Evening star., 1919-08-26
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LEADS IN BIG RACE
Col. Barker, a Canadian Ace,
Carried Premier's Letter
to President.
RETURNING TO TORONTO
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
MINEOLA. n. Y, August 2S-Col
William c. Barker, the Canadian ace.
arrived here from Albany at .9:20
o'clock this morning, completing the
first half of the air race from Toronto
to New York and return. His ma
chine, captured German Fokker
model, carried a bag of Canadian
mail. which was Immediately trans
ferred to another airplane and start
ed for Washington.
Five airplanes which were unable
to start from the local field yester-
day got away just before Col. Barker
arrived. Philip Melville. plotting a
Caproni plane. took of at $50 O'Clock
and was followed by Lieut.. Roulette.
Lieut.. F. Honsignor, Capt. c. II. Rey-
nolds and Lieut.. Ross Kirkpatrick
all plotting De Haviland four ma
chimes.
Flies Without Compass.
Col. Barker made the trip from Al
bany in one hour and twenty minutes.
Because of his inability to use his
left hand, which was disabled in an
aerial engagement overseas, Col
Barker was unable to use a compass
and was forced to commit to memory
the route Of the flight. In addition
to a bag of mail, he carried a letter
from Premier Borden of Canada to
President Wilson.
Sergt. C. B. Combs, the first fiier to
reach here from Toronto last night.
started on the return trip at 9:3I
o'clock Bert Acosta arrived here
from Albany at 9:11 am. and started
on the return trip at 10 O'Clock.
Several airplanes were reported TO
have landed at various points in
-
trouble and other difficulties. Three
machines were seriously damaged
in making landings at Albany and
were definitely put out of the race
for international aerial honors.
Sergt. c. b. Coombs. an American
N. Schroeder. who successfully nego
tiated the flight from Toronto to
Roosevelt Field. prepared early today
for the return flight Sergt- Coombs
was the first to arrive. land
eleven minutes from the time he
started. He was followed at inter
walls of seven and four minutes. re-
spectively, by Rohlfs and Maj. Schroe-
der Their machines were given
Field Brightly Illuminated.
Roosevelt Field was brilliantly IL
Illuminated throughout the night, with
searchlights playing through the sky
in the expectation that some of the
Toronto starters might arrive. Every
precaution was taken to insure
safe landing and provisions made for
reception of any night f1yer:
Aviation experts and officers in
charge of the race said that while ny
ing conditions were poor because OF
the weather this situation afforded.
an unusual opportunity for testing
the merits of the various machines
and the pilots. Reliability in air
travel. they said, was being put to a
severe test. and under the conditions
was proving greater consideration
than speed.
TORONTO August 26.-Lieut N. J..
Plumb, who left Roosevelt, Field. Min
cola, at 3:12 pm. yesterday. arrived
here at 11:27 am. He was the first
of the aviators starting from New
York in the international air race to
finish the first leg.
Reports Along Route.
ALBANY, N. T.. August 2S.-Thir-
teen machines had resumed. the inter-
national aerial derby between New
York and Toronto from the landing
field here before am. today .ls.-s-
BY 1880 one aviator had arrived
from Syracuse and five from Mineola-
Two of the aviators who left To-
ronto yesterday arrived here, home
ward bound today. Maj. Schroeder
reached Albany at HOP and Sergt.
Coombs landed at 11:09.
BUFFALO. N. Y, August 2s.-Pilot
Plumb, flying a DH-4, led the west
bound aviators in the New York-To-
ronto flight, arriving at Curtiss Field
this morning at 1917 o'clock. He left
Syracuse at S:41 am.
Capt. Simonin arrived at 1923 am.
from Syracuse on his way to Toronto.
Plumb left for Toronto at 10:4S and
was followed two minutes later by
Capt. Simonin. -