The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-08-31
PLANES CRASH
IN MID-A|R;; z
ESCAPE DEATH
10000 Witness Thrilling
Spectacle In Races at
Cleveland.
FLIERS TELL OF PLUNGE
West Coast Derby Airmen
End Long Grind;
Woman Wins.
BY JOHN OWEN
United Press staff Correspondent

CLEVELAND, Aug. 31.-Two fight
ing "red devils" of the United
States marine corps today described
the death they saw and escaped
after their planes collided 1900 feet
above Cleveland airport, during the
second day of the national air races
Sunday.
RELIEVING the seconds following
the crash aloft, Lieutenant Lawson
A. Sanderson, tall, dashing COM
mander of the marine ace squadron,
told of his own sensations as he
struggled to release his parachute,
which had caught on the tail of his
plunging plane. Lieutenant w. 0.
Brice, pilot of the other disabled
ship, recounted his experience.
although I was fighting to break
loose from the plane, 1 felt that
someone else was in danger" Sand
erson said. Il was among the crowd
of $4,000 watching the struggle. /
saw myself pull the chute loose
when the plane was just 400 feet
from the ground"
The big marine, who wears the
distinguished flying cross for daring
service in Nicaragua, floated down
within twenty-five feet of his
wrecked plane and retrieved his
goggles from the debris.
Stunned in Collision
In recounting the accident, Lieut..
Brice said he heard a crash and
was stunned when his head hit the
intrument board of his plane.
II bailed out of the plane instinc-
lively" he declared. when re-
gained my senses, I was drifting to
earth. 1 don't remember pulling
the parachute ring"
The aerial collision occurred dur
ing tactical maneuverS.
A few minutes after the thrilling
escape of the two marines, Mrs.
Phoebe Omlie, diminutive Memphis
(Tenn.) aviatrix, set her small
monocoupe down in front of the
grand stand to lead fifty-one other
contestant home" in the national
sweepstakes handicap derby. Mrs.
Omlies efficiency record for the
2,400-mile flight from Santa Mon1-
ca, Cal, was 109.l6.
Plans Trans Ocean Hop
D. c. Warren of San Francisco
dropped out of the sky three min
utes later. The west coast flier APP
peared to have. won first place III
the mems division.
Mrs. Martie Bowman of Glendale,
Cal. ranked second among the fl
teen finishing women pilots. Mrs.
Mae Hanzlip of st. Louis was third
and Miss Edith Foltz of San Ma
rino, Cal, placed fourth.
While efficiency records made by
competing men pilots were incom-
plete. Leo Brusse of Glendale, Cal,
apparently was second, and Eldon
Cessna of Wichita, Kan, placed
third. Six thousand dollars in cash
and trophies was to be distributed
among the winners in both divisions
today.
Coincident with opening of the
third day of the races, Lieutenant
Colonel Mario De Bernardo, Italian
military flier, revealed plans for
solo flight back to Italy after the
races.
Woman Filler After Record
Speed dashes over a ten-mile
closed course and stunt flying by
Miss Dorothy Hester were to head
line the third day of the air show.
Noted civilian flierS. both men and
women, are entered in the events.
Miss Hester announced today she
will make an assault upon the world
record for outside loops early Tues
day. The 20-year-old Portland
(OreO girl said she will take of
shortly after dawn in her attempt
to surpaSs the mark of 124 loops.
She already holds the worlds wom-
ans record, with sixty-two loops.
The Bendix derby, a dash from
Los Angeles to Cleveland, has been
postponed until Tuesday.
Entries in the BediX race include:
Major James H. Doolittle, flying a
Cleveland plane; Walter Hunter,
Robertson, Mo-; Lou Reichers, Chi
cago: Harold S. Johnson Chicago;
J. r. Wedel, Patterson, La, and
Captain Ira c. Eaker, on leave from
the army air corps.
DooIittIe to TRY Record