Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-15

SNN FRANCISCO. March li.-T.in-
coin B"achcy. the aviator was killed
whil" making an exhibition flight at
the Panama Pacific Exposition to-day.
~ an altitude OF about 5000 feet,
teachey began a sharp descent The
wings OF his ncroplanc collapsed and
ih" machine plunged into San Fran
cisco Bay
Hcach"y was completing his second
nicht Of the day when ;he accident
occurred. lIavint; previously electrified
IN" thousands Of spectators with, a Sc
rs"s OF sc-nersaults. the airman sought
- aCd IN additional thrill with ono
~ His sensational perpendicular drops
rho fatal fan was attributed TO the
'act iicachev intrusted his life to-day
Tor the first time In several years 10 n
m"nopianc. as the p"rpcndiculnr drop
proved too much OF a strain for the
fgara- OF the Inontplane
'rnc machine WAS at an altitude OF
about 1000 :"ct when B.achey shut OF
his power For several hundred feet
u dropped bcad-on for the earth, and
tlcn the aviator grnsped his control
levers to adjust tho planes for a grace
ful descent.
WINGS CRUMPLE UP
ND tEROPLANE DROPS
IN" wings crumplcd and the aero
plane. turning over and over in :ts
inii plunged into san Francisco Bay.
uIrrowly missing a vessel at the gov
"rnrcnt transport docks
Thousands rushed to the nearby
waterfront bu: few splintcred fras-
mcrts of the acroplanc floating on the
Siirf?ce were the only signs OF the
wrecked machine.
Launches put out Immediately
equipped with graphing hooks and n
boats crew from the battleship Ore
:on joined In an attempt TO recover the
hody OF the aviator. which was strapped
TO the machine. under forty feet OF wa
Tho BODY was recovered shortly after
o'clock
Hillary Bcachey. 4 brother OF the
lviator, witnessed the tragedy from
thc deck OF tho United States transport
crock. lie said he heard "A cracking
sound like the breaking OF a ships
mast He cried out rs the monopIane
began to. plunge toward the BAY IL
fell only a few feet away from the
transport
PHYSICIAN RELIEVES
BEACHEY WAS DROWNED
struck the water and had sustained no
major injury except a broken leg was
The opinion expressed by DR. David F..
stafford, autopsy surgeon. who exam
ined the body ut the morgue tonight
The face, said Or. Stafford, was dis
colored from choking and strangling,
indicating that death was due TO drown
ing
taken to indicate that he had made
desperate efforts to release himself
from the mesh of twisted wires and
rods in which he was entangled.
When the machine fell. Beachey was
protected by the engine. propellers and
E,ood of the monoplanc,. which struck
Ehe water first. 1t was pointed out
mat if Heachey could have disengaged
himself he probably would have man
aged to keep afoat long enough to be
rescued
Lincoln Beachey was regarded ms
the most skillful and daring American
aviator. He earned this reputation
long before the French flyers began to
glide through the air upside down
kcachcy was in retirement when these
feats were heralded. and was drawn
markablc flying OF the French
With an aeroplane of small wing
surface he flew upside down, made
spirals while head downward, and
looped the loop
Ieachey was born in San Francisco
IN September, 1887. and made his first
iliEht in 1905. at Oakland. Cal. pilot
ing dirigible balloon. In 1906 ho
circled the Capitol at Washington. fle
scared over New York City In July,
1907. His motor failed. and the wind
whirled the dirigible across the river,
wrscking'it.
His first heavier than air machine. a
monoplane. was wrecked Mt ST Paul in
1910. He made a successful flight in
Los Angeles, but then wrecked an
other flyer.
May 5. 1911. Bcachey was the. first
man to circle the Capitol in Washing
ton In An aeroplane. He then startled
the world by flying over Niagara Fails.
Later he won the first intcrcity aero
(Gontinnad ~, Third Ioo 90 \ q