Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-03-16
HOW AVIATOR
BEACHEY CAME
TO HIS DEATH

san Francisco Cal. March l6.-Tn dc
fleets ia hi~ new model monoplane i at
tributcd the death 1T Lincoln Bcachcv. the
aviator. who fell into san Francisco bay
Sunday aitcrnuoa. and was killed.
Bcachcy was completing hi .ccond
flight Of the day when accident occurred.
Having previously electrified the crowd
with \ series of aerial -omcrsault~. the
aviator >ough, 10 add an additional thrill
by making enc Of the sensational pcrpcm-
dicular drops which usually featured hi
flights.
The fatal fall wa attributed Ia the fact
that Bcarhey attempted hi stunts III Y
~mon"plane. An exceptionally large crowd
had hecn attracted Ia the grounds L. see
whether h. would attempt the same daring
methods Ia the new machine that hc had
performed ia HI trim little hiplamc.
ON the first flight M went well and the
aviator'~ familiar tricks were INDUCED in
with the exception IT the perpendicular
drop. This Brachcv had saved for the
climax. II proved too much Of y strain
for the frame 81 the m~unoplanc. The ma
chime was at an altitude 81 about 5000 feet
when Bcachcv ~hut ufT hi power. For sew
eral thousand feet il dropped hcadlong
10 the earth and then the aviator ~gra>pcd
his control %lcavcr~ To adjust the planes for
the graceful dc-ccnt~ which had character
Izcd hi previous flights.
Al that point the wings crumplcd like u
collapsed umbrella and the ~aeroplane. turn
ing over and over IN it, fan. plunged into
San Francisco bay. narrowly missing u
vessel lying "a the government transport
dock.
Thousands ~ spectators rushed To- he
nearby water front but. with the exception
III \ few ~plintcrcd fragments III the aero
plane floating an thr surface ct the hav.
no ~i.n al the wrecked machine could b.
seen.
lannrhc~ pnt nul immediately. equipped
with graphing hook. and a boat'~ crew
from tie battic-hip Oregon. which wa,
anchored ~ the stream q short distance
away. joined ~ an attempt To- rcrover the
body ~ the aviator. who was strapped "
hi machinc under forty feet Of water.
The body wa~ recovered shortly after :
o'clock. Divers from the Oregon search
lng the shallow in~hore waters nf the BAY
found the crushed form 1T the aviator en-
tangled IN the twisted rods and torn can
va III hi- machine. With axes the divers
freed The body from the wrccka.c aud
brought Il a. the surface.
lIrIlarl Bcachcy. 4 brother 1T the ayia-
Tor, Witnessed the tragedy. lie wa~ stand
Ing On the deck 1T the United Stutc~ trans
port Crook watching the flight. lIr said
he heard = cracklm. sound like the break
Ing 81 4 ships mast. IT, cried ont W. the
m"n"rlanc began 4" plunge toward the bay.
II fell only q few tcct AWAY from the
transport.
That Bcarhry WAS still alive when ~
struck the water aud had sustained ne msi-
tcrial injury ~ the result ~ the fan *
ccpt 4 broken lce. wa~ the opinion en-
pressed IN DIR. David f.. Stafford. autopsy
surgeon. The face. said Or. stafford. uu-
di~colorcd from choking and -tran.ling.
indicating death wa~ due To- drowning. Cut
on The a%viator~ hands were taken ~ midi
cate that he had made desperate attempts
10 release himself.
When the machine tell Bctchry wa~ pro
lccted by the engine. prupcllcr~ and hood
If the m%onoplanc. which struck the water
first. II was pointed ont that II Bcachry
cold have di~cnga.cd himself hc might have
managed e. keep atloat until rescued.