Evening journal., 1917-07-23
RIVER GIVES UP
AVIATOR'S BODY
Allen 0. Smith Caught Under
Wreckage When Machine
Breaks Up
RIVERMEN FAIL AT
RESCUE ATTEMPT

The body of Allen o. Smith, the
aviator whose death in the Delaware
River, due TO the falling Of his aero
plane, was described in THE EVEN
ING JOURNAL forty minutes after it
occurred on Saturday, was recovered in
the wreckage Of his machine yesterday
After some search the shattered aero
plane was recovered from the bottom
OF the river and dragged by tugs TO the
station near Claymont. whence IL was
hauled into the hapgars by automobiles.
Divers employed TO search for the ma
chine and the body Of the operator re-
ported that they were unable to locate
the latter. but his body was found in
the cabin of the wrecked machine, cover
ed completely with debris.
Smith left the station at 80 o'clock
Saturday afternoon, and, after sailing
down the river for some time left the
water and started on an air flight on.
cials at tho aeropaue station believe
that he ran irto an "air bank then
sone strong cross currents OF air, and
ward tho earth. II is estimated that
when the machine struck tho Delaware
river IL WIS dropping at n rare Of at
least 100 miles an hour The flyer was
completely shattered by the impact
with the water and sank almost imms
diatelv.
A Wilson Line boat. the City Of vii
mingion crowded with Philadel-
phians and Wilmingionians was
making the return trip TO this ely
and the passengers witnessed Inc ac-
cidcnt Captain w r. Hart. In COM
mand Of the boat az once ordered
life boat 10 be put overheard and pro-
coed TO the scene OF the acciden.
The effort 10 recover the body was
continued Saturday until 4 was stop
ped by darkness Early yesterday
morning the work was resumed The
services OF tug had been secured
as we'll as that Of professional divers.
About 10 o'clock in the morning the
machine was located by, one Of the
mon The strong curroN prevailing
in tha, part of the river had caused
II 10 drift a considerable distance from
the scene OF the accident
Lines were fastened to the tugs
and the wrecked machine dragged to
one Of the hangers. II was pulled
into the hangar itself by means Of
automobiles. The divers reported
that they could find no trace OF
Smiths body. but when the machine
was examined his body was found in
the fuselage OF cabin Of the machine
completely covered by wreckage.
Smith was rs years OF age. unmar
Red and formerly n resident OF Brook
Iyn. ~ y. He was engaged by JohI
J Raskob as landscape gardener
and during his leisure time was
studying aviation AZ the school IN or
der 10 offer his services 10 the gov
crnment either as an aviator or in
efructor He had spent six weeks at
The school. and at that time was said
70 have progressed we'll with his
studies In aviation He would have
been graduated from the school short
iy and his fatal flight Saturday was
one OF the tests 10 be made before a
student is declared proficient
As Captain Hart Saw IT,
Captain Hart. OF the City Of Will
,nington, in describing the accident
said
when my attention was called 10
fhe hyer he was az a high altitude.
not great distance behind us.
heard a kind OF report that sounded
as though IL might have been an ex-
plosion. and Immediately, realizing
that something was wrong. put about,
and had reached a dead stop when
the plane hit the water with crash.
''I had a boat launched, but by the
time Il reached the machine there was
only n mass OF wreckage, with only
one wing above the water An enor'
was made TO fasten a tow line 10 u
but this proved fruitless as ever
time the boat tried to pull away th'
part 20 which the line was tied CAV
way. Il soon sank completely be
meath the surface. and though "
tried 70 drag for the body OF the ayl
ator with a hook. soon saw that III
was unavailing. BY this time larg
number OF small craft had come u
and an organized search for the bod
was commenced. so ! put about fc
this port
- woanc ErNnTTNE WOOn