New Britain herald., 1928-09-12

VVlv UIVu OA1lUI
TO COAST BEGINS
CONTINUED from First Page)
at . safe distance from the ground.
The plane. with its mandarin red
body and green wings, disappeared
like q buxxing dragon fly into he
west. blazing the trail to Mines
Field at Los Angeles
Show No Haste
The remaining poltts showed no
haste in following NeAtillin. having
the right under the rules to take Oft
any time before four o'clock this
afternoon, eastern standard time.
Shortly after noon Charles A.
Ievine's transatlantic Bellanca
Columbia and the Lockheed Vega
owned by William Thaw II of Pitts
burgh arrived from Curtiss Field.
Officials shook their heads over
the Thaw ship. declaring the posi-
ton for the owner to be excessive
ly dangerous Thaw. who weighs
200 pounds and u the biggest man
In the race, sits behind the pilot In
= narrow compartment from which
1t would be almost impossible to
jump free in case Of accident.
Asked whether Thaw had been
informed Of tho danger of his po-
sition officials replied no one
knows It better than he does"
Was War Filler
Thaw was the commandant OF the
Lafayette Escadrille during the war
but officials said they believed he
had done little flying since.
All OF the entries were on the
field except George Trademarks Bel
lanca.
Nick Manner. pilot. and c. A.
Paulsen. both Of Spokane, took of
this afternoon In their Buell. Set.
quiplane. The plane is painted
orange and carried the number Is.
Narrow Escape
Manner had a narrow escape from
accident when he first tried to take
of. As the big plane carrying $50
gallons Of gasoline roa red down IT,,
runway he could not lift ii and cut
the switch IN time to stop near tn.
declivity where Rene Foncks plan.
crashed and burned on an attempted
fro n so 4 ntjc kAnaff t,r, ,.n, -, 49,
The plane was sheeled back to the
starting point and on the second at
tempt Manner made a good hop-otf.
Manner was to have been accom-
panied by T.. 4. Paulsen of Spokane
but after the false start he had TO
be left behind to tighten the ship.
Fog Disappears
Roosevelt Field, n. Y. Sept. IL
P-As warm sun melted the fog
in which Long Island was enNelop-
ed this morning the first entries in
the nonstop transcontinental air
derby began warming up their en-
gines for the great marathon to Los
Angeles.
The first ship TO roar out to chal-
lenge was the red and green S,inson
monopiane In which Clifford Nc
Millin OF Syracuse, N. Y, and c. A.
Herric! Of Hempst. ad will seek Il
part of the $22.5o0 prize money
Beside the Stinson was the little
Buell. air sedan piloted by Nick Ma.
mer and c. A. Paulsen, both oil
Spokane.
In Hangers
The seven other entries were still
in their hangers at Curtiss Field
late this forenoon. but were expect.
ed to line up as soon as the fog wal
entirely gone.
Participation Of Charles A. lie.
vines Columbia was still TN doubt
but it seemed likely that 1t would
be flown by Pilot Jack lseman, com
mandant OF the Rockaway Nava
Air station. and Louis Myers, a Sky
writer, with Levine himself as a pos
sible passenger.
George Haldeman, Ruth Elders
ocean pilot, seemed to have the big
sest appetite among the f1iers. Ht
slowed away in his ship two quarts
of black coffee, two fried chickens
four cheese sandwiches. ~ bread
and butter sandwiches. two quarts
of milk. six pickles, four oranges
and two tins Of cookies. Most of the
other fliers contented themselves
with emergency rations,
McMillin contented himself with
lemonade and two oranges; Art
Goebel, the favorite, took IL straw
berry jam sandwiches. and Emit
Burgin depended solely on two
quarts of black coffee.
The planes in the nonstop ali
derby can take any route they
please. but officials made public the
following probable course. listing
states over which the racers were
likely to pass, New York, New Jer'
sey. Pennsylvania, Ohio. Indiana
Illinois. Mississippi, Kansas. Okla
homa. Texas, New Mexico, Arizona
Nevada and California.
Later the fog had completely
cleared and a cross wind was swing
ing around into favorable position
There we're stih but two entries or
the field.
by telephone from New York 1'e'
vine confirmed the report that My.
crs would be co-pilot of the ColuSi'
- ~ua nnprnprinO that he would