Arizona republican., 1911-08-16

Chicago. Aug 1.-Two aviators William R. Badger, of Pittsburg and St. CrOix JohnstOne, of Chicago. both young men, lost their lives at the international aviation meet here to- day. In dying both revealed the frail- ty of the craft in which two score more aviators were diving and glid- ing about in the air with scarcely a pause for the deaths of their com rades. Death in both cases was prob ably due to the defects in the machines.
 Badger, a wealthy youth, met his death in the aviation field pit. There was flaw in one of the propellers of the Baldwin machine which he used. It suddenly broke and he fell 100 feet. Badger was crushed and his neck was broken. Johnstone fell 500 feet into the lake and was drowned His body was caught in the heavy machinery of the aeroplane and carried deep into the lake. The body was not recovered until an hour after
 Badgers death was the first serious accident of the meet, though thirty five aeroplanes and monoplanes have dipped and glided in the air here for three days. Badger flew, as he drove the racing automobile, purely as an amateur. He was a stepson of John GOeman of Pittsburg, and was twenty five years of age. He possessed an in- dependent fortune and gratified a well developed speed mania. In the early days of auto racing he was one of the first to set marks at Dayton and an aviator was made here, making several short flights.
 The big mechanical sign board an- nounced after his death that he had flown up today just two hours, thir- teen minutes, nineteen seconds all told. Today's flight which ended in his death, earned him probably an hour more. He fell in front of the grand stand, in full view of thOus- ands of spectators.
 The excitement was instant and in- tense, but five minutes later when Badger was on his way to a hospital. interest was centered in the men still flying. Captain Baldwin. after the accident withdrew all his machines from the meet.
 Johnstone's death, according to ex- perts, was due to a similar flaw in the mechanism, just what will never be known as the machine is at the bottom of the lake. Johnstone's fall was witnessed by his young wife. though she did not know until half an hour later, that he was dead. She pleaded and cried to be allowed to go across the field out into the lake where the machine plunged.
 Then a machine rushed up and as- sured her that her husband was res cued and would soon join her. She then returned to her hotel. and laid out dry apparel for her husband. For half an hour she waited. and then a member of the JOhnstone family told her the truth. The young wife was prostrated.
 Twenty minutes before the accident Johnstones father, mother and wife stood in front of the Moisant hanger watching the young man fly. Finally the father. having an engagement. turned and said: Tt don't look like Sl. 1TOl& WILL nave iOuc-N He's flying too smoothly. He has been up two hours now"
 Johnstone's father is a wealthy phy- sician refused to buy his son, who is twenty-siX years of age. an aeroplane. Being ambitious. he started to build one of his own. He went to France and entered a school of aviation. Then he went to Bleriot and learned to fly His father again refused to buy a machine. and this letter written almost year ago, seemed to foretell the fatal accident
 My conscience" the letter said Twill not permit me to contribute to your certain death by buying you an aeroplane. I can't buy you one, St CroiX"
 After learning to fly in France, Johnstone went to Havana where he gained a record as the first aviator to fly around the wreck of the battleship Maine Returning to the United States he was engaged by Alfred Moi sant and since has been with the French aviators.