Imperial Valley press., 1929-08-22
AMELIA
EARHART
IN LEAD
Girl Flyer Makes Fast
Time Between Ell PasO
And Midland.
MORE ACCIDENTS
Three Flyers Delayed At
Pec0s, Texas, By Trouble
With Planes.

MIDLAND, Tex, Aug. %. W.H-
After crowed morning of mishaps
the women 8 air derbyists continued
their -to-Cleveland race this af-
ternoon, led by Ruth Nichols, who
was first to take the air for Abilene
where a refueling stop will be made
before Fort Worth is reached for
an overnight stop.
Following Miss Nichols, the other
contestants left at five minute in
tervals except Miss Edith Foltz Of
Portland, Me-, Mrs. Gradys O'Don-
nell of Long Beach, Calf, and Miss
Florence Barnes of San Marino,
Calf, who were held at Pecos by
plane trouble.
MIDLAND, Texas, Aug. %. U.H
Miss Amelia Earhart, of New
York, today established what avia-
tors here said was a new record,
when she flew from Ell Paso in the
Women Air Derby in two hours
and 90 minutes. The distance is
250 miles.
AS result of her speedy flight,
Miss Earhart took the lead in the
race. Her elapsed time Santa Monica
tO-Midland was 9:48:17.
Mrs. Louise Thaden, leading last
night, dropped to fourth place when
it took her three hours, 16 minutes
and 48 seconds to fly to Midland to.
day.
Mrs. Gladys O'Donnell, Long
Beach, was in second place with
elapsed time of 9:5S:52, while Ruth
Nichols was third with 1O:00:36.
Phoebe Omlie, Memphis, Tenn,
maintained her lead in the light
class with elapsed time of 11:2S:ll,
Earlier Mrs. Florence Barnes of
San Marino, Calf, was forced to
return to Ell Paso, the overnight
control, because of a missing motor.
She left FL Paso at $3.50 with two
cylinders still working imperfectly.
blanche Noyes of Cleveland mar
rowly escaped death when her plane
caught fire in mid-air near Pecos.
With great presence of mind, Miss
Noyes put out the flames with an
extinguishcr. She came to eatrh
with such force that the landing
gear of her plane was damaged but
after repairs she flew on.
PECOS, Tex, Aug. %. U.H-
Ruth Nichols of New York led the
way into Pecos today in the Wom,
ems Derby of the national air races.
She arrived at 1888 a. M, complet-
ing the 2l5 mile flight from Ell
Paso in one hour, % minutes.
The, first mishap today of the ill
fated derby forced Florence Barnes,
San Marino, Calf, to return to FL
Paso, before reaching here, with a
missing motor. 1t was her second
motor failure since the derby start
ed. Yesterday she was forced to re-
turn to Douglas, Ariz., and made a
second start for Ell Paso, where she
arrived late yesterday, fourth in
elapsed time.
Ell PASO, Texas, Aug. %. <U.H-
The women IS derby. of the national
air races was resumed today, de-
epite cloudy and drizzly weather
which held the feminine flyers
here overnight, disrupted their
schedule, and presented them with
adverse flying conditions on today IS
laps to Pecos, Midland, Abilene and
Fort Worth.
First of the flyers to lift her
plane from municipal airport was
Ruth Nicholas of New York, who
hopped off at 6:10 a. m. The other
participants ip the derby followed
her into the air at five minute in
tervals.
The women flyers planned to re-
fuel at Pecos at 10:30, at Midland
at 2:3O, at Abilene at 4:30, and ar
rive at Fort Worth, tonight IS con-
troll point, at $3.50. That schedule,
the hardest single days flight since
the women left Santa Monica for
Cleveland, Ohio, last Sunday,
would make up the time lost by de-
lay here. The delay was forced by
sand and rain storms yesterday.