been drawn out OF the
lake unharmed, and that he would
toin her In the hotel Immediately. She
was rcassured by this information
which had ben deliberately concocted.
When n member took her word Of the
death to the hotel SO was prostrated.
Twenty minutes before the accident
that sent young Johnstone carreenIng
into the lake, his father, DR., John
stuart Johnstone and Mrs, Johnstone
left the field
at doesn't sem that st. Crolx will
lose his life today He is flying mighty
smoothly, he's been up two hours
now" said Or. Johnstone. Then he
and Mrs Johnstone turned away leav-
ing the young wife Of the aviator with
her eyes still rlvlted on the soaring
monoplanc.
Like Badger tombstone few as an
amateur His father, DR., Stuart
.Iohnstone, a practiclng physician here
however had refused to buy him an
aeroplano. This denial, found today
IN letter written by the father TO his
son almost year ago, seemed to for
tell the fatal accident.
"NIy conscience will not permit me
20 contribute to your certain death
by providing you with flying ma
chine" wrote Dr. Johnstone, 81 can't
buy you one, ST. Croix."
Beachey IL the Star.
Chicago, Aug. 15.--Llncoln Beach,
ey was the individual star in the
speed events Of the fourth day of
the international aviation meet here
today lie made the fastest trip
around he field, and but for a foul
would have won the two chief events.