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THUS STARTS THE NAME "DEAD STICK MARY" AUGUST 24th/

MARY CHARLES MAKES FLOWED FIELD LANDING AS MOTOR HEAD BREAKS
HAD NOT REACHED SAND HILLS WHEN ACCIDENT SENT HER BACK; PARTS COMING FOR TWOLAME ENGINES

CALEXICO

Forced down with a broken engine head which cracked when about half way to Yuma from Calexico, Miss Mary Charles, young aviatrix, being sponsored in the air derby by the Illustrated Daily News of Los Angeles, reached almost to the Calexico airport on her return, and at 1:30 today was awaiting a new engine head by airplane at 2:15 and expected to hop off at three o'clock for Phoenix, the noon check-in station.   
  "Give up?" Not on your life!" said the plucky young flier.  "I'll be in Tucson tonight.  Tough luck , of course, but it had to happen sometime I guess and I'm glad it happened early in the flight."
  And, from the tone of Miss Charles' voice as she waited at the Hotel de Anza, she will probably overtake some of the other fliers before she gets to Tucson.  In the meantime Gladys O'Donnell, fourth off after 9 o'clock this morning, slid into Phoenix first among contestants and had plenty of time for lunch today.  Whether she remains in or out of the official derby list, she is setting a fast pace with her fleet plane.
  Lands in Plowed Field
Miss Charles' mishap was the only one reported by early afternoon despite the heavy headwind the planes were bucking.  She was kicking off a fast clip out of Calexico when, as she neared the sand hills on the mesa, the ship began to lose power and she realized from the uneven action of the cylinders that the trouble would not right itself.  Turning the ship headed for the Calexico airport to repair the trouble but the increasing loss of power drew her constantly lower and, when about four miles northeast of Calexico she made perfect landing in a plowed field, barely missing an irrigation ditch, the ship rolling only about 30 feet before a full stop.  
  A Japanese rancher to whom she told her difficulty, set out in his truck for the local airport and mechanics went to her rescue.  As soon as the break was located in the head she came in and telephone the Kinner Motor company at Los Angeles for a new head.