Evening star., 1927-05-15
AIR RACE TO PARIS
DELAYEDBY STORM
FOR At LEAST DAY
Byrd's Craft Completes
Tests and Is Ready tor Go
With Two Others.
LlIsDBERGH TO FOLLOW
ROUTE OF NUNGESSER
Will Abandon Flight to Aid Miss
i ing Men if He Sights Any
Trace of Them.
~ the Associated Press.

EhSsS~%0eS~
NEW YORK, May 14.-There was
no longer any obstacle tonight to the
first American flight from New York
to Paris being a three-cornered race,
but it was not likely that race would
start until Monday any way and more
probably Tuesday.
Unfavorable weather. which for
several days has prevented the mono
planes Spirit Of st. Louis and Colum.
bia from hopping off. has continued
30 long that today factory tests were
completed on the monoplane America
and she was turned over to the pilots.
So now, as soon as the weather man
decides conditions are good-and to-
night he saw no immediate likelihood
of clearing-all three planes will be
ready to rumble down the long run
way at Roosevelt Field, climb into the
air, and head eastward on the race
for Paris.
Search Is Continued.
As nnal preparations for the three
American flights went forward today,
the search continued for the two
missing French flyers, Nungesser
and Coli, centering along the bays of
Newfoundland wilderness where a
plane was heard passing last Mon
day. No trace of the flyers was
found, however, nor any indication at
All of what has happened to them.
The days preparations ON Long
Island were featured by the turning
over of the America to Comdr.
Richard E. Byrd and by minor
accident to the Spirit of st. Louis
when Charles Lindbergh, its pilot,
a group of photographers. The tail
skid was broken, but mechanics were
able to repair it quickly.
Both the Spirit OF st. Louis and
the America were In the air during
the day for test flights. Lindbergh
took a.. mechanic up with him,
crowded into the single seat. and
performed some daring stunts close
above the field. On one OF the
Americas flights Bert Aeosta was at
the controls, and this was taken as
further indication that he will be the
third man TO accompany Byrd and
George Neville.
Storm ii Brewing.
IL Acosta does 90 up with Byrd
and Ii the flight Is q race, two men
who recently achieved fame together
viii be pitted: against each other.
it was Accsta who was with Clar-
ence Chamberlin In the flight above
Long Island which shattered all
previous records for endurance flying.
It was first announced that he would
accompany Chamberlin In the CO.
iumbia, but later Lloyd Bertaud's
name was substituted.
When the flyers were shown the
o'clock weather report today they
all agreed that any attempt within
the next "a hours was out of the
question. The chart showed continue
ing fog from Coast to past Midat-
lantic and storm was brewing off
the Irish Coast.
When Charles A. Levine, president
Of the company backing the Cham
berlin Bertaud fight, was shown the
weather report he said it showed con-
ditions to be worse than at any time
during the past 10 days. He saw
little likelihood that the flight could
be begun before the middle OF the
week.
On one OF the test flights of the
were all aboard. 1t was the first time
Byrd had been in the plance since he
broke his wrist in it during test
flight a month ago. The plane made
q speed of 120 miles an hour and was
pronounced to be operating perfectly.
Radio tests conducted I'm the air with
land stations and ships indicated that
during the flight the Americas
signals can be picked up 500 miles
away during the daytime and twice
that far at night.
Lindbergh to Seek Nungesser.
A crowd of several thousand per.
sons thronged the field all day and be-
came so dense that police had to rope
on the runways and hangers to as.
sure the flyers room to work in. Prep
arations. were made to handle an
even greater crowd tomorrow.
Lindbergh announced today that II
ne should see any trace of the miss
ing French flyers while he is racing
to Paris he will go to their rescue
even though it should mean failure
Of his attempt for the Orteig prize
Lindbergh has practically decided
10 follow the Great Circle course
the same on which Nungesser and
Coll started from the other end. He
said that he would keep a close watch
for the Frenchmen and if he should
see them or their plane he would i'm
mediately come down close over the
steamship lanes and cruise around
until he came on a ship he could send
, TO the rescue.
AS a part OF this plan Lindbergh
today for the first time seriously con.
sidered installing a radio set on his
plane TO facilitate signaling TO ships
II he did see anything of the missing
men. AS the weather made 1t Ger.
tain that the fight could not be be.
gun before Monday, however, he did
not definitely make up his mind on
this uoint TODAY.