Evening star., 1919-10-12

sHoa. AhSSuno tne spectators learned
for the first time Of the wrong land
ing made at Hazelhurst Lieut. Kiel
ana his passenger. Sergt Frank Nc
kee. mad made up six Of the eight
minutes start the rival planV had in
leaving b1nghamton. and it was the
Two minutes nn and twenty seconds
from Hazelhurst that allowed them
to touch their wheels first at Roose-
welt.
Question Of Winner Raised.
Aviafors raised tho question OF
whether Maj. spatz should not be
credited with having been first to end
the west to east race. It was said
that this question would not be set
tied omctally for several days.
MAI. Spatx found awaiting him at
Roosevelt Field his mother, father.
nrother and sister. who had come
from their home in Pennsylvania to
greet him.
His brother Frederic. who also serv-
60 IN France with the American air
Iorces, Is now connected with his
"a iatner IN publication Of a newspaper
The airmen were escorted to the
neaoquarters tent of Col. Miller. and
there. by the light of two Oil lamps
ana a dozen candles. they told the
| newspapermen.
Spatz Discusses Flight.
Asked by Col. Miller IL he could
make the regular trip in the same
plane. Maj. Spatz said he could. but
| that he would not want to try 1t. He
| said that while the engine was In per-
feet condition. he feared the plane It
Asserting that all the dying fields
| were good except that at .Rawlins.
Wyo., which he said was too small
| and with a mountain 3utting up at
| one end, Maj. Spatz declared that II
! single -motored planes were to be used
| commercially for transcontinental
| work. landing fields should be built at
200-mile intervals. but that II two or
three motored machines were employ
ed these safety" fields would not be
| needed.
He declared, however, that what
| really was needed was transconti-
to be built by the government for use
in war as well as in peace. He ex-
planned that. with white line across
the country for their guidance avia-
tors would not become lost and could
! mako forced landings in safety.
Snowstofm in Rockies.
Maj. Spatz said that in general
weather conditions had been good for
| the trip, but that, running into a
snowstorn in the Rockies, they had
| to ny only nifty feet above q railroad
track in order not to lose their way.
Except for a sixty-mile gale at Chey-
| enne and the rainstorm encountered
between Binghamton and New York
the weather was almost perfect.
Maj. Spatz praised his liberty motor
| as the ''best ever made" and said that
his only accident had been the break
ing OF shock absorber during a
landing.
Mrs. spatz Hurries From Chicago.
Maj. Spatz's wife is hurrying east
ward from Chicago to Join him. She
| started from tho coast in what she
believed would be sufiicient time to
reach here and greet him on landing.
but he caught up with her in Chicago.
Mrs. Maynard. wife Of Lieut.. Belvin
w. Maynard. first flyer to complete
the east-to-west flight, was on Roose-
volt Field with her two daughters
when word was received her Husband
had reached the Pacific coast
Tho next eastbound flyer will not
arrive until Monday, as Sunday flying
Is prohibited. Capt. Lowell H. Smith
who led Maj. Spatz and Lieut.. Kiel
most of the trip, but who met with
six hours delay because of q broken
propeller, was last reported at the
Rochester control station.