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Show BREAKS THE RECORD, BUT LOSS HIS LIFE Lieutenant H. B. Post, First Aero Corps, U. S. A., Killed by Fall of 500 Feet. MANY RECENT VICTIMS Lincoln Beachey Charges Fatalities Fa-talities Are Due to Inferior In-ferior Equipment SAN DIEGO. Cal.. Fob. 9. Lieutenant Henry B. Post of the First aero corpu. considered one of the most skillful United States army aviators, plunged to his death In San Diego bay today when the right wing of his hydro-aeroplane crumpled crum-pled like an eggshell. Post died after establishing es-tablishing an American altitude record of 12.1J0 feot. He fell GOO feet tnto shallow water and was dead when Francis Wild-man, Wild-man, a brother birdmau, reached the scene In a flying boat. Post left the North Island hangars at 8:50 o'clock, after having declared his Intention In-tention to break tho American altitude record for hydro-ucroplaiics. "Within an hour he had attained a height of 12.U0 feet, thc barograph showing this Jlguro when recovered from the wreckage. Series of Spirals. A series of wild spirals featured tho doscent, tho machine appearing to bo under un-der perfect control. When within 600 feet of the water the plane was seen to collapse, col-lapse, then careen. Tho noxt Instant the unforunale pilot was hurled from his seat and the machine plunged downward like a bullet Post fell into five feet of water, tho wrecked craft disappearing from Bight a few feet distant. Captain Arthur S. Co wen, head of the First corps, declared the machine which Post waa piloting was solely responsible for the fatal accident. "The man had the natural ability of a born flyer and It had to take the breakage break-age of his machine to cause his death," said Captain Cowen. Sixth to Die. Post Is the sixth army aviator attached to the First aero corps to meet death since the school was established. The other fatalities arc: Lieutenant Rex Chandler, killed April 8, 1913. Lieutenant J. D. Park, killed while attempting at-tempting a flight from San "Diego to Los Angeles. Lieutenant Moss L. Love, crushed beneath be-neath machine In short fall on aviation grounds. Lieutenant E. L. Ellington, chief instructor, in-structor, and Lieutenant Hugh M. Kel-lcy, Kel-lcy, pupil, plunged to death November 1. Lieutenant Post was 2S years old. He came hero July 28, 1913, from Honolulu, where ho was attached to the Twenty-fifth Twenty-fifth Infantry, and became a military avi ator November 11. He Is survived by his widow and his sister, who camo here only recently to visit him from their home In Babylon, Long Island, where his mother also resides, and a brother, V. Z. Post, the novelist His father died two weeks ago. The body will be shipped to Washington, Washing-ton, D. C, for interment in Arlington national cemetery. Beachey's Charges. "Tho death of Lieutenant Post only substantiates thc charge I made agulnst the policy of the United States government govern-ment last November," declared Lincoln Beachey, aviator, in a telegram received here tonight. "At that timo I blamed congress for the deaths of the army and navy aviators. I do not believe government aviation would bo much better off If the $2,000,-000 $2,000,-000 or J3.000.000 appropriation for the supposed betterment of tho flying branch of the servlco were made. They simply would have a lot more machines with which to kill off more officers. "Within a week that old machine probably prob-ably will be patched up with a few new wires nnd some cloth and another aviator will bo sent out In It." Some timo ago Beachey was given an (Continued on Pago Two.) BREAKS THE RECORD. BUT LOSES HIS LIFE (Continued from Page One.) audience by Secretary Garrison, in which the socrotary was told that army aviators avi-ators were losing their lives bocause the equipment supplied them was old. Profound Sorrow. WASHINGTON, Feb. 9. Xews of the fatal accident to Lieutenant Post at San Diego today was received In army and navy circles here with profound regret. The young officer waa regarded as one of the most skillful air pilots In the service.' serv-ice.' It was considered certain that a flaw In his machine must have been responsible re-sponsible for tho tragedy. Army officers, however, were not disposed dis-posed to blame the type of aeroplane used by tho aviation corps. Secretary Garrison Garri-son said tonight that while Lincoln Beachey had told him recently that tho army machines were antiquated und dangerous, dan-gerous, he had been assured by the service serv-ice experts that tho aeroplanes were the very best to be had. "If there Is any ' criticism against them," tho secretary said, "It must be caused by tho differences of opinion bo-tweon bo-tweon the civilian aviators and the army officers." He added that all of the aeroplanes In use were new. |