Tragic Death of Warren E. Eaton (May 1)

Tragic Death of Warren E. Eaton

Norwich Sun, December 3, 1934

The incredulity and grief that were mingled Saturday when this city found itself confronted with the sad news of the tragic death of Warren E Eaton, gave way to even deeper sorrow Monday afternoon when his body arrived here under an escort of intimate friends and members of Norwich Post 189 of the American Legion.  News of the untimely passing of Mr. Eaton was received in this city Saturday, shortly after noon, from Miami, Florida, where he plunged more than 2,000 feet from his glider into Biscayne Bay and was instantly killed.  The tragedy occurred Saturday morning as a plane-towed glider train in exhibition flight for cameramen was in progress over the city of Miami.

Just a week ago, Sunday, November 25, Mr. Eaton left this city for the south, where, in company with Harold Bowen, who for some time was manager of the Norwich airport, and Earl Southee of Elmira and Athens, Pa., he planned to open a winter glider school for the study of thermal air currents. As president of the Soaring Society of America, Inc., Mr. Eaton was recognized as the leading exponent of gliding and soaring in this country, and was one of the most expert operators of motorless aircraft.

Word of the fatal crash, shocking to his family, stunned the entire city.  The accident was chronicled by The Associated Press as follows: "Clad in white flying togs and helmut, Eaton hurled from the cockpit of his glider, which with another glider, piloted by Harold Bowen, also of Norwich, was being towed by an airplane piloted by Earl Southee of Athens, Pa. and Elmira, N.Y.  Witnesses said Eaton's glider apparently caught in the wake of the towing ship's propeller suddenly shot upward and then either broke or was put loose from the towing cable. The glider turned over and Eaton fell out, landing in about three feet of water near a key in the bay, while the glider soared and crashed some distance away.

"Bowen circled his glider and landed safely in a parking lot in suburban Cocoanut Grove, while Southee landed the towing plane at the municipal airport.  Pilot Jack Rogers and Photographer Frank Bell were flying in a seaplane accompanying the gliders. They landed in the bay immediately, and Bell, diving from his ship, pulled Eaton's bruised body up across one of the pontoons. A motorboat containing Pan-American Airways employees, brought the body ashore, while other boats towed in the wrecked craft.  An examination disclosed that a parachute Eaton wore was intact unopened."

The sad trip northward was started Saturday night at 10:40.  Accompanying the remains of his beloved associate, Mr. Southee arrived in New York city at 6:35 Monday morning and reached Binghamton at 3 p.m.  In that city friends of long standing, Dr. Myer Bloom, Dr. James Ivory, Dr. Charles Squires, Judge David F. Lee and others joined the cortege and met the delegation from this city for the final distance of the journey. State police, under the command of Captain Daniel E. Fox of Sidney barracks, headed the motorcade of hearse and soring friends to this city  Mayor Frank Zuber, in company with Captain Fox met the body in New York city, where they joined Mr. Southee for the remaining journey to  Norwich. The American legion escort included Commander Murray Sabin; Past Commanders, Sherman L. Rife, F.J. Oates; Charles R. Riley and Sidney K. Johnson, and Edward S. Ruff, a country officer of the Legion.  The body was taken to the funeral home of George L. Devine and will be removed to the family residence on North Broad street, Tuesday morning.  The funeral service will be held Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock from Emmanuel Episcopal church, with the rector, Rev. Lloyd S. Charters, officiating. Burial will be made in Mt. Hope cemetery [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY].

Warren Edwin Eaton was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Eaton.  He was born in this city [Norwich NY] June 10, 1888.  Receiving his education in the public schools here, he was graduated from Norwich high school in the class of 1907 and from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania in 1911.  A generous, loyal and lovable human being, the sympathy of all goes to this family and particularly to his wife, to whom the blow is the bitterest.  Prostrated by the tragic news Saturday, Mrs. Eaton was reported to be standing the shock fairly well.  Only members of the immediate family were permitted to see her over the weekend.  Bowed deep in grief, his friends and associates, and they are legion in number, extend their sympathy to his three children, Warren, Jr., aged 12; Janet, nine, and Elise, eight; and to his surviving brothers, Robert S. Eaton and Melvin C. Eaton, and their families.

