Hawthorne C. Gray
Hawthorne C. Gray | |
|---|---|
United States of America | |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1915–1927 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross |
Hawthorne Charles Gray (February 16, 1889 – November 4, 1927) was a
Early life and career
Gray was born on February 16, 1889, in Pasco, Washington.[5] He was the son of William Polk Gray (1845–1929), a prominent steamboat captain in the Northwestern United States, and Oceana Falkland Bush.[6][7] Hawthorne Gray was a graduate of the University of Idaho.[5]
Gray served as an officer in the
Record-setting balloon flights
On March 9, 1927, Gray set an unofficial altitude record of 28,510 ft (8.69 km) in a balloon launched from Scott Field, but passed out from
On November 4, Gray attempted to set an official record. He rose at about 4 mph (6.4 km/h), half the speed he used for his March 9 flight.[4] Between 30,000 feet (9,100 m) and 34,000 ft (10.4 km) Gray threw over an empty oxygen cylinder for ballast, and the canister snapped his radio antenna, cutting him off from the ground.[1] After reaching an altitude of 40,000 ft (12.2 km), he lost consciousness. His final journal entry read “Sky deep blue, sun very bright, sand all gone.”[1] His dead body was found in the balloon basket in a tree near Sparta, Tennessee, the next day.[2][8][10] The balloon's barographs showed that Gray had reached a height between 43,000 (13.1 km) and 44,000 ft (13.4 km).[1] There were various theories about the cause of Gray's death. He may have severed his oxygen hose accidentally while cutting open bags of sand ballast.[11] It is also possible that Gray became too cold and tired to open the valve on one of his oxygen tanks, or that an internal organ was ruptured by decreasing pressure. Aeronaut Albert Leo Stevens believed that Gray died during descent or on impact.[1] The Scott Field board of inquiry which investigated Gray's death concluded that he died because his clock stopped, causing him to lose track of his time on oxygen and exhaust his supply.[4]
Gray was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and buried in Arlington National Cemetery.[12][1][4] His widowed wife and three remaining sons received his Army Air Corps insurance and $2,700, the equivalent of six months’ pay.[4]
Personal life
Gray was married to Miriam Lorette Maddux. They had a son, John Maddux Gray, who died when he was a year old. Gray was survived by his widow and three other sons.[4]
References
- ^ ISBN 1-55750-732-5.
- ^ ISBN 0-912799-38-2.
- ^ "U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet: Fatal Flight of Capt. Gray". National Museum of the United States Air Force. July 10, 2009. Archived from the original on December 12, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0-87474-346-X.
- ^ a b c d Crouch, p. 595.
- ^ "Capt. William P. Gray". The Oregonian. October 27, 1929. p. 18.
- Northwest Digital Archives. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- ^ St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. November 6, 1927.
- ^ Crouch, pp. 572–574.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7817-7466-6.
- ^ "Battling for Life in a Blue-Black Sky". Popular Mechanics. 49 (2): 177–179. February 1928.
- ^ Burial Detail: Gray, Hawthorne C (section 4, grave 2601) – ANC Explorer
External links
- Gray, Hawthorne C.; Miller, J. Earle (August 1927). "Eight Miles – Straight Up!". Popular Mechanics. 48 (2): 177–181.
- "Balloon Basket, Captain H.C. Gray". Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved November 10, 2012.[permanent dead link]
- Hawthorne C. Gray, Captain, United States Army, ArlingtonCemetery.net, 26 November 2023, an unofficial website[unreliable source?]
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