On 8 October 1919, during a coast-to-coast air derby, one of the planes strayed off course, ran out of fuel, and landed on the Dresher farm near Ringtown, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Ringtown is located less than 15 miles from the outer limits of the Lykens Valley area, to the northeast of Tremont.
The Pottsville Evening Herald described the landing and subsequent take-off as follows:
Losing their course after leaving Binghampton, New York, Major A. C. Sneed and Lt. Worth McClure, driving a DeHaviland Four in the Trans-Continental Air Derby, were forced to land on the Dresher Farm at Ringtown at 3:30 p.m., to replenish their gas supply. When a supply of gas was taken on board and an attempt made to make a start, a tire blew out. The aviators were compelled to bring the tire to town for repairs and by the time they returned to Ringtown, night had fallen and they spent the night at the home of Dr. and Mrs. W. R. Rentschler, who very kindly provided them with quarters. The rules of the race provide that no flying be done at night. The aviators took the air at about 9:30 o’clock this morning, getting away to a perfect start and heading in a westerly direction. Major Sneed, with Lt. McClure as his observer, left Mineola, New York, at the start of the derby and mode their first leg to Binghampton, where they landed safely. They were headed for Chicago when they got off course. People at Ringtown were surprised when they saw the plane drop from the sky, but when they learned who the unexpected visitors were, they did all their power to assist them. The aviators were profuse in the thanks and now Ringtown is pulling for Sneed and McClure to win the race.
However, tragedy struck the following day as the craft, apparently off course again, made a bad landing at Buffalo and Lt. McClure was thrown out and killed. Major Sneed escaped with minor injuries. A total of five aviators lost their lives in the derby. The winner was Lt. Belvin V. Maynard, known as the “Flying Parson” who left Mineola at 9:24 a.m. on October 8 and arrived in San Francisco at 11:51 a.m. October 11. Among the top five finishers was a pilot named Carl Spatz, who was to become famous as the Air Force general in World War II.
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From the Pottsville Republican and Herald, series on “Glimpses Into Yesteryear,” June 1979, via Newspapers.com.
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