New-York tribune., 1919-10-23
Pearson Wins
Fourth HOnOrs
In Air Derby
Beats Lieut.. Manzelman TO
MineOla From Cleveland
By IL Minutes; Makes
Best Time for the Race
One Prize for Maynard
''Flying Parson's'' Official
Time for Flight Is 81
Hours and 3 Minutes

In a nose-to-nose race from Cleve-
land to Mineola yesterday Lieutenants
Alexander Pearson, jr., and Earl, M.
Manzelman flew at an average speed
of 140 miles an hour for fourth honors
in the 5,4Q0-mile transcontinental air
race.
By the narrow margin of seventeen
minutes Lieutenant Pearson was the
fourth contestant to complete the en-
tenant Manzelman fifth. The wheels
of Lieutenant Pearson's machine
touched the ground at Roosevelt Field,
l.. L., at 1856 p. m.
The unofficial flying time of Lieu
tenant Pearson for the 5,4OO miles,
computed by officials of the American
Flying Club, is 40 hours, % minutes
and seconds-or an average speed of
1876 miles an hour throughout. This
is the best record yet.
On his arrival yesterday Lieutenant
Pearson told of his race with Lieuten-
ant Manzelman.
"Manzelman took off from Cleveland
one minute ahead of me-" he said.
Owe were in sight of each other all
the way to Buffalo. He was flying low
SO | attempted to outwit him by climb
ing above the clouds and getting out
Of his sight.
Couldn't Shake Rival
cat 5000 feet found very favorable
winds, and we were flying at. trc-
mendous speed. Manzelman's machine
was slightly faster than mine, but
was getting a little more advantage
of the wind. l could not get away
from him, though, and he was able
to see me all the way.
eve both had our throttles wide
the aid of the wind I was able to land
at Buffalo three minutes ahead of him.
This proved to be tremendous ad-
vantage, owing to the bad arrange
ments at that field for replenishing
fuel.
"He was compelled to wait until the
mechanics got through with my ma
chine, and this enabled me to take off
fifteen minutes ahead of him. 1t was
too much of handicap to overcome,
and that proved to be the amount of
time that separated us at Mineola.
"At Bryan, Ohio, my air pump broke
down, and from that city to Mineola l
was compelled to work the pump with
my left hand while | controlled the
ship with the other. For me it has
been a steady flight throughout without
any thrills. The only thing that was
broken through our fault was shock
absorber in landing at Chicago"
Praises Liberty Motor
Lieutenant Pearson praised the Lib
erty motor he was compelled to change
at North Platte. He said it had already
flown sixty-fve hours before the con-
Meeting rod bearing was burnt out. He
has flown over a greater distance than
M in, thO
order to enter the race he had to fly
from Scott Field, near St. Louis, to
Mineola, distance of approximately
1,40O miles. This makes a total dis
tance of $500 miles actually flown un-
der race conditions.
On the 125-mile lap between Roches-
ter and Binghamton yesterday both
Lieutenant Pearson and Lieutenant
Manzelman flew at an average speed of
$50 miles an hour.
The official flying time of Lieutenant
parson, and Captain j. 0. Donaldson
(first and second to complete the 5,400
mile course) was announced yesterday
by the American Flying Club contest
committee. The times are as follows:
Maynard G7 hours, minutes go
hours down between controls)
Donaldson, 81 hours 33 minutes
There are three first prizes in the
race and Maynard wins one of them.
1t is for being the first to complete the
course irrespective of any conditions.
The other prizes will remain in doubt
until the end Of the race.
Laurence L. briggs, president Of the
American Flying. Club, yesterday re-
ceived the following telegram from
Lieutenant Colonel II. E. Hartney, the
famous American ace, who is flying
German Fokker in the race:
After much tinkering left San Fran
cisco this morning, arriving here at
Salt Lake City after 338 minutes flying
Many believe | cannot get this Fokkcr
junk heap across, but with any kind of
weather | should reach Mineola Friday.
Salt. Lake maintains enthusiastic well
come and interest, but the salt landing
held at Salduro continues to cause
pilots to make ground loops. strapped
knife to my tail skid to-day to land
there. HARTNEY."
Lieutenant Pearson yesterday brought
the first detailed account of the death
of Major Crissey at Salt Lake City the
first day of the race. He said Ser
geant Virgil Thomas was riding the
tail Of Major Crissey's DH-4, in order
to enable the major to make a landing.
AT the last minute, however, the major
realized that he could not get into the
field from the position where he found
himself, so he opened the throttle again
and took of.
In endeavoring to make a turn, the
weight of Thomas at the tail upset the
balance of the machine and it went
INTO spin 200 feet above the ground.
The machine crashed from that height
and both men lost their lives.