Imperial Valley press., 1928-04-25
BENNETT
CLAIMED
BY DEATH.
Noted Aviator Loses His
Fight For Life Against
Pneumonia.
WAS AIDING BREMEN
Daring Flight by "Lindy"
To Save Comrade Proves
Unavailing.
BY United Press Leased Wire

QUEBEC, Que, Apri! 25.-floyd
Rcnnctt died in the Jeffrey Hale
hospital today of pneumonia.
America lost one of her greatest
airmen and the whole world mourn
cd one Of the pioneers who played
CONSPICUOUS part in the stirring
aviation feats Of the past year.
Bennett died at 1925 a. IN. He
died in the cause to v!,ich he had
devoted his life Although in i'll
health, he sacrificed himself to fly
with relief from Detroit for the
transatlantic plane Bremen on
Greenly Island.
Double pneumonia =" "eloped.
The man who piloted Commander
Richard f. BYRD to the North Pole
and risked his life in other daring
feats was unable to combat it in
his weakened condition.
The entire world was concerned.
Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh,
America idol, made a magnificent
effort to save him by flying from
New York to Quebec, more than
ing time, with serum to combat the
disease.
1t failed, the serum proving use-
less for the type OF pneumonia with
which Bennett was afflicted.
His commander and friend, Byrd,
came from Boston to stand by him.
Bennett smiled when Byrd was
permitted a brief look at him and
promised he would be well in time
to go with Byrd on his greatest ex-
ploit--the projected flight over the
South Pole this fall.
Byrd was deeply affe-.ted by BEN
Lett s death. TIE two men were
like brothers. The flyer : wife, who
came to his bedside, was taken i'll
with tonsilitis and was confined to
the same hospital wheT the end
came.
Word that Bennett was dying was
issued from the hospital at 10 a. m.
at which time Colonel Lindberel,
prepared to return to Mitchell
Field, disconsolate over the failure
| of his mission.
The fraternity of the air, which
drew Bennett on his fatal flight to
aid the Bremen S crew, which still
is weatherbound on Greenly Island,
brought Colonel Lindbergh to the
aid of Bennett and Commander
Byrd to his former pilot, too late to
! help.
DR.. w. II. Delaney, superintendent
of the hospital, who announced Ben.
nett 5 death officially at IL a. M.
said that the serum brought by
Lindbergh was useless against "No.
y pneumonia, which finally caus-
ed the flyers DEATH
Early today it was known by
those in attendance on Bennett that
he could live but q few hours.
Mrs. Bennett 5 condition natural.
ly was aggravated by her worry
over her husband.
With Byrd at Pole
Floyd Bennett s greatest achieve
ment was with Commander Richard
Byrd in their epochal flight from
| Spitzbergen, Norway, to the North
| pole and return. The flight was
made in - hours and 81 minutes on
May 8, 1926.
For his daring and resourcefulness
in undertaking the flight Bennett
received Il gold medal from the Ma
tional Geographical Society. 1t was
presented by President Coolidge.
When he and Byrd returned from
their conquest of the north pole.
Byrd asserted that Bennett should
be given the major share of the
credit, and more recently when Conn
mander Byrd selected his staff for
the south pole expedition he said
"Floyd Bennett, who flew to the
north pole with me, will be my first
lieutenant. | couldn't go without
him. II always regret that he
| couldn' make the transatlantic
trip with me because Of injuries re-
ccivcd from a crash that spring.
These expressions of esteem by
Commander Byrd epitomize the high
regard in which American aviators
held the man who rose from me-
chanic in the navy to one Of the
most daring and successful pilots
in the world.