The sun., 1919-10-11


Madison, o., his gasoiene having been
exha listed.
Real skill was shown by the various
pilots in the race who have had bad
fortune so far in taking Off and landing
on the muddy fields which at the start
OF the race were considered perfect land
ing places. The fact that no fatalities
occurred yesterday in this section of
the country indicatev that the air service
men knew their business. At times
during the day control officers were COM
PEELED to hold all contestants at their
stations to prevent the young fiers from
taking reckless chances to cut down
the distance separating them from their
moro fortunate companions who were
enjoying better weather In the prairies
west of the Mississippi
Those who did succeed In getting
away from the control stations In bad
weather found on arriving safely and
careening desperately over the muddy
| fields that they had gained little In the.
race. for the raindrops through which
| they had flown had shivered the ends OF
| their propellers, necessitating a delay
to obtain and attack new ones.
/ The tiny raindrops which fall so in
| nocrSusly on the earth are dangerous as
hit by propellers revolving at terrific
speed Not even the hardest wood can
Withstand them.
Muddy Field in Bryan, Ohio.
Word reached Lieut. w. H. Rice at
Cleveland to hold all westbound fiiers
because Of the condition OF the field at
Bryan. Almost all the ships" which
had remained at Cleveland over night
were already on their way to that field.
however. and none OF these crashed in
landing
Ashburn Field, Chicago. became so
much like a muddy lake as the result Of
heavy rains Thursday night that after
Capt Hoag. control officer, had inspected
It he hastily wired to Bryan to hold all
planes. The weather was cloudy and
threatening, and rain seemed a matter
Of minutes Before the morning was over
| the race officials had changed the con-
| troll. selecting a new and dryer field at
Grant Park, and sending word Of the
change east and west.
Capt. Roy N. Francis, pilot Of the
Martin bomber, brought his big two
motored entry safely to rest on the
Glenn Martin field at Cleveland, where
| 1t was first tried out. Besides the pilot
the big machine is carrying Capt. De
Washington: w. H. Saunders. Capt. L.
N. Keesling and Sergeant M. N. Rosa
|. Capt. De Lavergne started out in the
race as passenger in the De Haviland
machine flown by Lieut.. D. B. Gish. He
switched to the Martin bomber when this
machine caught fire high in the air. Only
the skill of Lieut.. Gish saved the two
men from being burned or crushed to
death.
Lieut. Gish hurried back to Mineola
on Thursday and got another De Havi-
land, hoping to overtake the bomber
and reclaim his passenger. He left
Binghamton at s :55 yesterday morning
but was forced to land near Ithaca
when an Oil lead on the Liberty motor
broke. He fixed up the broken pipe as
best he could and reached Rochester al
l Al, where he started permanent repair
work.
Two Planes Leave Mineola.
At Mineola the weather was clear and
two machines took off in the race. One
} was piloted by Second Lieut.. Ross C
Kirkpatrick. with Sergeant Robert E
Marshall, as passenger and mechanic
Lieut.. Kirkpatrick lost his compass and
! maps at Vernon, N. Y, on Wednesday
and received permission to make fresh
start from Mineola. He flew back from
upstate on Thursday and took off once
: more yesterday morning at IL :56.
; Lieut.. G. c. Mcdonald and Lieut.. B
Haynes are becoming dubious abou
their ability to overtake Lieut.. Maynard
} and some of their other rivals before thu
) Golden Gate Is reached. At the start o.
, the race Lieut.. McDonald,s machine
cracked up when he made a force'
landing at Shenandoah, Pa. on his wa,
to Binghamton. Lieut.. Haynes had al
{ accident in a Newport machine an'
/ crashed on the Mineola field, escaping
} almost unhurt. Yesterday they teamed
( up and started gaily off in anothe
3 De Haviland.
They came to grief yesterday at Elm
= hurst. seven miles from Scranton. Pa.
when compelled to make landing be
0 cause of engine trouble. Their propelle
Q was smashed In landing.
9 Col. Archie Miller, commandment OF tn
4 Long Island flying fields, spent the da,
r in bed as the result Of an accident oil
q Thursday night. He was severely Joltet
= when his automobile struck rut 1!
= the road and injured his spine. Col
: | Miller followed the news of the rae
by bulletins, as he as we'll as the res
of the Air Service is following closel!
! the news of the dash of Lieut.. Magyar,
, | and the other fiiers across the CONT
: nent.