Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1912-04-10
RODGERS r. IS. killed X ] D
sEA-To.sEA AVIATOR PLUNGEs
TO HIS DEATH IN PA 4,
+, cIFIC OCEAN.
NECK BROKEN BY FALL
Thousands OF Spectators Rush Into
Surf for Relics 40 Airman Dies
Believed That, Wire Guys
OF Machine Broke.

Los Angeles, Call albraith Perry
Rodgers, the only man who ever flew
across the American continent was
killed here when his biplane fell 250
feet into the breakers at Long Beach
Rodgers fell from his seat in tho
machine and his body shot downward
ahead OF the biplane, striking in the
shallow surf. His neck was broken,
and he died instantly.
With several thousand people
watching him. he ascended for an ex-
hibition flight, takMg OF at the edge
OF the beach. Rising about $50 feet,
the machine suddenly tilted at per
ilous angle. and the spectators rea'
lized that something was wrong.
Rodgers managed to right the aero
plane and again began to climb IN
long spiral. When he was about 400
feet IN the air the machine suddenly
dipped sharply and plunged like
plummet earthward.
An instant after Rodgers struck the
shallow water the machine crashed
into the surf and was reduced to q
mass OF splintered wreckage and tan
gled wire, 50 that the exact cause OF
the accident may never be known. al
though 1t is believed that one Of the
wire guys broke as he was rising IN
the air.
For a moment the spectators stood
4horror-stricken, and then ensued q
wild scramble into the surf for sou
venirs. Seekers for CHASTITY relics
plunged knee deep into the surf. and
the police had to use their clubs to,
fight them back.
Thus ended the career Of one Of the
most brilliant. daring and resourceful
airmen OF the age.
The official end of his epoch-making
fight was made November 6 last at
Pasadena. One week later he started
from that city to fly to Long Beach
and actually dip the planes OF his
machine into the Pacific ocean. He
had passed over the extreme eastern
end OF Los Angeles and. when thou
sands were thronging the beach wait
ing for him, news was flashed that he
had fallen at Compton and was badly.
hurt. How he ever escaped death Will
never be told. He and his machine
fell at least 100 feet
Less than year has elapsed since
Rodgers first touched an aeroplane.
June 6, 1911, he appeared at the
Wright brothers field at Dayton. O.,
and said he wished to learn to be an
aviator.
Ninety minutes after he took his
seat in a machine for the first time he
SCARED into the air away from his In
structors.
That stamped him as, man Of &C
ton. When he began his coast-to-
coast flight there were many expert
senced aviators who said tkat IT, any
man in the world would accomplish
the feat, "Cal' Rodgers was the man.
He did it. In forty-nine days from
the time he assembled at Sheepshead
Bay, N. Y, he landed on the Pacific
coast He had flown 1921 miles in
1921 minutes actual time in the air.
Four times he had rebuilt his
wrecked machine after falls that
would have taken the courage out OF
the ordinary man. Eight times he
had replaced parts.
Over three mountain ranges two
great deserts and the great continent
tai plain; over rivers and lakes, cities
and forests, alone and dependent,
wholly upon himself, while In the air,
ha had crossed the continent