The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-16
Lieuts. French Kirby and
Stanley c. Miller Are
Latest Victims.
PLANE DROPS 200 FEET
Nearing Salt Lake When
Engine Goes Dead and
y Side Slip Follows.
MAYNARD IN NEBRASKA
Flying ParsOn Makes ZAP
Miles and Is Due Here
Tomorrow.

Two aviators in the transcontinental
race, Second Lieut.. French Kirby,
pilot. and Second Lieut.. Stanley C. Mil
Ter. observer. met death yesterday
when their De Hayiland plane side
slipped 20o feet to the ground at Cas-
tie Rock, Utah. In all nine fliers have
met death since the order to assemble
in New York and San Francisco was
issued.
The De Haviland was headed for
Salt Lake City at the time of the acci-
dent. According to the manager Of the
Rigby ranch at Castle Rock the De
Haviland was seen flying high. The
noise of the engine suddenly ceased
and the plane glided downward. When
about 200 feet in the air Lieut.. Kirby
banked it sharply, presumably to pre-
pare for a landing. In making the
bank the plane slipped sideways to the
ground. When ranch hands reached
the spot Lieut.. Kirby was dead Lieut.
Miller dsed before doctors from Castle
Rock. y Evanston, just over the bor-
der in Wyoming. could reach the
ranch. There was no wind at the
time. according TO witnesses.
Just few hours before the accident
Lieut. Belvin w. Maynard, the flying
parson, had winged his way almost over
the spot in his dash toward the Allan
tic coast, a dash in which he hopes TO
lower his own flying time of "a hours
SO minutes and SO seconds made In the
westward trip. Lieut. Maynard took on
at Battle Mountain, New, at 1888 o'clock
A NJ, and before night had come had
arrived in Sidney Neb., at AS. Dur
ing the day he made four intermediary
stops al controls of at least thirty min
utes each. crossed the Rocky Mountains
and cut down the distance separating
him from Mineola by 742 miles. Fly
ing at that rate he should reach MS
home station some time tomorrow al
ternoen.
Made Terrific speed.
Lieut. Maynard made the flight De-
tween Rawlins. wyo., and Cheyenne. lou
miles in ffty-six minutes This terrihe
speed was possible because OF a wind on
the tail of his machine. which hurrieo
It through the bitter air at considerably
more than two miles a minute During
the trip he ran into several snowstorms
Travelling at that speed the flakes cu'
into the faces of tine pilot and Mechanic
Kline like tiny bits of ice, but they man
aged to break through without losiht
theip/ way. There was big reception
awaiting Lieut.. Maynard at Fort Rus
sell last night, but he declined TO STOP
telling the officers he was in race ahS
must make Sidney, ninety-three mile'
further on. He covered the nlnety-thre'
miles to Sidney in thirty,th'ee minutes
aided by the same wind which max
blown him over the Rockies
Meantime the other contestants II
the great race were pressing on ant
before night had come two other plane
beside that ploted by the unfortunat
Lieut.. Kirby were out of the race. Lieut.
j. G. Williams, plotting DH-4, wa
compelled by the fog which has ruine'
% many "ships in the present con
test to make a landing near Pacin
Junction, la The plane was 80 badl!
damaged that 1t could not be repaired
in forty y-eight hours and Lieut.. William
Is therefore out of the race. Neithe
he nor his observer, Lieut. ]. II. Hit
was injured, according to telephon
message received by Lieut.. ii. r. Wells
control officer at Ak-Sar-Ben Field
Omaha.
In his eastward flight Lieut.. Maynar
passed a number of slower and less for
tunate planes plOdding determinsdly to
ward the Golden Gate, which to som
OF them now seems almost as elusiv
as the rainbows end Despite all III
nnlshaps and deaths In every case 8
far 1t is the plane that breaks, no
the nerve of the pilot handling It.
snow Holds I'D Fliers.
A number of westbound fiers who ar
rived at Sidney Tuesday night were hel
up at Sidney until late In the mornin
by heavy fall OF snow. 1t was nc
until the sun came out and melted
that permission was given by the contrS
commander to resume flying.
Yesterday afternoon Lieut. Maynard
solitary eastward progress was change
back again to race when Lieut. Ale,
Ander Pearaon, Jr.. who arrived in Sa
Francisco on Monday, the third In I'll
westward race, took. of on the retur
trip During the day two more fier
Lieut. Col. j. y. Reynolds and Lieu
H. W, Sheridan. arrived In San Fraf
cisco in the order named, but sing
minute separating them. They are n
Continued on. Eighth Page.