The sun., 1919-10-19
FLYING PARSON
SPEEDS AT TWO
MILES A MINUTE
Time in Air, San Francisco
to Mineola, "a Hours 45
Minutes 8 Seconds.
TELLS OF HIS MISHAPS
Dog Helped 10 Keep Aviators
Warm-Wife and Children
Greet Hero.

Belvin w. Maynard until two years
ago considered a likely young man
with the makings of a good minister
in him by his instructors and fellow
students at the Baptist Seminary at
Wake Forest, n. c., dived down upon
Roosevelt Field, Mineola, yesterday
afternoon in a couple OF steep banks
and landed as gently as feather after
killing the surplus speed of his ma
chine with a side slip which made all
but the initiated gasp.
Lieut.. Maynard touched the earth
at 1:50:05 p. NJ, as the stop watches
Of the American Flying Club officials
agreed, and in landing finished, hun
dreds of miles in advance of his near
est rival, the 5.402 mile reliability
race. the greatest air contest ever
held, with the American continent as
the race course.
Despite a three day stop at San
Francisco, compulsory under the rules,
he had twice traversed the continent
in ten days and a few hours, travel
ling most of the time at a speed of
almost two miles a minute. 1t was
an achievement possible only with the
airplane and with a skilled man at the
stick in the cockpit of that airplane.
Young Maynard landed at the field
amid roar from the crowd that ac-
claimed him the cleverest and one of
the most daring of the clever and dar-
ing young men who make up the Air
Service, n man who was o.e of the few
masters of the newly conquered air. Yet
in the midst of all the cheering and
tumult he quietly announced that he in
tended as soon as he got out of the
army to go back to Lake Forest, n. c.
For Maynard still hopes that he has in
him the makings of a minister.
Time Lost by Nishaps.
Although he lost a half day on the
westward flight and almost full day
eastward bound by mishaps which are
unfortunately still likely to bob up in
aviation, his achievement gained rather
proved that he was no favorite son OF
the goddess of chance. In each case he
and his mechanic, Sergeant w. L. Kline,
repaired the damage before single con-
testant could creep up to them or even
seriously threaten their lead.
Cole Younger. vlce-chairman of the
contest committee of the American Fly
ing Club, which has general supervision
of the records. timing and judging Of
the race, announced unofficially last
night that Lieut.. Maynard had flown
from Pacific to Atlantic in approximate
ly "a hours As minutes and s seconds
or a few minutes less than his record to
the Golden Gate. To this In the official
tabulation must be added the eighteen
hours he spent on the ground between
the controls at ST. Paul and Omaha,
Neb., while changing motors after the
mlshap to his crankshaft.
II Is virtually certain. therefore, that
in flying time Maynards record will be
surpassed by other contestants who will
arrive at Mineola some time this week
The flying parsons attitude when he
faced the hundreds, including many
skilled pilots and men we'll known in
the world of the air, was best sum-
married. by his first remark when ne
jumped easily from his cockpit on to
the field crowded with people despite
the efforts of the soldier guard.
Sergeant Kline deserves the greatest
credit" he said.
Kline interrupted the tribute with
great and astounding lack of discipline.
It's all up to the Lieutenant" he
declared. Hes the greatest pilot on
| earth"
Then through the throng a slender
little woman IN 9 black tailored suit
followed by air service pilots carrying
two little girls, succeeded In making
her way Maynard embraced her with
swoop which won outspoken applause
from those critical students Of embraces,
the movie men and the stlll photo
graphers.
Swiftly the pilot lifted his two happy
| baby girls from the officers carrying
them and managed somehow to kiss his
wife again. His warm greeting for his
wife and two baby girls, Rosamund, 4,
and Evelyn. s, continued until all the
! directions hurled at him by the movie
men had been fulhlled.
Whether or not Lieut.. Maynard knew
he was obeying orders is problematical,
however. for It certainly was not acting,
and his ears were still ringing and al
most useless from the roar OF the engine
and the whine of the propeller.
Praise From other Airsnen.
| While most OF the crowd were gaz-
| ing at the happy parson and his wife
and revelling in the kindly feelings
aroused by the sight OF so much hap
piness after so much danger and hard
work, the pilots of the crowd were gath
cred near the front of the machine ex-
hausting their store of adjectives upon
the neat job done by the Lieutenant
Maynard and Sergeant Kline lifted
out OF Its frame under a tree in a Ne
braska corn field the useless and
weighty 400 horsepower Liberty motor
(oontined on Eighteenth Pags.)