Evening star., 1919-10-05
|ARMY'S AIR RACERS
| TOCR0SS country
Four Score win Participate
in Event Scheduled to
Begin Wednesday.
TWO FOREIGN ATTACHES
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
M1NEOIAA. N. z, October 4-Four
score airplanes will participate in
the transcontinental air race to be
started Wednesday under the direc-
tion OF the American Army air serv-
ice. it was announced here today.
An incomplete list Of entries shows
that seventy-two machines already
have been entered. ffty-seven of
which will start from Mineola and
fifteen from San Francisco. The
race. which IL limited to military
aviators. is held chiefly to test the
reliability of various types Of planes
and to stimulate interest and re-
cruiting in the air service.
The contestants from this end will
start promptly at o'clock Wednes-
day morning. Maj. M. F. Davis, in
Martin bombing machine. will be
the first aviator to get away, and
the others will follow at two-minute
intervals. The race will be a one
way affair, but some machines are
In addition to the terminal stations
there will be twenty intermediate
stops. Binghampton, N. Y, will be the
first stop of the west-bound flyers.
Eight Types Entered.
There are eight types Of machines
entered in the contest, all of which
are capable of attaining a speed ex-
ceeding 100 miles an hour. In addi-
tion to the American aviators there
are two foreign contestants. Air Com
modore L o. o. Charlton, air attache
Of the British embassy, and Capt.
de Ia Vergne, air attache Of the
French embassy. Several of the ma
chimes to be used, including two cap
tured German Fokker planes, have
been flown at the battle front.
The American Flying Club, which is
cooperating with the government in
the handling Of the race, tonight issued
an appeal to mayors Of all cities and
caretakers ST golf clubs and parks along
the route to mark all fields where an
emergency landing might be made with
white triangle and to notify the near
est control stations at once of any
forced landings or accidents This was
being done, it was explained, as meas
ure Of safety.
Arrangements have been made with
the various weather bureaus to supply
daily reports to all control commanders.
Under the rules Of the contest, each
aviator will be required to stop at least
thirty minutes at each control station.
Contestants remaining over forty-eight
hours at any station will be disqualified
uniess held up by weather conditions.
All flying VIII be done between sunrise
and sunset and Sunday flying will not
be permitted. Army officials predict
that Is per cent Of the starters viii
complete the course.
i Route to Be Taken.
Tho route will be approximately 200
miles in an airline. Stops will be made
at the following cities: BinghamtOn
Rochester. Buffalo. Cleveland, Bryan.
Chicago, Rock Island, Des Moines,
Omaha. St Paul, North Platte, Sidney,
Cheyenne, Wolcott, Green River, Salt
Lake City, Salduro, Battle Mountain,
Reno, Sacramento and San Francisco.
The longest leg will be from Buffalo to
Cleveland. distance of $50 miles, and
the shortest from Rochester to Buffalo,
IS miles.
The entrants include Lieut.. Col n.
E.. Hartney. who commanded the first
/ American Pursuit Group: Capt. Fred
man machines while flying with the
British Royal air force. later trans
ferring to the American air force:
Lieut.. William B. Maynard, winner of
the recent New York-Toronto race,
and Maj. Carl Spatz, who commanded
the 1ield at Issoudun. the largest in
| France.
After the transcontinental contest
ants have gotten away from the local
Otto Kahn and other prominent
women VIII be given short flights in
| . captured German plane, shot down
by Capt. Eddie" Rickenbacker at
Montfaucon October 2. 1913. They
will also take part in the dedication
of a hangar on Roosevelt Field in
memory OF Quentin Roosevelt.