The Washington times., 1929-08-22
\. Y GIRL
IN FA5
FLIGHT

!. MIDLAND, Tex, Aug. %
Q.N.S.9.-Ruth Nichols, lead
ing the contestants in the
Santa Monica Cleveland Air
Derby, landed at Midland Air
port at 9:44 a.. m. today, after
flying the approximately 2T5
miles from El Paso in 2 hours
and 43 minutes.
All the fllers except four had
landed shortly after noon. Three Of
them, Mrs. Keith Miller, Mrs.
Blanche Noyes and Miss Edith
Foltz, were delayed because Of slight
damage to their machines at Pecos.
Florence Barnes was reported en-
route to Midland after several hours
delay at Ell Paso because Of motor
trouble.
grhe fliers were to be guests Of
local civic club at Luncheon before
hopping to Fort Worth, night con-,
troll point. Their departure was
scheduled for between 3 and 2:sO
o'clock,
PECOs. -. ,Asli 90 II. n A.
Three Of tAS cOnpetitors III the
saef Mon .cIeyeiand Air Derby
's6srs held nB herr tOday Tor rspairs
to their machines. damaged III land.
ing at the Peeps Field.
Mrs. Keith KILLER sina shed her
gasoline gauge, and must wait Tor
III I'd be repaired. Edith RDltz mas
a broken fitting on her landing
gear and Mrs. Blanche Moves also
is detained by q damaged landing
gear. @
Barnes Down
1t was learned that Florence
Barnes, unaccounted for here, mad
been forced TO turn back to FL Paso
early In the day because Of motor.
trouble.
Phoebe Omlie checked In here IN
second place at 1853 a. M, closely
followed by Gladys o'Donnell 281
seconds later. )
Miss O'Donnell overshot the field
on her landing and slightly
damaged the left lower wing OF her
plane.
Mrs. Blanche Noyes came down
here after a forced landing 10 miles
east of Pecos. when she believed her
plane to be on fire. She suffered
slight injuries in extinguishing
burning cigarette found in a spare
flying suit. Her landing gear was
slightly damaged. but she had no
difficulty In alightinS here.
Mrs. Keith Miller arrived In
fourth place here at .9:17. followed,
20 seconds later, by Amelia Earhart.
Leave EI PasO at s
Ell PASO, Tex, Aug. % U.N.s.l.
After nearly a full days delay on
account of electrical storms ahead
on their route, II women parrici.
pants in the Santa Monica. Cleveland
air derby scared from Ell PasO at s
o'clock this morning (mountain tilne)
on the fifth lap, long Texas stretch
with pauses at the control points of
Pecos. Midland and Abilene
Mrs. Louise McPhetridge Thaden,
OF Pittsburgh retained first place In
elapsed time for heavy planes.
Miss Phoebe Omlie. Memphis. Tenn,
led the light ship class.
Cavalyrmen from Fort Bliss
patroled the municipal airport
throughout the night while officials
of the derby asked that guards be
provided for the planes at al con.
troll points still to be visited. The
request was inspired by charges OF
sabotage voiced by several of the
contestants after Pilot Marvel Cros-
son Of San Diego plunged to her
death in her plane on the desert in
Miss Eafhart Leads Off
Miss Amelia Earhart. first woman
to fly the AtlanIc, who headed the
racers into Ell Paso, had the lead.off
position for today's start.
Completing the fourth Ian from
Douglas, Arizona, Is of the ayia.
trixes landed in ,El Paso within a
period of AZ minutes. The seven.
teenth. Thea Rasche, German flyer,
who was forced down at Holtville.
Califf.. arrived here nearly four
hours later.
SAN BERNARDINO. Calf. Aug.
% u.N.S.l.-Investigation Of charges
Of sabotage made by several parti.
cipants in the Santa Monica -Cleve.
land Women's Air Derby was
dropped today by Deputy District
Attorney C.. C. Thompson after, he
said, Interrogation of Is witnesses
had elected no corroboratory evi.
dence.