The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-07-06
Land After Exceeding Prev
ious Air Endurance
Mark Two Hours.
PLANE 'CONQUERS' MEN
Ship Could Have Kept On,
but They Were All In,
AviatOrS Say.
BY CLAIRE VI. BURCKY
United Press stan Correspondent

CLEVELAND, July GA new
worlds refueling endurance fight
record today crowned the efforts of
Byron K. Newcomb and Roy L.
Mitchell, co-pilots Of the endurance
ship City of Cleveland.
They established a sustained fly
ing time of 174 hours and SO sec
onds. eclipsing the former mark OF
172 hours and 80 minutes made by
Reg Robbins and Jim Kelly, Texas
cowboys.
The City Of Cleveland was brought
To earth at 12:39:5O a. m. today,
after having been aloft since 6:S8:5l
o. m. Friday. June %.
we busted the record so we
came down"
Greeted by 100000
AS thev made that statement the
ex-army fliers we're surrounded oy
a shouting, bowling. whistling MOB
Of 100, 900 persons. Police fought the
crowd back to enable the plane to
taxi to the Stewart Aircraft Cor
noration hangar. It moved along
slowly and souvenir hunters prac-
tically stripped it of fabric.
The heroes were raised up on
stalwart shoulders. Police cleared a
way to the hangar entrance.
Through It sped Mrs. Mitchell and
Mrs. Newcomb.
"Bilne!" Shouted Newcomb,
crushing his wife in his arms and
smethering her with kisses.
Too hoarse to utter a sound
Mitchell lust folded his wife to him
and kissed her.
Talk Over Radio
Struggling with the crowd the po-
lice escort literally dragged the
1iers into the hangar and over to
a small Office crowded with we'll
wishers. At a cry to give them air,
a window was opened, but a score
OF people closed into the opening
10 get . look at the record break
ers. A closed window at the other
end of the Office was smashed In by
the anxious crowd.
A radio microphone was set In
front Of Newcomb. He was asked to
saw something to his invisible au-
dience.
Glad to be back. folks, after
breaking the record Newcomb said.
"Our motor worked perfectly to the
end. It wore us out, and not we the
r-nEor Good night"
In front of Mitchell the mike"
was placed.
Hello folks" came Mitchells
hoarse voice.
Plane Conquered Men
The fight of Newcomb and
Mitchell demonstrated one thing
different than previous endurance
ventures In previous flights man
outrode the machine. In this the
CITY of Cleveland conquered man.
Both pilots declared they were
completely exhausted. They said
the machine was in perfect shape
but they we're too tired to go on.
The storm of Thursday night
sapped their last bit Of strength,
NeWcomb declared.
~It was hell" he said. The rain
beat down and lightning flashed
II was the worst flying weather 1
ever was in. God only knows where
we we're flying that night. Riding
through that storm knocked the
last bit of strength We had. We were
soaking wet and cold next morning
and few all day Friday on the last
reserve we had
RefeuEed "a Times
The City of Cleveland is the same
Stinson- -Detroiter monoplane in
which Eddie Stinson and George w.
Haldeman established nom
refueling endurance flight record of
53 hours IS minutes.
II was refueled twenty-four times
in its record flight by crew COM
posed Of Ernie Basham. Jim Hayden
and Dale Dryer. During the flight
1908 gallons of gasoline and eighty
seven gallons OF oil were consumed.
Death took its toll in the ranks
OF the endurance flight spectators.
Stephen Kusko. is. was electro
cuted while watching the fiiers. 1t
was reported that the boy was
standing on top of a box car on the
railroad tracks east of the airport
and In some manner came in con-
tact with a high voltage wire.
Scores Of others were bruised and
scratched in the jam when the aiers
landed