New-York tribune., 1919-10-12
Average Speed Made by
Maynard From Mineola
to San Francisco Is
.lO8 Miles an Hour
Lieut.. Kiel Wins
Eastbound Race
Five and One-Half Hours
Behind Parson; Beats
Spatz by 20 Seconds

Lieutenant Belvin W. Maynard, the
famous "sky pilot aviator, broke all
transcontinental records yesterday and
won the first half of the greatest aerial
race in history.
unpaced, the flying parson tore
through space at an average of 108
miles an hour. Through fog, rain, hail
and snow he flew, covering the 2,7O1
miles that separate Mineola from San
Francisco in "a hours So minutes 55h
seconds, actual flying time.
From the moment his powerful Lib
erty motor pulled the wheels of his
De- Haviland biplane from the Mine
ola turf at 9:34:56 Wednesday morning
until they touched the San Francisco
ianding ground at 1:12:07 p. m. yes
terday, there was an elapsed time of
days hours 81 minutes and 40
seconds.
To this must be added the three
hours difference in time between the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts. This
makes the total elapsed time of Lieu
tenant Maynard's remarkable flight rs
hours 22 minutes 40 seconds.
broken
This brilliant performance skaters
al transcontinental records both for
time and speed. Even the total elapsed
time Of Lieutenant Maynard, which in
Guides all compulsory stops at the
swenly control stations, eclipses all
previous transcontinental records,
In the meantime, lieutenant E. G..
Aiel and Major Carl Spatz, the lead
ing east5ound fliers, were making
desperate wing to wing race from Buff
laio 70 Mlneola. They landed at Roose-
,velt Field with only twenty seconds
between them.
geographical error robbed Major
SSpatz OF second place in the great race.
ne mlstook Hazelhurst Field-which
sdjolns Roosevelt Field-for the ter
minus minus and landed there. Quickly re-
s,hzlng ms error, he took off again and
landed at Roosevelt Field at 6:35:3O
?. m. The wheels of Lieutenant Kiel's
Dh-4 touched Roosevelt Field at 6:35:10
y. me elapsed time of Lieutenant
Aiel was 81 hours minutes and 81
seconds.
inc two San Francisco fiiers were
pSeaten IN their desperate effort by 5
nours u minutes and seconds. This
1narAs the measure of time by which
lieutenant Maynard defeated them for
nIst ms. honors across the continent.
mniie Ma nard had the advantage of
tnree hours difference in time, this
advantage was nuliifed at the start of
the race when the San Francisco fliers
started three hours earlier than their
Westbound rivals.
Return Race on October 20
1T was officially announced by the
Sn'ed states Army Air Service yester-
aey that the return flight across the
ssounthent su would start on October 20
nl. competing airplanes completing the
oue"ard flight will remain at the ter
Mlhi until that date, when they will
race PACK across the continent to their
oi5glnai starting stations.
me news Of Maynard's great victory
Vas received at Roosevelt Field yestcr-
oay afternoon just as a telephone COM
Iuhicatlon announced the departure Of
lieutenant Kicl and Major Spatz from
fight ~ s ~ '''''
mrs Maynard, with her two daugh-
iitsfS' Evelyn, five years old, and Rosa
us, iour years old, was on the field
lan@lously waiting for news of her hus-
Ibahd. Az she watched the large num-
ss' Of airplanes man9uvring In the
~'t she appeared extremely nervous
lnen came for her the glorious news,
lief ""'S OK" -
am very glad" she said. "It is
q great relief to have it over. The
nc. mat five Of the fiers have died
a. a. sne attempt to cross the country
- sifplanes has naturally had a de-
faes"'ng effect, especially when my own
I1soahd VAS trying the same fight.
am an indeed cad that he was sue
Good Luck and Judgment
lieutenant Nanyard's victory came az
.ns result Of continued perfect flying,
sp'o auck and judgment. On Friday eve
.'H4' a, the most critical moment Of the
..@ee' ~hen he mad already been over
saSsh and passed by no less than three
>. tne "estDound leaders, he suddenly
xsatzed that there wag an hours dif-
..tsnce IN time between Salt Lake City
'an Saiduro, the next stop.
"ith this difference he figured that
az could land At Salduro before sun
,I.Hn and remain within the strict
imI.Ier VI the rules governing the race.
's had already announced his intcn-
.soh ~ stopping at Salt Lake City for
ny hight, but Immediately changed his
..i mho and few 70 SaldurE thus re-
Sa,nlnY the lead.
'sst+rday good fortune favored him
y,ts, faz eastbound competitors While
my mere flying through heavy rain,
Continued nm 1nge ten