Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-04
Take-off From New York De-
layed an Hour as Special
Device Is Built to Start
Motor of Question Mark.
BUSINESS MANAGER ALSO
ON WAY TO DALLAS FIELD
Bellonte Begs for Five More Min.
utes' Sleep Before Leaving Hotel,
but Leader of Venture Speeds
Aide for Start at 6:55 O'Clock
This Morning.

oWENsBoRO, KY, Septem-
Der 4 R.-Two airplanes, be-
lieved to be the transatlantic
Question Mark" carrying Dieu-
donne Coste and Maurice Bel
lonte on an attempted New
York-Dallas nonstop flight, and
that of his manager, Rene Ra-
cover, passed over here at
1920 pm, c. S. T., today.
Owensboro is about 100 miles
by air from Louisville and al
most on a direct route to Lit
tie Rock.
BY the Associated Press
1 VALLEY STREAM, N. Y, Sep
TENDER preceded by their BUSH
ness manager, Dieudonne Coste
and Maurice Bellonte took OF at
6:55 this morning for Dallas, Tex,
to collect a $4,000 prize offered
by William Easterwood.
The big red Sesqui plane Cues
ton Mark, which made the first
westward crossing of the North
Atlantic from Paris to New York,
circled once over the field, and
then shot like a scarlet comet
against the morning sky toward
its Southern destination.
Nine minutes before the transatlantic
plane took the air, another ship hoped
on. with Rene Recover. Costes Amer
lean representative. who planned to at.
tend to the transatlantic flyers BUSH
ness affairs in connection with collect
ing the Easterwood prize which was
offered for the first flight from Paris
to Dallas, with New York as the only
intermediary stop.
Delayed for An Hour.
The take-off of the French flyers for
the Texas city was delayed an hour by
the necessity of constructing a special
device for spinning the propeller, which
is set SO high that it is very difficult for
start the engine. The device failed, but
the motor was at last started by volun-
teers, who risked their lives by leaping
into the air to hang on the high pro-
peller blades.
Capt. Coste expected to make the
journey. to Dallas in between IL and Is
hours. He had 420 gallons of gasoline
pumped into the ship before he left.
The radio, which was in operation for
all but the last few miles of the trans
atlantic journey, was still broken when
today'S flight began, but no difhculty
was expected, as perfect flying weather
prevailed.
The flyers arrived at the field about
8 o'clock this morning, having had
less than hours sleep. When they
were awakened after their brief rest
in New York Hotel CoSte Immediately
jumped from bed ready for the new adj
venture, but Bellonte was less eager to
face the day with so little slumber.
Just let me have 5 minutes more
Sleep" he begged when he was shaken
into consciousness. but Coste. a strict
had him out of bed long
before that period had elapsed.
Get Down to Work.
Once at the field fueling was imme-
diately begun under CoSte'S supervision,
and Bellonte Immediately went to work
upon maps of the route they are to
cover.
When the fueling was completed and
the plane first wheeled from the hangar
newspaper photographers and sound
reel men surrounded the ship and began
taking pictures of plane and crew.
CoSte, irked at the delay, kept shouting
wife. vite," and finally succeeded in
getting his ship to the flying line. Then
came the delay occasioned by the difi-
Guilty in starting the motor and when
1t last the engine burst into action and
was sufficiently warmed to avoid all
possible danger on the take-off, the
flyers lost not a moment in climbing
INTO their famous ship and following
heir manager into the air.
Coste announced before leaving that
the course as plotted by Bellonte would
lie over Easton, Allentown and Pitts
ourgh, Pa; Steubenville, Ohio; Cincin-
natl; Louisville; Little Rock and Green
vile, Tex.
Racover planned to stop at Louisville
for fuel and probably wait there for
coste to catch up to him, for the Red
fConfir.,ad IN Doc q FSol,,,,~,1 e 4