▁ ▁( 3 5 8 ▁pounds ▁of ▁mail ) ▁on ▁the ▁Chicago - To led o ▁route , ▁came ▁down ▁far ▁off ▁its ▁course , ▁in ▁a ▁snow st orm . ▁The ▁observation ▁plane ▁nose - d ived ▁into ▁some ▁woods , ▁but ▁Low ry ▁managed ▁to ▁" throw ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁mail ▁free ▁before ▁the ▁crash ." ▁His ▁plane ▁was ▁demol ished ▁and ▁the ▁mail ▁b ags ▁were ▁scattered ▁for ▁some ▁distance ▁behind ▁the ▁place ▁at ▁which ▁the ▁w reck ed ▁machine ▁came ▁to ▁rest . ▁" L ow ry ' s ▁body ▁was ▁torn ▁to ▁bits . ▁He ▁apparently ▁had ▁attempted ▁to ▁b ail ▁out , ▁but ▁a ▁kn ot ▁in ▁the ▁par ach ute ▁cord ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁caught ▁in ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁plane ▁and ▁tra pped ▁him . ▁Mark s ▁in ▁the ▁woods ▁showed ▁that ▁the ▁plane ▁struck ▁the ▁ground , ▁went ▁forward ▁some ▁distance ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁momentum , ▁and ▁then ▁n osed ▁into ▁the ▁bank ▁of ▁a ▁cre ek ▁in ▁the ▁woods . ▁The ▁plane ▁was ▁demol ished . ▁Res idents ▁of ▁the ▁vic inity ▁said ▁Low ry ▁apparently ▁had ▁trouble ▁with ▁his ▁motor ▁and ▁had ▁circ led ▁in ▁a ▁search ▁for ▁a ▁landing ▁place . ▁Charles ▁G . ▁Th ur ston ▁said ▁he ▁heard ▁the ▁plane ▁pass ▁over ▁his ▁farm ▁home ▁shortly ▁before ▁ 6 ▁a . m . ▁( E . ▁S . ▁T .) ▁Then ▁he ▁heard ▁the ▁motor ▁being ▁cut ▁off . ▁He ▁said ▁he ▁opened ▁a ▁window ▁and ▁then ▁heard