The sun., 1919-08-26
COOmbs, First to Land Here,
Makes 521 Miles in
211 Minutes.
FLIERS FIGHT GALES
Several Planes Wrecked and
Canada Bound AviatOrs
Halt at Syracuse.
DOMINION AEROS SWIFT
Wilson Letter Bearer Has Dis
aster-Made Mineola-Al-
bany in 40 Minutes.
DOMINION AEROS SWIFT

To Master signal ELECTRICIAN c. b.
Coombs go the honors of the first leg
Of the greatest of aerial sporting
events-the American Flying Clubs
race between New York and Toronto
and return. Coombs dropped on to
Roosevelt Field at 7:11 last night, first
man to cover the course OF all the
sixty-seven entries at either end.
Furthermore his actual flying time was
the best-211 minutes for the 521
miles.
Eleven minutes behind him came
Major r. Schroeder for third place on
time, with 23O minutes flying for the
course. Roland Rohlfs. the Curtiss
pilot, whose American altitude record
brought him fame a few weeks ago,
was the third arrival and the second
man for the time record. He landed at
7iS after 226 minutes in the air.
Rohlfs's showing was all the more re-
markabe in that the Curtiss Or!ole
which he flew had done a complete
somersault on the Leaside Field at
Toronto before he got away.
Rohlfs second man, flies for the
Curtiss company, but the two other
men, the. first and the third so far, are
Of the United States Army Air Ser
vice. Sergeant Coombs few a De
Haviland "9" from McCook Field.
driven by a 400 horsepower Liberty
motor.
Major Schroeder drove Vought
NE-7 powered by Hispano-SuiZa
motor OF $50 horsepower. Rohlfs' Oriole
has Curtiss KS motor of $50 horse
power, so that when the handicap comes
to be applied Coombs may have TO give
away his place at the head of the pro-
eesson to one of the planes OF lesser
power.
ROhlfs Greeted by wife.
Rohlfss wife was at Roosevelt Field all
oly yesterday waiting for her husband
When she spotted his number on the sec
ond machine to arrive she rushed on to
the field and was the first to embrace
lin when he climbed down.
bany that three more OF the starters
from Canada had arrived at the Quentin
Roossret Memorial Field. They were
Col Barker, the Canadian ace, and
Acosta and Palma, Americans. Col
Barker telephoned to the Flying Club
that he would start at this morning,
making New York soon after and hop
ing to get an early return start 20 be In
Toronto tonight The others will start
soon after him.
On the small Albany field more ma
chimes were handled yesterday than are
handled on the big fields at Mineola.
This was the reason for the three crashes
there. In addition to the machines all
Albany quit work and came out to see
the show-that is all Albany except the
police. One of the machines, that of
Nap(' kinley, was wrecked as the direct
result Of his effort to avoid the crowd.
The first leg. at any rate, by no means
settles the race. Twenty-Five fast and
able planes are held by weather at
Albany and thirteen are in Syracuse
several Of them have shown speeds as
good or better than those OF the men
who finished the course yesterday. Hen-
tic hail storms through central New York
cut the contest in two before dark yes
terday after President Wilson's letter to
he Prince Of Wales on Capt. Foote's
plane had been blown onto a mountain
lop near Binghamton, and after Capt
harry Smith. the only Toronto bouno
aviator to get beyond Syracuse, had been
forced down by hail in the railroad
yards at Belle Isle, few miles out from
Ills last stopping place.
All Toronto Entries Leave.
All Of the entries that will start got
away from Toronto yesterday. Th-
Prince OF Wales sent away twelve out OF
eighteen at the field. At Mineola about
t|o-lhlrds Of the entries got away and
u is stated there that the rest will
make the start to-day.
Hard weather struck the race on its
nrst day Rain and thunder showers
Played over New York and Roosevelt
REID at Mineola all morning, holding the
starters at this end on the ground. Over
lake Erie there ragged a 1875 mile gale.
Olt II was steady breeze ashore, and
we've of the seventeen Toronto entries
got away They fought through 1t TO
buta.o, and eleven OF them landed safely
'' 'lrt'ss Field there. Campbell, in his
'u'''ss JN-i, turned back to Toronto.
l." Prince of Wales sent the 'fiiers
away al Toronto. He arrived on the
aeld shortly after noon with his suite.
ne vas cheered as heartily as were the
greatest Of the Canadian aces. Bishop.
Barker McCrudden and Quigley.
At Aineola Major-Gen. Charles II
Menoher Chief OF the Army air service.
dropped a white handkerchief as 1t was