New Britain herald., 1927-09-22
Two Giant Monoplanes Soar High Over Vast Rocky Mountain Lands
 As Searchers Seek Four Missing
Intrepid Pilots Wing Way From New York to Spokane in Nonstop Flights Ending Air Derby-Fears
 Expressed for Eight Pliers Thought Lost

derby races which were due here yesterday were listed among the missing today and searching air craft were sent out in the hope of finding some trace of two of them.
 A. M. Banks of Philadelphia in a Pitcairn Fleetwing plane, was last reported out of Chicago at lf:27 a. m. yesterday; k. F. Dake Of Pittsburgh in a Waco left Glen dive, Mont, at 3:57 p. m. yester- day. at last reports. Both were en- tered in the Class B race from New York to Spokane.
 In the coast derby Verne Book walter, Vancouver. Wash, and Art Borne. Los Angeles. Were unheard from since they left Medford. Ore.
 James Rinehart, Portland. Ore. who for a time was reported miss ing, was located at Roseburg. Ore, where he repaired his plane after making forced landing. He took off today in search of Bookwalter and Borne.
 W. H. McMechan, Yakima Wash. in an Eagle Rock plane, arrived at Fargo, \. D., late yesterday and five other contestants in the Class B New York race were at Missoula. Mont, waiting 10 continue on to Spokane today.
 They were Gerald Smith Tacoma; E. R. Johnson, Missoula; J, B. Si- dowski, Coffeyville, Kas.: A. Litzen- berger, Erie, Pa, and A. W. Steph- enson, Dillon. Mont.
 All other entrants who have not arrived here were assumed at air derby headquarters to have dropped out of the race.
 The Pacific Air Transport an nounced that five planes were searching for Borne and Bookwal- ter.
 Reports Come In
 Garden City, x. Y.. Sept. % tp)-- Tclegrams received here today by the Rogers Air Line, forwarded from points where they were dropped by Duke Schiller and Eddie" Born, his mechanic, in their nonstop cross country flight indi- cated that all is well with the fliers.
 One message forwarded from Stratsford, Ont. read: still going. AIS o. K. Just Eating. Weather clear now but had some rain. Signed. Duke and Eddie" A second sent from Bay City, Mich. read: still going. All o. k. Weather good. 10:30."
 The messages were dropped from the plane in envelopes Of which both fllers had good supply. Long silk streamers mark their descent from the plane and on the face of the envelope is a request that the finder relay the message.
 New York, Sept. % LPl-Four men in two huge monoplanes today ap- parently were speeding westward over new nonstop transcontinental air trail. with flying fame, a share in Sl5,oo0 prize money and Spokane, Wash, as their goal.
 lnelF course lay over a 2,3OU mile "bee linx" to the western city from Roosevelt Field, N. Y, from which they took off yesterday in the last land most eXacting of the Spokane air derby races.
 If the alrmen were on schedule they spanned the eastern states yes terday and last evening, passed over the middle west during the night, and headed for the vast Rocky mountain territory today.
 Their trail was over land almost throughout, across hills and valleys in the east, plains in the middle west and mountains nearer the Pacific coast. It was 400 miles longer than the ocean jump of Lindhergh, Cham berlin and Byrd, and 100 miles short CT than the course of the Dole trans pacific fliers.
 Rival pilots in the nonstop derby event were Edward Stinson, consid cred one of the countrys greatest stunt fliers, and C. A. Duke" Schil- Ter, who recently abandoned a pro- jected transatlantic flight when a storm of public opinion arose against such hops as a result of the loss of life. They were flying almost iden- tical planes, both designed and built by Stinson. Both carried 400 gallons of gasoline.