The Sentinel=record., 1912-04-04
CAL RODGERS
 MEETS DEATH
FIRST COAST TO COAST AVIATOR KILLED WHILE MAKING JOY
 FLIGHTS OVER THE SEA.
Playing With Flock of Gulls, His AeropIane Falls and Daring Avis- tor Is Killed Beneath the
 Heavy Motor

Long Beach, Cal, April 3.-Cal- braith P. Rodgers, the first man to cross the American continent in an aeroplane was killed almost instantly inte today when his bi-Dlane, in which he had been soaring 'over the ocean. fell from height of 200 feet and buried him in the wreck His neck was broken and his body was badly smashed by the engine of his machine. He lived but a few moments
 Rodgers for week had been mak- ing daly' flights here. and had taken np with him many passengers, both men and women Today he started from his usual place and scared ont over the ocean, crossing the pier and then turned and dipped close to a roller coaster in a beach amusement park
 Seeing a flock of gnls disporting fhegseyes among a great shoal of sardines just over the breakers, Rod gers again turned and diyed down in- fo Them, scattering the sea fowl in all digections
 Ldighly elated with the outcome or his dive Rodgers then flew farther ont to sea, all the time gradually ris- lng nntil he had reached a height of about 200 feet
 Making a short turn he started at full speed for the pier, then suddenly dipped his planes and his machine be- gan frightfnl descent. Rodgers was seen by hundreds of persons on the -.A..as7-te relax his held on the levers and, then seemingly realizing that t1s Is.. d.. efforts to pull the nose of his machine Into level position.
 Failing in this, he managed to turn his graft further in shore, and an in- stant later the craft crashed into the edge of the surf. not 800 feet from the spot where on December 10 last, he had finished his ocean to ocean flight Many men rushed to his aid Fl ssfFTSf sS1 gtt and James Goodwin, life guards. were firat to reach him. They said Rodgers head was hanging over one wing of the machine, the heavy engine was on his hack. and his feet were drawn up nearly doubling over his shoulders.
 Rodgers was lifted from the wreck and hurried 10 the bath house hospi- tal He died on the way
 Examination showed that his neck, iawbone and back had been broken A telegram was sent tc the aviator's widow, who lives in Pasadena. Cal and a cablegram to his mother, Mrs H. s. Schweitzer, who is now in Lon don The body was prepared for buyi ial and sent to Pasadena tonight.
 Rodgers cousin, Lieutenant John Rodgers, U. $. N, now is attached 10 the aeroplane section of the navy stationed at San Diego.
 Charles Schaffer, close friend of Rodgers. and who came here on the special train that followed the ayia- tor on his trans-continental trip. wit messed the accident.
 In speaking of Rodgers carefree spirit while in the air Mir Schaffer said he had taken many flights with Rodgers but the most surprising ex- ample of recklessness he had ever seen was yesterday
 We had risen 10 height of about 5000 feet" said Sehaffer. and were off to the northeast The wind was strong. but not puffy Rodgers, feigning he was tired, lay back, fold ed his hands behind his head and SAltlEntu HIS ittA Qult nt1Huihbit tii- toying the scenery. I said 10 him, You better watch out Cal, the wind might get yon, but he answered oh, were all right; she's ridden the wind before and she'll ride it now.
 Members of the Aero Club of Amer. ica received the news of Calbraith P Rodgers death tonight with ex- pressions of regret After his epoch making flight across the continent, he was rendered banquet by the Aero club and honored with a gold medal
 Rodgers trans-eontinental flight, begun at Sheepshead Bay race track. Brooklyn september r, 1911, was marked on the second day out by a crash into a tree, and when within sight of Long Beach, his Pacific coast goal. he fell and was laid up for nearly a month.
 Interspersed by these more serious accidents, there was succession of mishaps and lucky escapes during the trip which, with long delays due to adverse weather. made it mat ter of nearly three months before. on December TO- 1911. Rodgers finally landed at Long Beach, and was pro claimed the worlds aviation hero. His persistence and nerve had car ried him a distance Of more than B. 009 miles His machine was broken and repaired so many times that only the vertical rudder and the drip pan Of the original outfit remained when he reached the Pacific coast
 Although Rodgers lived much of the time here, his home was in Havre de Grace, Md. where he leaves a mother, whose enthusiasm oyer the fame which her son won. has always
 faTner@d with fear that eventu- ally he would meet some such death as came to him today At the time of his first fall in the tree near Mid