The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-10
BREAKS THE RECORD,
BUT LOSES HIS LIFE
Lieutenant H. B. Post, First
Aero Corps, u. S. A., Killed
by Fall of 500 Feet.
MANY RECENT VICTIMS
Lincoln Beachey Charges Fa.
ta1ities Are Due to In
ferior Equipment.
MANY RECENT VICTIMS

SAN DIEGO. Cal, Feb. 9.-Lieutenant
Henry 3. Post OF the First aero corps,
considered one OF the most sklllfuI United
states army aviators. plunged to his
death In San Diego bay today when the
right wing OF his hydro-aeruplun crum-
pied like an eggshell. Post died after es-
tablishing an American altitude record OF
l2,l20 feet. He fell 500 feet into shallow
man. a brother birdman. reached the
scene in a flying boat.
Post left the North Island hangars at
$50 o'clock. after having declared his in
tention TO break tine American altitude
record for hydro-aeroplanes. Within an
hour he had attained height Of i2I2o
feet the barograph showing this figure
when recovered from the wreckage
Series of Spirals.
A series Of Wild spiraIs featured the
descent. the machine appearing to be un-
der perfect control. When within 600 feet
OF the water the plane was seen to COL
lapse then careen. The next instant the
unfortunate pilot was hurled from his seat
and the machine plunged downward like
a bullet
Post fell into i've feet OF water, the
wrecked craft disappearing from sight a
few feet distant
Captain Arthur 8. Cowen, head OF the
First corps. declared the machine which
Post was plotting was solely responsible
for the fatal accident
THE man had the natural ability Of
born flyer and 1t had to take the break
age Of his machine to cause his DEATH"
said Captain Cowen.
Sixth to Die.
Post Is the sixth army aviator attached
to the First aero corps to meet death
since the school was esta blIshed. The
other fatalities are:
Lieutenant Rex Chandler, killed April
S. 1913.
Lieutenant ]. D. Park. killed while at
tempting a flight from San Diego to Los
Angeles.
Lieutenant Moss L. Love, crushed be-
meath machine In short fall on aviation
grounds,
Lieutenant e. l.. Ellington, chief in
structor. and Lieutenant Hugh NJ. Kel-
ley. pupil. plunged TO death November 4.
Lieutenant Post was IS years old. He
came here July rs. 1918. from Honolulu.
where no was attached to the Twenty
hfth infantry. and became a military avi-
ator November IL. He Is survived by his
widow and his sister, who came here only |
recently to visit him from their home In
Babylon. Long Island. where his mother
also resides. and a brother. V. q. Post |
the novelist
His father died two weeks ago,
The body will be shipped to Washing
ton. D. c., for interment In Arlington |
national cemetery.
Beachey's Charges.
1.-THE death of Lieutenant Post only |
substantiates the charge 1 made against |
the policy of the United States govern
ment last November declared Lincoln
Beachey. aviator. In a telegram received
here tonight
lat that time I blamed congress for
the eaths Of the army and navy aviators.
do not believe government aviation
would be much better off II the s2,000,
900 or s2.000,000 appropriation for the
supposed betterment OF the flying branch
would have q lot more machines with
which to kill off more officers.
within q week that old machine prob
ably Will be patched up with few new
wires and some cloth and another aviator
will be sent out In *.
Some time ago Beachey was given an
fCon%iuuad oo paoa Tuo%