Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-16
Bodies Found
by U. S. Signal
Corps Man.
SHIP CRASHED
INTO STREAM
Pair on 50G.Mile
Flight From
Fairbanks.
(Copyright 1885. by the lP)

S. SEATTLE. August 16.-Will
tor and air travel enthusiast, and
Wiley Post, who circled the earth
alone in a plane, were killed last
night when their plane crashed
Is miles south of Point Barrow
in NorthernmoSt Alaska.
The word of their death came
today TO the United States Army
Signal Corps headquarters here
from their Point Barrow station.
The first terSe message said
Post and Rogers crashed IS
miles south of here Point Bar
row. at o'clock last night. Have
recovered bodies and placed
them in care of DR.. GreiSt Tin
charge OF a small Point Barrow
hospitaD. Standing by on An
chorage (Alaska) hourly"
The message was signed by
Staff Sergt. Morgan, the only
Army man on duty at the small
Point Barrow settlement.
Fell Only so Feet.
Later, he wirelessed the plane
crashed from only so feet in the
air after taking off from small
river:
Native runner reported plane
crashed Is miles south of Bar
row.
Immediately hired fast
launch, proceeded to scene,
found plane complete wreck,
partially submerged 2 feet water.
Recovered body of Rogers,
then necessary tear plane apart
extract body of Post from water.
Brought bodies to Barrow,
turned over to DR.. CREST; also
salvaged personal effects which
I am holding.
Advise relatives and instruct
this station fully as to pro-
cedure.
Natives camping small river
IS miles south here claim Post
and Rogers landed, asked way to
Barrow.
Taking off, engine misfred
on right bank while only so feet
over water.
Plane out of control, crashed,
tearing right wing off and top
pling over, forced engine back
through body of plane.
Both apparently killed in
stantly.
Both bodies bruised.
POSTS wrist watch broken,
stopped 8:18 pm"
On Aerial Vacation.
Henry W. Greist operates the
Presbyterian Hospital at Point
Barrow, which is maintained
primarily for the care of Eski-
mos.
Post and Rogers were on an
aerial vacation which Post had
planned would take him to Mos
cow, but Rogers had not decided
whether he would accompany
him further than Nome, where
Wiley planned to establish a
base for his projected flight
across Siberia.
Early plans for the flight in
cluded arrangements for Mrs.
Post, the flyers wife, to accom-
pany them. At the last moment
Mrs. Post withdrew, and Post
and Rogers flew into the North
Country alone.
Mrs. Rogers, wife of the hu-
morist-philosopher, and Mrs.
Post were notified of the tragedy
by Capt. Frank E. Stoner of the
Signal Corps headquarters here.
A Coast Guard cutter, the
Northland, was ordered to turn
back to Point Barrow, which it
left yesterday, to pick up the
bodies and bring them to Seattle.
Flying From Fairbanks.
The crash occurred as Post
was pointing his pontoon-
equipped plane toward Point
Barrow, 500 miles away, on a
flight from Fairbanks.
The plane took off from Fair
banks late yesterday, but when
Post learned that a dense fog
shrouded Point Barrow, he set
his ship down on the small
stream.
The Department of Commerce
at Washington, through Secre-
tary Roper, ordered inspectors
to proceed at once to the scene
of the wreck.
The inspectors, however, lack
Jurisdiction tc act, as the acct
dent did not occur on a regular
airline, and the plane was pri-
vately owned.
As soon as word of the death
Of the two men was received,
President Roosevelt, a good
friend of Rogers and Post, was
informed by the Associated
Press.
Rogers had been especially
anxious to get to Barrow, the
small settlement II miles from
where Point Barrow juts into the
Arctic Ocean. for he wanted to