The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-12
SPATZ AND KEEL FLY
IN NECK AND NECK
Pelted by Rain in All but 20
Of 142 Miles From Bing-
hampton.
MAJOR rs FIRST TO LAND
Trip Proves Small Planes Are
Hardly Equal to Long
Flight Hardships.
MAJOR rs FIRST TO LAND

After almost two days Of flying at two
miles a minute through sheets of rain
which bit and scored their propellers and
almost ripped the canvas fabric from
their planes wings. Major Carl Spats
and Lieut. Emil G. Kiel landed their
ships within twenty seconds OF each
other at Roosevelt Field. Mineola, last
night at 6:s5.
The last lap Of the race, from Bing-
hamton. was made through clouds which
II was impossible to evade, either by
soaring high or by skirting the hills ana
woods over which the aviators passed.
The two fliers came through about half
an hour after Lieut.. G. c. Mcdonald, who
had flown a De Haviland from Mineola
TO Port Jervis on a scouting expedition,
returned with the report that the fog
and mist he had encountered there
made certain either forced landing or
return to Blngnamton.
The first to come into sight In the
northwest against a bank Of clouds in
the dinnming sky was Major Spaty in
De Haviland Bluebird No. 81. The
cream colored wings and blue body of
his machine appeared black, and only
the speed with which he came. on the
wings OF gale from the north with his
| powerful 400 horsepower motor pushing
him forward. distinguished him from the
slower training planes which had been
on the lookout for him.
| The Major circled to the south and
then the watchers at Roosevelt Field saw
him glide out of the sky and down into
the shadow shrouded earth over Hazel
hurst Field. adjoining the official finish
point He touched his wheels on Hazel
hurst Field at s:31, having flown from
Binghamton, 142 miles away. in an hour
and thirty-three minutes. He realized
his mistake almost Immediately, how
ever. and again took the air
Ktel's Plane Arrives to Land.
| AS Spatz did so another plane hum
| med in from the northwest, and the two
ships, with Spats leading. roared around
Roosevelt Field at a height OF several
hundred feet, as the test regulat tons
provide, and then dipped downward
heading toward the streak Of gasolene
flame which Col. Miller had ordered
lighted on the field to guide them. The
second machine, De Haviland No So
piloted by Lieut.. Kiel, first touched it.
wheels on Roosevelt Field. twenty sec
! onds after Major spatz's Bluebirt
landed easily
Soldiers restrained most of the crowt
who tried to run out TO greet the fiers
but a few got through. First among
these were Mr.. and Mrs. Charles B
Spatz, mother and father of the fler
and his sister Anne. The pilot climbe,
somewhat stiffiy out of the cockpit II
which he had spent his waking hour
!, for the last four days and crouched o.
he xxipU sad
and he bent downward, saying with
laugh:
Don't try to kiss me, mother, II
all greasy" -
But Mrs spatz did not care a bi
, and the Major, who is only 2S. wa
soundly kissed. Then followed greeting
and thumpings on the back by Co
Archie Miller. Capt. F. e. Kindley an
half a dozen other officers.
Both Spatz and his mechanic, Ser
geant Emmett Tanner, were grimy an
clad in greasy flying clothes. The
{ faces were wrinkled and beaten fed b
the wind and rain they had faced. The
had flown continuously in the rain sine
! leaving Binghamton until about twent
miles from New York, when the
! reached a cloudy but better atmosphere
Lieut.. Kiel and his passenger, Sci
, geant Frank Mckee, were equally wor
a | out in appearance OUT tley Dotn got ou
!, o. their ship and went over to shak
! hands with their brother fiier. Their
was no question as to who had wo
, the Eastbound race between the tw
, men. They were both glad to get Their
, and both equally ready to let the of
Gals OF the American Flying Club de
, eide the knotty problem OF the winner
, Cole Younger, vtae- chairman of tn
! contest committee, said that the arm
orders originally issued specified Hazel
, hurst Field as the landing place, but n
: official decision was announced las
night. Credit at the field was gener
, ally given to Major Spatz, although tn
congratulations showered upon both wer
, equally hearty. To the fliers who greete
, them Il was not a matter of who got hi
plane through first, but one OF facin
almost impossible flying conditions an
coming through successfully.
Just how hard a battle they Tough
was not described by the men, but tn
condition OF their machines plainly toll
the tale Their propellers were score'
and chewed by the raindrops the Ell
tering edges of their planes were soggy
the canvas fabric was almost ripped OF
by the combined efforts of wind and rain
7 and the varnish on the hard wood strut
, was swept off. But the men made ligh
of their hardships in fact. they did no
, mention them. During the officis
questioning before reporters later in tn
evening. Major Spatz was asked:
4 Where and how did you encounte
a hardships?"
The question fioored Major Spatz 70
We'll, at Bryan. Ohio, we could nc