Evening journal., 1919-11-25
fLYERS DRIP TO
Death IN liver
fCortlnuod RON Page 0ne.l

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was flying at the low altitude Of nfty
feet Ills plane stopped and reared. It
evidently had met with engine trouble.
The next instant the plane made a nose
dive.
II struck the cold. murky water with
a splash and a crash. and disappeared
instantly.
The second plane rushed quickly 10
the spot. A llfeboat. carrying several
Of the crew Of the City OF Chester, was
launched. There wasn't a sign to mark
where the plane had struck the water.
When the submerged plane finally
reached the surface there was no sign
OF the two occupants. The plane had
been wrecked. The engine had slipped
from Its fastenings. 10 had hung d.
fectly over the place where the two
iiiers were seated, and evidently had
fallen on them. Stockcr, as was his
custom, flew without strapping him
self. The impact probably had thrown
both men out Of the plane when it
struck the water. 10 Is believed they
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The City Of Chester carried hundreds
OF passengers and was only several hun
dred feet away when The accident oc-
CURED. ON the west bank Of the river
Pennsylvania Railroad passenger
train, hugging close 10 the waters edge,
also appeared at the time
Passengers aboard the river steam
ship saw The tragedy clearly. even dis
cerning the faces OF the two officers.
Men looked on In horror and women be
came hysierical.
News Of the accident was telephoned
Immediately t0 the Philadelphia navy
yard and 10 this city. and the Wood
bine, buoy boat, was dispatched to the
scene To help In the recovery of the
bodies. The wrecked plane. which
has been picked up by the City Of Ches-
ter, was placed on board and taken
back TO League Island
Scaplanes and motorb0ats were dis
patched from the navy yard 10 look for
the bodies OF the victims Equipped
with powerful searchlights. the craft
moved around the spot were the dis
ablod plane fell
Lieutenant Stocker lived In No. iT2s
Chestnut street, Philadelphia. His home
and that Of his parents Is I'm Washing
ton. The mother Of the lieutenant was
notified. She arrived In Philadelphia
last night. A telegram was sent 10 his
father. Captain Stocker
Mr.. Thompson, the other victim OF
the accident, came from Dover, Me.
Lieutenant StOcker was twenty-five
years old. lie enlisted In the navy in
1917. A graduate Of Yale.
Lieutenant StOcker trained with that
unit in the aviation school In Newport
News, Va. lie served overseas during
the whole length OF the war.
Heroic exploits Of the young naval
nier are stlll fresh In the minds Of
his fellow officers. he gained the repu-
tation OF being a successful bomber"
and, through his courage ana skin,
several important military centers OF
the enemy were destroyed. lie was
stationed at Dunkirk and 81 lnglevert,
France.
once. as he started IN a bombing
plane from DUnkirk on raid. the land
ing gear Of his plane, carrying $50
pounds Of T N r, grazed the ground.
and the high explosives were upset
Lieutenant St0oker skillfully righted
his plane and avoided death by a hair
breadth.
Another time the young Lieutenant
set out. In company with a squad OF
bombers, 10 destroy an important rail-
road terminal that the Germans had set
up i'm Belgium. To discover the where
lbouts OF the terminal in the dark. |
young Stocker dropped to the low alti- !
iude OF 300 feet and blew up a railroad I
.rain. The resulting flare up Of the ex- I
Dlosion enabled him and his comrades I
10 locate the terminal and make short /
work Of IL.
Soon after the armistice the young
lfilcer was detailed as a test pilot IN /
he navy yard. lie had made his tenn
Dorary home in Philadelphia since that
lime.