The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-09
Major Crissey and Sergts.
Thomas and Nevitt Meet
Death in Crashes.
FIVE PLANES WRECKED
Several Machines Lose Way
After Start From Min
eola-Land Safely.
SIXTY-TWO MAKE START
First HOnOrs Go to Flying
Pastor, Who Makes Won
derful Speed.

SiXty-tw0 alrplaneS, pllOteu Dy the
best Aiers Of the United States alr
service, took the air early yesterday
morning ON the 2,7O0 mile flight
across the continent. Forty-sevpn OF
these fiers took Off from Mineoln,
bound for San Francisco, and fifteen
set out from San Francisco, headed
for New York.
Before sundown three contestants
were dead, several others were in.
jured, five airplanes had crashed
when their pilots attempted to land ,
them and several others had wan-
dered far off their courses in the maze
of confusing railroads and rivers be-
tween this city and Binghamton and
In other sections of New York State.
Notwithstanding this. however, the
ma jority of the pilots in the rnce
We're carrying on ms firm In their
purpose of reaching their destination
as ever.
The honors on the first day go to /:
Lieut.. Belvin w. Maynard. flying
De Haviland biplane with a powerful
400 horsepower Liberty motor. Lieut..
Maynard. known among aviators the
| world over as the flying parson,"
| flew from Mineola, L. l., to Chicago,
ILL.,. a distance OF $40 miles. making
five stops Of thirty minutes each at
the control stations along the way
In nine hours and twenty mine min
ute, flying at a rate of about two
miles minute.
| The flying parson," who started
Lenth from Mineola. was the only one
! OF the Mifieoia starters to reach Chi
cago. Three other pilots reached
Bryan. Ohio, the next control station
to Chicago. These are Second Lieut.. l..
s. Webster, Major Henry ]. Miller and
Capt. II. Drayton, all of whom also
rew in De haviland machines.
Crash at Salt Lake City.
OF the fifteen San Francisco start
ers eleven reached Salt Lake City.
Here the worst crash of the day oc-
CURED. In attempting to make a
landing at Buena Vista Field near
! the city. Major D. II. Crissey and
his mecha9ic, Sergt. Virgil Thomas,
were killed. Crissey died instantly,
but his observer lived u few minutes.
The aviators were Just completing the
first lap of the International airplane
derby and were the ninth of the east
bound entrants to reach this city, the
nrst overnight stopping DIace
As the De HaHlsnd machine ap-
preached the field Maj Crissey was seen .
| to signal a greeting TO his brother avi-
ators who had preceded him. He started ,
to circle the field preparatory to land
Ing With the engine shut of the ma
chine had started to turn into the
| straightaway before descending when Il
suddenly turned and dived, nose down,
100 feet into the pond OF mud and water.
Major Crissey, who was commander OF
hather aviation field. Sacramento. Cal.
| resided In Washington, d. c. Sergeant
| Thomas's home was at Los Angeles.
The lone Fokker plane in the cas-.
bound flight, piloted by Cadet Donald
II. Cardiff. was stalled tonight at Sal
d,iro. Utah. Two other planes had not
been heard from after leaving Reno,
New. at 10 this morning. The fifteenth
plane. which left San Francisco at :O%
/ o'clock this afternoon. stopped for tho
hlAHt AT
I The third fatality occurred at De- T.,
posit, N. Y. when Major Gerald Brandt,
flying DH-4 Bluebrd. attempted to
come down because OF poor oil pressure
and crashed. His mechanic, Sergeant
w, II. hewitt, was instantly killed,
| crushed between the motor and big oil
tank OF the machine. To DIR. NJ. F.
Dyer Of Binghamton, one of the ply
sicians who attended him, Col. Brandt
t.l.g hzL. y
of the new Liberty motor he was driv-
] ing 60 down to zero. Realizing that his
motor would go dead shortly he clrcled
Deposit and iina,iy saw field In which
/ he thought he might land. His ma
chino landed heavily and plunged into
depression in the ground which
crushed the front OF the machine
Brandt. in the rear seat, escaped with
| a nervous shock which left him dazed
for hours
OF the two representatives Of the
Aries. Air Commodore l.. e. 0. Charl-
ton. British air attache at Washington,
and Capt. De Lavergne French mli-
tary attache at Washington, both came
10 grief and narrowly escaped death or
serious injury during the day.
Britisher Has Hard Lu"J-
Commodore Charlton. flying a Bristol i.
| fighter. British machine equipped with
a Rolls-Royce engine. reached Bingham
, ton. the first control stop. 142 miles from
| Mineola, In safety but numb with cold
after having passed over territory which
he described as exceedingly unattrac-
tive and confusing" Part OF this was
the foothills OF the Catskill Mountains
| and a veritable death trap. devoid OF
landing pieces for the fiiers. He set out
| for Rochester but at Interlaken was
compelled to make landing because OF
! trouble. His machine was demolished,
hut both Commodore Charlton and h's