The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-06-27
SMITH HOPES
TO GET AWAY
BY SUND0WN
Army FLYERS Ready to Go,
But Must Await Arrival of
General Patrick
GRACE'S PLANS SECRET
Former Bismarck Youth
Makes Successful Test
Flight Sunday

San Francisco. June 27.-(AP)
Major General Mason Patrick,
chief Of she army air corps. ar-
rived here today to give the final
word to Lieutenants Lester j.
Maitland and Albert Hegenberg-
or on their nonstop flight to
Honolulu. Rumors that General
Patrick might makes the flight
were heard in army circles and
when asked If he would go. the
general replied: 81 would pre-
fer not to answer that question
at this time"
Oakland, Calf. June 27.-
(AP)-Neither the army Fokker
nor it's civilian opponent will
take off on the Honolulu flight
before tomorrow. Lieutenant
Lester J. Maitland and Edmund
J. MOffett of the rival camps an
nOunced today.
San Francisco, Jne 27.-(PhTest-
ed. groomed and ready for flight,
two airplanes in the three
race to bridge the Pacific by air
between here and Hawaii today
awaited the zero hour while the
third remained to be tried out be-
fore the take-off.
The giant three-engined Fokker,
in which Lieutenants Lester J.. Matt
land and Albert Hegenberger will
make the attempt in behalf Of the
army. was being held up until the
arrival of Major General Mason NJ.
Patrick, chief of the army air serv-
ice, who, the examiner declares, will
be passenger. General Patrick
was due here sometime today.
Grace Keeps Plans Secret
In Honolulu the navy threw a
cloak of secrecy about the prepara-
tions of Richard Grace, former naval
reserve officer, and one time resi-
dent of Bismarck, N. D., whose
transpacific plane was locked in a
l.guarded hangar at Pearl Harbor after
having made an apparently success
fful test flight yesterday. The time
of the contemplated hop-off was no
made known.
Ernest Smith. local civilian flyer
had his plane ready for test flights
today after working faverishly with
a large force of mechanics. B,
setting strenuous pace, ne expected
to complete all preliminaries and be
ready for the take-off before sun
down.
In spite of the fact that Maitland
and Hegenberger announced they do
not contemplate a take-off before
tomorrow, the impression that they
would make an earlier start than
that caused Smiths forces to work
at top speed.
Smith May Get First Start
Although the chances of Grace and
his navigator, Lieutenant Eston 3.
Roger. for 4 take-off from the
here, Smith was conceded to have
get into the air because whether or
army flyers they mu.S await his
said.
The weather bureau promised
headwinds for take-of either here
there would be fresh east breeze
and a stiff northwest breeze from
clear weather at this end.
ON lLH supPOi
even if the army plane beat him to
the hop-off. Smith and his Los
Angeles navigator. Charles H. Carter
could give them a six-hour start and
beat them to Hawaii They an
nounced. however, that if Grace
started from Honolulu before Smith
was able to take off, the flight from
Oakland would be delayed pending
the result of the eastward flight.
Grace May Start Tomorrow
The possibility that Grace would bs
able to take off from Hawaii tomor
row became apparent today when i
was learned here that propeller
which he is awaiting is aboard tn,
liner Maui, due in Honolulu tomor
row. 1t previously was reporte'
Grace would be delayed until tn
arrival of a propeller aboard tn
liner City of Los Angeles, which i
not due in the islands until Friday.
Grace yesterday made test flight
with propeller obtained in th
islands. With that equipment, tn
plane was reported to have success:
| fully passed the tests.
III IL AKSA