New-York tribune., 1919-10-11
Lieutenant Maynard Flies
From Salt Lake City
10 Salduro, Utah, in
Transcontinental Derby
Gains 1872 Miles;
5l3 From Pacific
Fifth Death in RaceOccurs
at Buffalo; 3 Eastbound
Racers at Bryan, Ohio

In dramatic flight after SundOWn
last night Lieutenant Belvin w. May
nard, "Sky Pilot" aviator, resumed the
lead in the transcontinental air derby.
lie is now 1872 miles ahead of all his
competitors.
The fight was from Salt Lake City
to Saduro, Utah.
The seventh death due to the race
occurred at Buffalo at 9 o'clock yes
terday afternoon, when Observer Worth
D. Mcclure, in the lie Pere fighter
piloted by Ma jor A. l.. Sneed, was fu-
tally hurt in landing. This was the
fifth casualty of the race, two deaths
occurring the day before the start.
The sudden decision of Lieutenant
Maynard to continue his flight came
Immediately after word had been re-
ceived from Washington and the con-
test committee of the American Flying
Club that commanders Of local control
stations could use their discretion in
interpreting the rules Of the race that
prevented flying at night.
He now has but SIS miles to cover to
win first honors across the continent,
having already covered 2,183 miles at
the end of the third day.
Makes Hop in Five Hours
Over the Wasatch Mountains, follow
ing the trail taken by Brigham Young
and his pioneer band seventy two years
ago, Maynard, the "fying parson,"
flew into Salt Lake City to-day at d
speed approximating 100 miles an
hour. He made the trip from the Wyo-
ming capital to Bucna Vista Field, Salt
Lake City, in just five hours. Arriv-
ing at 5321s, he left after the COM
pulsory half hour rest for Salduro, the
next westward control point. 100 miles
away. He was reported arriving at
Salduro at SOB o'clock, Pacific time
Close upon his heels was Captain
II. c. Drayton, No. 47, who left
Cheyenne at 2:35 o'clock this after
noon, arriving at Rawlins at 4:13:10.
Word was sent from Salt Lake City to
Rawlns to instruct Drayton to remain
there or at Green River for the night.
He remained at Rawlins.
"l encountered the toughest going of
the entire trip between Rawlins and
Salt Lake." Lieutenant Maynard said
to-day. 81 had to battle with severe
north wind and my speed was slowed
considerably for that reason"
San Francisco for Luncheon
Lieutenant Maynard said just before
resuming his flight to Salduro that he
expected to arrive in San Francisco
in time for luncheon tomorrow.
The third day of air racing was one
OF adverse weather, possibly the worst
since the start Wednesday morning.
Rain flooded landing fields at Chicago
and Bryan, Ohio, and made landing
and take offs difficult at other Middle
States points. Clearing weather pre-
vailed IN the mountain regions with
the subsistence Of the snowstorms of
yesterday but cold followed with dis
comiture for the fiers. In the Far
West the weather was clear. Strong
winds were blowing in some sections,
especially in the mountain territory
and against the wc5tbound niers.
Three Westerners in Ohio
Lieutenant 'Maynard's nearest COM
petitors are three eastDound fcrs,
Captain Lowell II. Smith and Lieuten-
ant f: c. Kel, in DH-4s, and Maj or
Carl Spatz, in DH Bluebird, who
miles from their destination, Roosevelt
Field, Long Island.
Not only had the three castbound
fiiers overtaken and passed the lead
gained by Lieutenant Maynard, but
another westbound fier had caught up
to him in the race across the country.
This was Captain II. C. Drayton, VINO
is also flying a De Haviland A.
Realizing that his only chance to win
the race across the continent lay in
reaching another control stop before
nightfall, Maynard took off from Salt
Lake City after he had announced his
intention Of staying there for the night
He changed his mind when he received
the report from Bryan that the
three eastbound competitors had passed
him in the lead, and dispatch from
Washington that field commanders
could use their own discretion regard
ing flying after sundown. His sue
ccssful effort carried him 2,183 miles
from his starting point. He has covered
this distance in approx xmately twenty
hours flying time, exclusive of com
pulsory stops at control stations. His
average speed had been just under two
miles minute
Hardest Test Before Him
There now is before him the worst
flying terrain in the country. For 400
miles he must fly over territory that
has an average elevation Of 5000 feet.
Against this Captain Smith, Lieu
tenant Kiel and Major Spatz, tho east
bound contestants. who arc racing neck
and neck, have $50 miles to cover. They
will have an advantage Of wind and
weather that practically evens up the
1872 mile lead Lieutenant Maynard now
holds
According to the experts of the
American Flying Club, only a matter
Of seconds will separate the five lead
Continued on page sncteen