Mr. Eaton was associated with his brothers in The Norwich Pharmacal Company, where he was superintendent of maintenance.  In addition to heading the Soaring Society of America, he was actively identified as a member in Emmanuel Episcopal church, the Mason, Elks, American legion, Rotary, Forty and Eight, Shrine and The Norwich Club, where he was a member of the board of governors.  He was also a member of the national fraternity of Alpha Chi Rho. For a period of 10 years he was assistant chief of the Norwich fire department, resigning that post in 1931.

His friends and associates in Norwich and throughout the nation, particularly in aviation and gliding circles, write an epitaph of acclaim in an outpouring of sorrowful expressions at his tragic passing.  His delightful personality was well known to many, in his home city he was a typical civic leader, and residents here had a strong admiration for him. Barely more than two weeks ago close friends and associates of Norwich and central New York sponsored a testimonial at the Elks Club to do honor to him and his brother, Melvin C., in tribute to their national distinction in two widely separated endeavors, Warren in gliding and aviation and Mel in politics and his recent election to the Republican state chairmanship.

Mr. Eaton first became interested in aeronautics when he entered the army aviation service at the start of the World War.  He had an enviable war record with the 103rd Aero Squadron, in which he was a first lieutenant.  He was awarded the Distinguished Service medal for bravery while flying over the lines in France with the following citation:  "Near Bantheville, France, October 10, 1918, G.O. no. 46, W.D., 1919: first lieutenant, 103rd Aero Squadron, Air Service.  With one other pilot, Lieutenant Eaton engaged an enemy formation of 11 planes (type Fokker) though another hostile formation was directly above them. After destroying one of the enemy in severe combat, Lieutenant Eaton with his companion drove another out of control."

Mr. Eaton established and personally financed the Norwich airport, located between Norwich and North Norwich.  Here he staged several successful air meets which brought some of the country's best fliers to this city.  Five years ago he went to Elmira to attend the National Glider Association meet.  He took such an active interest in gliding that within a year he was named a director of the association, which was later succeeded by the Soaring Society of America.  Last June Mr. Eaton sponsored the society's annual meet at Elmira, at which time Richard DuPont of Wilmington, Del., a close friend, established a new gliding record.  In the last few years he had taken a leading part in the development of glider hills in the vicinity of Elmira. Recently he headed a group which appeared before the board of supervisors of Chemung county asking that a TERA appropriation be sought for the development of glider hills by the clearing out of brush and construction of runways.  In his efforts to advance gliding in America, Mr. Eaton made a trip abroad this past summer to Germany for the purpose of making an elaborate study of that country's progress in gliding.  Mr. Eaton owned one of the latest model gliders, which he purchased this year.  He kept this at Norwich, together with his two planes.

It can be said that it was a high resolve of duty that brought him his death.  Just a few weeks ago, Mr. Eaton appeared before the federal aviation commission at Washington, named by President Roosevelt and headed by Clark Howell, Atlanta publisher, to urge federal aid for and more intelligent supervision of, soaring and gliding activities in the United States.  A further study of gliding, in support of his contentions for federal aid, was the objective of the southern gliding school, which he was in Miami to sponsor.

Members of the Soaring Society were stunned by the news of his death, and they are at a loss to account for the accident that cost him his life, since Mr. Eaton habitually took every precaution when flying, and was a constant crusader in the movement to keep gliding and soaring on a safe and sane basis, which got off to a determined start when the society was organized in February, 1932 with him as president, a position he had held ever since.  Shocked and grieved by the news of Mr. Eaton's death, Charles H. Gale of New York city, a director of the Soaring Society said:  "Warren was the moving spirit behind this country's growing interest in the sport of motorless flight.  It is not so much what he had done, however great, as what he stood for, that has been irreparably taken away."

Commenting on the fatal accident, Mr. Galo said:  "He must have either had a heart attack of been struck by something and rendered unconscious as he tried to leave his ship or was thrown out of it. Warren was too cool and capable a pilot not to have opened his chute if he had 1,200 feet of altitude and was in possession of his senses."

Mr. Gale raised the possibility that the detachable "scoop" covering the pilot's cockpit in the utility glider Mr. Eaton was flying--a streamlining device that is put in place after the pilot has taken his seat and adjusted his safety belt, may have come loose and been swept into Mr. Eaton's face with stunnign force.