Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-11-26
TERRIFIC CLIP

tSontfnueo from rage Onel
age speed was 1854 miles an hour,
new worlds record. However, a care
full re-scaling OF the official map to-
night showed that the laps were
slightly more than % miles in length
instead of IS, the average speed on
the corrected length being cut down
ten miles an hour. 1t is expected that
a survey of the course will be made
in order that exact computations may
be established.
| The present worlds aviation speed
record is held by Sadi Lecointe. win
| ner of the recent Gordon Bennett tro-
ply race in France. who averaged 1877
miles an hour in special contest at
Villa Coubiay, near Paris, ten days
ago.
Captain Fl. B. Hartney, flying an
American Army Thomas-vorse ma
| chime, came in second. covering the
course in AZ minutes and 3-100 seconds.
Albert Acosta, a civilian who won
| third place, flew with his italian made
! Ansaldo SVA. machine. HI time was
81 minutes and 62-I00 seconds. This
was the only one OF the II foreign
made machines entered TO finis /,
among the first ten.
| Seven. machines met with accidents
| during the day and were unab 70
| finish, although in no. case was the
pilots seriously injured Just before
the race started an army plane pilot
ed by Lieutenant o. e. Kelley, which
had just alighted after a practice
| spin. coilided with a navy plane pilot
ed by Lieutenant J. w. Wolfer, who
was just about to take off. Three of
| keiley's teeth We're knocked out and
VOTERS hand was cut.
A Loenig-SpeciaI machine, plotted
by Lieutenant P. c. Bradley of the
United States Marine Corps made Al
forced landing within 500 yards of
the finish line on the last lap. i
water connection had broken and the
plane dropped to the ground but the
pilot was uninjured.
Major Davenport Johnson. e. S. A.
in a De Haviland: Lieut. w D. Gull
oC1 AootA, IL -. III. -, III d 4 III
plane; Lieut.. F. 4. Johnson. e. s. A..
in an S. E.-5 and Lieut.. F. O. Rodgers
Z. s. NJ. c.. in De Havi1and also
made forced landings along the course
because of engine trouble or other
minor difficulties
I Lieut.. Leigh Wade, Z. 8. A., Capt
| H. B. Minis. {. s. N. c., Ensign w.
J. DAILY. c. s. N. and Lieut. omman-
der w. D. Havilland also failed to
| finish. Lieutenant L. A. Smith des-
cended after covering three laps. hav-
| ing mistaken the length of the course
and Willis P. Taylor, a civilian was
disqualified for cutting corners" at
one OF the turns.
| The course was from Mineola to
! Wantagh. thence to Babylon and
back to Mineola.
| Official timekeepers declared that
Albert Acosta. civilian flyer, while
naneuvering for position, crossed the
( starting line AMI then circled crossed
| again and started ON the course. His
| second starting time was the one used
| in the official estimates. although if
this is later disallowed and the first
| time used he probably will be placed
! fourth instead OF third.
| Goth General Pershing and Sec
| tary of the Navy Daniels were pres
emit apd witnessed fist fight between
a soldier and n sailor. The soldier
was getting much the better OF the
| performance when the combatants
were separated. General Pershing
| laughed with giee as he watched the
! performance, but Secretary Daniels
scowled a bit and said nothing.
The general in commenting upon
] the race said:
| This marks the beginning OF
American supremacy in the air
| This has been the greatest air race
ever staged, both as to the number OF
contestants and the speed attained
/ We took the weather as we found it.
The so-cailed ceiling above which
| the ground was barely visible, was