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NEWS, MONDAY, AUGUST 6,1934
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Mrs. Marsalis Dies In Air Race Crash

DAYTON, O., Aug. 5 (AP) -
Mrs. Frances Harrell Marsalis of Garden City, L.I. one of

[[image: a woman aviator]]
[[caption: The late Frances Marsalis Dies in crash during air race]]

the outstanding women fliers of the country, was killed late this afternoon when her plane crashed during the 50-mile free-for-all feature event of the National Women's Air Meet here.

Mrs. Marsalis, flying a biplane, crashed at the south end of the triangular fifty-mile course. No one on the flying field, so far as could be learned, saw the accident, and the cause was not immediately ascertainable.

She held a transport pilot's license.
Of the 11 contestants in the race Sunday, Miss Harrell was given a long-time handicap and was the tenth to leave the ground. She had overcome her handicap on the first four laps and was with the leaders when the accident occurred, thrilling spectators with her deep vertical turns at the pylons.

At the second pylon of the last lap, Miss Harrell cut in ahead of two other contestants, but after squeezing through the narrow opening her ship fell into a side-slip at an altitude of less that 50 feet. A wing-tip dug into the parched potato patch and the plane, traveling at 150 miles per hour, cart-wheeled over the ground.

It is believed Miss Harrell misjudged her height in dropping to gain speed after the turn.

A great cloud of dust arose as the ship struck the ground and spectators at first believed the ship had caught fire. the gas tank was found near the spot where the ship firs dug a three-foot hole in the ground before it somersaulted several times. This indicated, officials said, that the tank was thrown clear upon first impact and explained why fire did no follow.

Rescuers had to chop Miss Harrell from the wreckage. She suffered multiple injuries, including fractures of the skull, legs and arms. She was alive when taken from the wreckage but died en route to the hospital.

A daring flyer, Miss Harrell was described as one of the most fearless aviatices in the United States. She was ranked second only to Amelia Earhart Putnam and Anne Lindbergh.

While she crashed to her death Sunday a companion in aerial adventure roared on to fresh laurels.

Established Record

Last December Miss Harrell and Miss Helen Richey, of McKeesport, Pa., established a new refueling endurance record of nine days, 21 hours and 42 minutes over Miami, Fla.

Sunday the two, in separate planes, were racing against each other and nine other contestants. Miss Richey finished second in the race, knowing nothing of the accident until after she had landed.

Miss Harrell, who formerly held the women's record for loop, barrel rolls and tailspins, observed last Christmas and her 29th birthday in the air over Miami as she and Miss Richey established the refueling endurance record for women.

They broker the record established the year before over Long Island by Miss Harril and Mrs. Louise McPhetridge Thaden of eight days, four hours and five minutes.

Frank Reibold, who with Harry Williams and John Ahlers were judges at the second pylon, said "I believe Miss Harrell crashed in an effort to avoid hitting two other planes rounding the second pylon with her." Ahlers and Williams agreed with Reibold.
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[[newspaper photo]]
[[image: Aviators Frances Marsalis and Mrs. L. Thaden pose for photo]]
[[caption: WOMAN FLIER KILLED. - Mrs. Frances Marsalis, shown with Mrs. L. Thaden (right), was killed in air crash at Women's National Air Races, Dayton, O. - Story on page 3.]]
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PLANE TO CARRY BODY EASTWARD
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Frances Harrell, noted feminine flyer, will make her last flight Tuesday morning in an airplane similar to the one in which she was flying when she crashed to her death Sunday afternoon during the last lap of the 50-mile race in the Women's National air meet at Dayton municipal airport.

Edward Maloney, an associate flyer with Miss Harrell of the Waco Sales, Inc. at Garden City, L.I., is flying aa Waco airplane here to transport the body of Miss Harrell east Tuesday morning.

The ship will stop en route at Pittsburgh, where Miss Harrell always landed on her cross-country hops.

A convoy of 100 airplanes from Long Island will meet Maloney over Harrisburg and accompany the body to Roosevelt field, on Long Island, where funeral services will be conducted Wednesday morning, Interment will be in a cemetery near the field.
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Rites Held for Woman Flyer
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ROOSEVELT FIELD, N.Y., Aug. 7. - (UP) - Men and women pilots today paid tribute in impressive funeral rites to Mrs. Frances Harrell Marsalis, who died in a plane crash at Dayton, O., Sunday.

A single plane dropped flowers to the field as the services were held. Attending were Amelia Earhart, Viola Gentry, Bennett Griffin, Helen Richey, Laura Ingalls, Mrs. Betty Huyler Gillies, Mrs. Reginal Langhorne Brook and Miss Ruth Nichols.

Mrs. Marsalis' body will be taken to Centerville, Miss., by her divorced husband, William Marsalis, for burial.
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Transcription Notes:
duplicate of page 246