The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-08-17

world greatest pilot.
Grief for the two men far
transcended their intimate circles
of family and friends. President
Roosevelt. former President Hoover.
members of Congress. leading bust
ness men and industrialists. rulers
Of many countries. world statesmen.
all expressed their sorrow. In
London, in Paris. Berlin. Madrid,
Toxic. the accident that had taken
two beloved characters was a sub
ject Of intense interest.
L. 6. Buys Winnie Mae
The movies had made the lovable
personality Of the Oklahoma COW
boy. who for years had pointed cut
human frailties in high places in
his inimitable manner. Mr.. Post,
hero Of two flights around the
world, was universally regarded as
one Of the worlds greatest fliers.
A few hours after a shocked world
learned of the accident, the United
States Senate passed a resolution
calling for government purchase Of
ward the House gave its approval.
The plane, which carried Mr.. Post
on both his famous flights, will be
placed in the Smithsonian InStitu-
ton. In st. Louis, the Spirit of St.
Louis medal for outstanding cOntri-
buttons to aviation was awarded
posthUmously to Mr.. Rogers by the
AerOnautics Division of the Amer
lean Society of Mechanical Engi-
neers.
Experimenting Going On
Death cut Mr.. Post down in the
midst of his newest efforts to adj
vance aviation He was expert
menting with flights in the sub
stratosphere, hoping to develop a
technique and equipment that would
shorten the air time between East
and West coasts of the United
States to seven hours His new
plane had been purchased especially
for the experiments after four fail
ures in the Winnie Mae
Mr.. Rogers was believed to have
left an estate valued at between
S5.OOO,OOO and s6OOOOOO. Through
y insurance and other assets he was
said to have established a trust /
fund Of 100000 for each of his /
three children.
Mr.. Post was believed to have died |
practically pennileSs. outside his /
ownership of the wrecked plane and
the Winnie Mae. He earned great /
Is i
airplanes and aviation. His widow
will Deceive $4,000 for the Winnie /
Mae. the sum Congress appropri- (
ated
The world recalled the exploits /
of Mr. POst-his dash around the /
world with Harold Gatty in eight /
days. IS hours. 81 minutes in 1881
his one-man flight over the same |
route in 1888 in seven days, 1o /
hours. 40 minutes.
Composed Own Epitaph
OF Mr.. Rogers. it recalled only a |
lovable character who usually APP
peared on the stage in chaps and
sombrero. to twirl a rope and
philOsophise in an authentic plains
mans drawl and in the movies as
rough handed and full-hearted.
Neither Mr.. Post nor Mr.. Rogers
had the least fear of death Mr..
Post dared il again and again. Mr..
Rogers composed his own epitaph:
: When 1 die. my epitaph. or what
ever you call those signs on grave
stones. is going TO read:
~, ~, ont
man of my time. but 1 never met a
man I didn't like
Il am proud of that can hardly
wait to die so it can be carved.
And when you come around my
grave. you'll find me sitting there,
proudly reading it
Scene Is Described
Mr.. Rogers said that in Boston
in 1880.
Mr.. Crosson brought has Arctic
plane into this hamlet of 10 white
and 80 EskimoS to find it intense
with shock and grief. A native
runner arrived Thursday all but eX-
hausted from Is miles of fast travel
over a rough terrain of boys and
lakes. shouting excitedly that the
bird Hpsn" were dead.
He gave his news to this cor
respondent and Staff Sergeant
Stanley Morgan of the United
States Army Signal Corps. They
didn't believe him at first. but after
he had jabbered his story twice.
Sergt. Morgan manned whale boat
with A native crew and he and l
set out for the scene.
We didn't believe the runner
fully. Surely. there must be sorte
mistake. we thought. Rogers and
Post can't be dead.
We sighted the plane when we
were about 440 yards away on the
same stream in which it lay. The
EskinSos who had witnessed the
crash already had taken Mr.. Rogers
body from the water and had COW
cred It with a sleeping bag.
Mr.. Posts body was still pinned
in the debris. We attached ropes TO
\the plane and tried TO pull it over.
The first time the ropes broke. Fin
ally we pulled the plane apart far
enough TO bring out the body. which
we placed in a sleeping bag.
Papers Scattered Around
There we're papers. maps and per-
sonal affects scattered all around.
Mos, Of them were soggy with salt.
mud and water
Mr.. Rogers dollar watch was still
running.
Wills glasses. so familiar to all
who had seen him on the stage and
screen or in newspaper photographs,
also were unbroken.
The watch said 1t was $50 a. m.
alaskan time).
Although one of the Eskimos said
there had been an explosion, We
couldn't find any evidence Of It.
We believe the shin inst failed IN