The Washington herald., 1911-08-16

physicians under the direction Of DR..
McKinlock made every effort to revive
him. Hypodermic injections were given
and every other means known to science
was employed Once he breathed. and
1t seemed that the battle against the
grim reaper was won, but the breath
was only a dying sigh, and few min
utes later he was pronounced dead.
Mrs. Johnstone, the young bride Of the
Chicago boy, was in the Moisant hangar,
q mile to the north, when she heard the
rumor that her husband had disappeared
into the lake. She implored friend to
take her to the lake shore, where an
ambulance was waiting for the body to
be recovered.
MY poor boy; my poor boy" she NUT
tered piteously.
Widow Is Taken Away.
Sympathizing friends attempted to re-
assure her and told her that Johnstone
was alive and well and had been picked
up by one of the launches. She finally
consented to go to the Auditorium Hotel,
and was not present when the body was
brought to the surface.
Johnstone had left the hotel before his
wife, and 1t was the first time that he
ever made a flight when she did not
bid him an affectionate farewell. All the
afternoon she seemed to have a premo-
milton that something would happen, Tor
she kept saying:
II wish I had told Johnny good-by.'
Less than two hours before she had
witnessed the accident which resulted in
the death of Badger, which took place
only 100 yards from the hangar where
she was watching the flights.
Badger was one Of the newest Baldwin
team, the son of a Pittsburg millionaire.
He made his first flight in Chicago Sat-
urday, when he flew one hour and two
minutes. To-day he took to the air at
$3.50 to participate in the first race and
had made several circles Of the field.
Each time he few over the lagoon ex-
cavation he made a sensational dip to-
ward the ground and then a quick dart
upward.
More Daring Each Time.
Each time he became mort daring and
reckless. and 1t was during his third evo-
luton that his Red Devil" while about
fifty feet above the ground. crumbled up
like tissue paper toy and came hurtling
to the surface of the field. The machine
was rent into a thousand pieces. He
was struck on the head by the cooling
radiator, and sustained broken leg and
internal injuries.
Badger had just made suicidal plunge
Of 200 feet at an angle Of more than forty
five degrees. At the proper moment he
tilted the lateral steering plane and was
on the upward glide when, with a sicken-
ing crash, the wings crumpled together.
The sudden air pressure was more than
the biplane was able to resist 1t was
thought at first that the propeller chains
had broken, but, according to Roy Knab-
enshue, of the Wright team, who was
near at the time, the accident was due
to the foolhardiness of the driver, who
took a losing chance.
Half a dozen trained nurses. who have
been on the ground continuously. and an
automobile ambulance rushed to the scene
and extricated Badger, who was bleeding
and unconscious. He was taken to St
Luke's Hospital, where he died at AS.
Panic I'm Grand stand.
A panic ensued in the north Grand
stand when the biplane broke in two.
A score of policemen were required to
keep the crowd from breaking through
the wire fences, and 1t was only when
the mounted police threatened to ride
them down that they were gotten under
control. Scarcely had they been forced
back when Prof. James v. Martin. the
Boston aviator, came sweeping down and
passed directly over where the crowd
had been fighting to get nearer.
Badgers death did not SO much as
cause the other contestants to hesitate.
Round and round the field they few.
occasionally glancing toward the spot
where the big motor truck was being
used to gather UP the wreckage OF the
biplane.
"Oh. this Is horrible" said Mrs. Eugene
Ely. whose husband was in the air at
the time. why don't the oficials stop
the meet7''
Similar expressions were made by Mrs.
Jimmy Ward and Mrs. Glen H. Cur
tiss.
Racing Events 0bscured.
The actual racing events Of the day
were obschred by the disasters to drivers.
Lincoln Beachey won the final and con-
elusive heat Of the twelve-mile race for
speed biplanes so far as speed was con-
cerned. but he was penalised for crowd
ing and the race was given James A.
McCurdy, with Beachey IN second place.
Parmaiee. the other starter in the finai.
ala not nnifh
Beechey won the passeuger-carrying
event Tor speed hiplanes IN lo:ls.0. Of
aoiai dscistons = the elinblnG end