The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-08-16
Bodies Of Rogers,
Post Badly Crushed
CONTINUED from Page II

y
cabin by the force OF the crash.
Rogers was thrown clear of the
plane which looped over onto its
back.
Posts watch stopped at S:1S D..
M Point Barrow time. The hum
orist's was still running whom
Sergeant Stanley Morgan of the
u. s. signal corps Point Barrow
station, and / reached the scene.
Morgan was notified in Point
Barrow by excited natives and
we reached the. vicinity of the
crash in a whale boat, manned by
natives.
Bodies Dragged Out
Posts body was pulled from the
wreckage where it had been
smashed among the control and
cabin.
Rogers body was placed with
that of Post in the whale boat and
returned to Point Barrow. Here
the bodies were turned over to
DR.. Henry Griest, superintendent of
the Presbyterian Mission hospital,
whre they were taken TO await
the arrival of the coast guard cut
ter Northland.
Both bodies were badly crushed.
The plane was demolished. Gaso-
line spewed over the water be-
tween the moss hummocks, caught
/ fire and blazed for several min
utes.
Post, round the-world record
holder and Rogers, the humori
movie actor and famous air trav-
eler. were on leisurely trip
around Alaska.
They originally intended to visit
Point Barrow several days ago.
Instead they flew from Aklavik, N.
w. T., to Fairbanks and spent the
interval visiting central Alaskan
points. They took off yesterday
from Fairbanks and their arrival
had been awaited at this farthest
north outpost of civilization with
keen anticipation by the few
white persons here.
Picture of Daughter
While natives and whites strug-
gled to beach the boat carrying
the bodies here, an ink-stained
piece of paper fell from Rogers
pocket into the sea.
Unfolded, the soggy paper was,
discovered to be a rotoSravure
picture of Rogers daughter, Mary,
vacationing in Maine.
One of the natives fell beneath
the rollers which were used to
beach the heavy whaling boat. He
was badly crushed.
Stray bits of wreckage caught
III the current of the river ON the
bank of which the plane landed
and floated down into the Arctic
ocean.
Fell Only so Feet
Washington, Aug. 16-(UP)-
Wiley Post and Will Rogers were
killed when their plane, motor
missing as they took off from
Alaska waters, crashed from an al
t.tuie of only SO feet, official re-
ports said today.
Rogers and Post, apparently fly
way and landed on a small river
south of Point Barrow.
After asking the way to their
destination from natives camping
along the river, the two flyers took
of and crashed almost Immediate
~, according to the official report
of the crash forwarded to the war
department from the signal corps
station at Point Barrow.
The official report. based upon
the testimony of natives who wit
messed the crash, said the motor
started missing on the take-off
when the plane was about so feet
in the air.
Motor Failed Him
Post was making a right turn
when the motor failed. The plane
plunged out of control and crashed
into the river, tearing off the right
wing and toppling over on it's nose.
The motor was torn from it's
fastenings and hurled back into the
cockpit where the ayers were sit
ting. Both apparently were killed
Instantly, the report said.
The watch on Wiley Posts wrist
was broken and stopped with the
hands pointing at S:1S o'clock.
The report was filed to the war
department by Staff Sergeant Stan
ley r. Morgan, who operates the
signal corps station at Point Bar
row and who is practically one
there. In addition to his operation
of the station he is the U. S. COM
missioner there and the acting
postmaster.
Full Report OF Crash
His full report said:
'sAt 10 D. m, native runner re-
ported plane had crashed 15
miles south of Barrow. l immedi-
ately hired fast launch and pro-
ceeded to the scene. l found the
plane a complete wreck and par
TALLY submerged in two feet of
water.
II recovered the body of Rogers
and then found it necessary to tear
the plane apart to extract the body
of Post from the water.
Brought the bodies to Barrow
and turned them over to DR..
Greist. Also salvaged the personal
effects which l am holding.
Advise relatives and instruct
this station fully as to procedure.
Then Came Fatal Crash
Natives camping on the small
river Is miles south fhere, claim
Post and Rogers landed, asked
their way to Barrow and on TAX
ing off. the engine mis-fired on a
right bank while only SO feet over
the water. The plane out of con-
troll, crashed, tearing right wing off
and topping over, forcing the en-
CINE back through the body of the
plane.
Both apparently were killed in
stantly. Both bodies were bruised.
Posts wrist watch was broken and
stopped at S:1S p. m"
The message from Sergeant Nor
gan was relayed to Washington
through the isgnal corps station at
Seattle, Wash, which works di-