Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-10-21
FLYING PARS(In
WINS AIR RACE
Lieut.. Maynard Flies From New
York to San Francisco in.
25 Hours.
SPATz AND KEEL IN new YORK
"Siy Pilot" Says He Attributes His
Success to the Liberty Motor
Didn't Change Spark Plug At
ter Leaving Chicago.

San Francisco. Oct. 14.-First Lieut..
BPivin w. Maynard, plotting De Hav-
Hand airplane, leader of the west
bound flyers in the transcOntinental
air derby, flew in TO the Hall of Fame
when he sped across San Francisco
hay and alighted at the Preside at
] % tlT from Mineola. n. Z.
II was unofficially estimated that
MayRard's actual flying time for the
2.T01 miles was "a hours 5S minutes
"5ls seconds.
Lieutenant Maynard, his observer.
Mister Signal Electrician w. E. Klein.
and Trixie. the German police dog who
accompanied them, were all consider
ably weatherbeaten and glad to get
down to earth again, but in the best
of spirits.
Maynard said weather conditions
we're perfect west of Salduro and that
the Climb over the Sierra Nevada
mountains was easy.
The flyers were greeted by Lieut..
General Hunter ,Liggett, commanding
general of the Western department OF
The army; Maj. Gen. C. j. Menohor,
director of the air service; Col. Fl. FL.
Arnold. commanding officer of the
Western department air service; rep
resentatives of Mayor ROlph, and oth-
eFs.
Describing his remarkable race. May
nard said:
Il attribute the success of our flight
10 the Liberty motor. 1t certainly has
proved itself We were not forced 70
change any spark plugs after we left
Chicago. We ran almost wide open
most of the way.
although we had plenty of time at
night for sleep, Klein and | didn't
sleep much. owing to the roar of the
motor all day. We are still unable to
hear well.
"We reached 1900 feet crossing
Lake Tahoe, which was the highest al
titude we made. It was intensely cold.
Most of the time we flew at 100 feet,
where we averaged almost 100 miles.
The only piece of bad luck we had on
III trip was breaking the radiator at
Cheyenne. which delayed us for half
a day.
Crossing the Slerras was not so
bad. although I had visions of being
stranded when we ran into the low,
smoky fog covering the San Francisco
district.
I'VE went south of our course in
crossing the bay. but after reaching
the peninsula we picked up the city
Immediately"
The flyers were taken to the Palace
hotel. where a luncheon in their ION
Or was given by the Pacific Aero club.
Among those present were Lieutenant
General Liggett. Major General Memo
her, Colonel Arnold and other army
dignitaries.
MinenIa, n. Y. Oct 13.-Darting
down in thrilling finish cut of a sky
that by minutes was changing from
gray 20 black, Major Carl Spatz and
Lieut. Emil c. Kiel. cross continental
flyers from San Francisco, came to
rest on Mitchell field with only sec
ends separating their arrival.
1t was 6 80 10 o'clock when Lieuten-
ant Kiel touched earth, and 6 80 80
when the De Haviland driven by the
major rested scarcely 100 ieet away.
There was amicable dispute at the
army flying fields nj MineOIa about the
actual winner of second place in the
race. and by agreement of the princi-
n. Is and of the officers who acted SO
judges Major Spatz should have the
honor. although he was not first to
alight mt Roosevelt field
Not familiar with the Long Island
fields, the major mistOok Hazelhurst
field for his landing spot aud dropped
there at 6i31 p. m.
Five tranScontinental aviatOrS have
met their deaths in the great air race.
Mai. Ii. n. Crissy and his observer
Sergt Virgil Thomas, We're instantly
killed when their plane was wrecked
Wednesday at Salt Lake City. Utah.
Sergt w. II. hewitt, observer for
Col. G. Brandt. died of injuries at De
pOSit. n. Y.
Lieut.. +. V. Wales. flying west
crashed into mountain near Chey-
enne. WyO.. in a binding suowStorm
Thursday and died later.
Worth n. Mcclure. passenger in Mai.
A l.. Sneeds machine, died after the
plane was wrecked yesterday at Cur
tiss field. Buffalo. n. Y