The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-08-20
MARVEL CROSSON IS
VICTIM OF ACCIDENT
ON ARIZONA DESERT
Plane Was Wrecked, Parachute
Released but Not Opened;
Apparently Jumped
WAS A WELL.KN0WN FLYER
Held Women's Altitude Record
Of 1895 Feet; Learned
in Army Plane

UvUk s"S' HrL.s aug. XV.-tF1-
With eight Of the Is flyers land.
ed here following their take.off
at Phoenix on the third Ian Of
the Santa Monica to Cleveland
women's air derby. Mrs. Louise
Thaden Of Pittsburgh and Phoebe
Omlic OF Memphis, Tenn, took
temporary leads over the two
classes competing.
Phoenix. Ariz., Aug. c0.-F-
With the shadow Of death shroud.
ing their trail. Is entries Of the
women's Santa Monica to- -Cleve-
land air derby took of from here
today for Douglas. Arix.. 200 miles
away. on the third lap Of their
race. The first plane got off at
S:lZ q. m. mountain standard
time. and all had cleared the air.
port at $40.
Phoenix, Ariz.. Aug. 2O.-(AP)-
The body Of Miss Marvel Crosson
San Diego, flier reported missing
last night when other entrants Of
the women's air derby from Santa
Monica, California, to Cleveland,
landed here. was found early today
six miles north Of Wellton, Ariz.
The body was found some distance
from her wrecked plane, her para
chute released but unopened. The
searching party which found the
body said it was apparent trouble
had developed and that she had
lcapcd in an attempt to save her life.
Searchers Out
Miss Crosson, holder Of the
woman's altitude record. %, ,996 feet.
was flying from San -Bernardino Ia
Phoenix. Fear for her safety had
been expressed upon her failure to.
arrive and searching parties were
sent out when residents Of the Well
ton area reported seeing an air
plane plunge into a heavy cotton.
wood growth along the Gila river.
Miss Crosson. 25 years old. was
one of the most colorful Of woman
pilots who took off from Clover
field Sunday to compete in the $685.
600 race. From early girlhood she
had been fascinated by aviation. She
took up active flying with her BROTH
er. Joe, in 1922 at San Diego, Calf,
with a plane purchased from surplus
army stocks. In the spring Of 1923
she made her first solo flight. and
developing. rapidly as an expert pi-
lot. entered the commercial aviation
field.
Miss Crosson's most recent
achievement was the establishment
OF the woman's altitude record Of
1886 feet over Los Angeles last
June %.
Sabotage Feared -
She was born in Warsaw, Ind,
April q, 1904.
Mrs. Claire Fahy, Of Los Angeles,
who was forced down at Calexico,
Calf. by motor trouble, declared
the center section wires Of her plane
snapped as she swooped down to-
ward the airport there. Her hus-
band. Herbert Fahy, Los Angeles
test pilot, who flew to her assist
ance. declared the wires had been
weakened by acid. Mrs. Fahy said
he had urged her not to continue in
the race and that she had agresd
to drop out.
Thea Rasche, German aviatrix,
was forced down at Holtville, Cal,
east Of Calcxico. Blaming her mis-
fortune on dirty gasoline" Miss
Rasche showed newspapermen I tele.
gram from = friend warning her to
beware Of sabotage" She said she
would repair the landing gear Of her
plane which was smashed and con
tinue on to Cleveland rs Z non-cou.
testant.
Amelia Earhart, Of Boston, was
leading the field at the Yuma con-
troll station but damaged her pro.
peller in landing, and lost 80 min
utes in repairs. The delay did not
affect her elapsed time standing.
however.