The Washington times., 1920-05-16
more THRILLS
IN SKY TODAY
Most Daring Stunts Ever At
tempted Here At Air Circus
This Afternoon.

The most daring stunts ever at
tempted In this city are scheduled
for this afternoons program OF the
army air tournament At Boiling Field.
An all day circus with no intermiss-
ion. IL being held.
y A number OF free-for-sll races for
various types OF airpianes will be
held. The stunt contests will be re-
peated- An attack on a balloon VIII
be made. Two expert fiiers viii
stage q burlesque air battle that
promise comedy and real thrills.
This win be followed by an immita-
tion OF two aviation cadets on their
first "solo" flights.
Probably the fastest race ever held
in thip> country will take place today
One OF the contestants will be Major
Rudolph w. Schroeder. whose five
mile fall after breaking the worlds
altitude record Is one of the most
marvellous aviation feats. He Will fly
an MD-3. rated as the tasted Ameri-
can made airplsne. Lieut.. +. Rounds.
of the Navy. will fly the wonderful
Looming moonplane, with rated
speed of nearly $50 miles an hour. but
which has actually made an unofficial
speed of 210 miles. This will be The
first time this machine has been in
action in this city. Lieut.. C. c. Brown
will fly a French Spad, the fastest OF
the war machines at Boiling F'eld.
This race will start at 2:3O o'clock.
spectators Hear Commands.
A formation night of nve airplanes.
directed by radio telephone, is one of
the features which has caused intense
interest. The commands of the leader
Of the formation are transmitted by
radio to a ground station and given
by Magnavox to spectators.
!, The only accident which has marred
the tournament occurred yesterday
afternoon after the crowd had left,
when Sergt. T. NJ. Hewitt, u. S. NJ. c.,
had his arm broken by whirling
propeller. He was treated at the field
station and taken to Walter Reed
Hospital, but expects to be back on
the field today as a spectator.
Yesterday afternoon, before a
tbrong of spectators estimated at
10000, the army fiiers staged all the
thrillers on the program of air
events and a number that were not
included.
Because of the intense rivalry ex-
listing among the racers and the
crews OF mechanics who had charge
of the planes entered. separate races
for the SE5 and the DH4 types of
planes were staged. In addition to the
finals of the races scheduled. A race
for enlisted men in DH4s was held
EnIisted Men Race.
In the SE5 race there were four
entries The course was from Boil
ing Field to the Navy Yard, to the
steel plant, and back to the field. a
distance OF sixteen miles. Entrants
were Lieut. Col. H. N. Hickam and
Lieuts. G. NJ. Boggs. Leo Post, and
Colonel Hickam was the
winner. with. Lieutenant Boggs sec
ond.
In the DH4 race for enlisted men
Sergts. II. 8. Myers and O'Neill were
representing the Ninety-ninth
and Tenth aero squadrons. Sergeant
Myers succeeded in nosing across the
line ahead OF Sergeant O'Nein.
In the stunt contest Lieut.. Patrick
Logan was winner. He few entry
No. s, a Nieuport 2S, christened the
sRed Devil" 1t was. Colonel
Hickam was second.
The four winners in the heats OF
Fridays free-for-all race, yesterday
competed for the championship. The
flight was over the 25-mile course
around the steel plant. the Capitol
q nd the Washington Monument. The
four entrants were Lieutenants Lo-
gan, c. H. Dolan. r. S. Haynes. and
l.. Patterson. who crossed the win
ming line in tho order named.
Fight Air Battle.
An air battle was fought between
Col. H. e. Hartney and Lieutenant
Carroll
As q finale to the excitement, an
attack on a fixed observation balloon
was made by Lieutenant Haynes. fly
ing a Nieuport. The balloon was at
a height OF 5000 feet, tethered to a
truck on the road near the naval air
station. Lieutenant Haynes swept up
on the balloon from below, pouring a
stream of very imaginary bullets into
the helpless gas bag.
Taken by surprise by the ferocity
and unexpectedness of the attack by
one whom they had thought friend.
the observers. Lieut.. II. B. Meyer and
Private William Punches. frantically
to the ground crew to
pull in the balloon. Then finding that
he bullets were bouncing unpleasant
~ close about their heads they stepped
Off into thin air and. dangling at the
end Of the parachute harnesses,
dropped swiftly to earth. Both men
were carried across the width of the
feld in their drop and landed within
y very few yards of the great crowd
OF spectators.