Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-09-02


This, however. | knew could not be
the cause OF the trouble. The tank
had been well filled before | started.
and what the trouble was l have new
err aseertained. but | felt the power
beginning to give out, and ! showed
my steering post forward jnst about
In time to get the machines nose
pointed down when the engine stopped
entirely. There was nothing for 1t but
20 plane down and get as near back
home as possible.
with the machine pointed right for
long spiral glide, looked below to
get my bearings. and that Is where I
got my first fright The mists had
gathered 80 thickly that l could not
see single glimpse of the earth.
There was nothing below me but n
billowy sea of clouds. impenetrable to
the eye.
blamed myself in forcible language
for my folly In not taking more care
full note of my position on the upward
climb. Now II was too late. had
not the slightest idea what part of the
country ! was over nor In what direc-
ton I was headed. but ] had nil
could do to take care of the machine,
rushing downward through space as I
was at the rate of seventy miles an
hour or more. | thought of nothing
except the steering and lnstinctively
tried to keep her going in general
way In about the same wide circles
that had followed on my journey up.
Saved by Fluke.
Soon l entered the clouds and began
to catch glimpses of the earth. 1
thought saw something that looked
like one of the buildings on our
grounds. and steered accordingly,
aiming to plane down so as to have
plenty of room in the open land that
stretched for miles away from the
hangers.
Suddenly | plunged through the
mists into the ordinary atmosphere OF
the earth's surface. and below me
| there was nothing but trees, trees.
trees, as far as the eye could reach. l
seemed to be directly over the heart of
nmitless wood. To land in the
branches meant certain wreck. l had
no power in the engine to give me a
chance to look about me for an open.
ing. There was nothing to do appar-
emily but to plunge down among the
| forest giants and trust to luck that the
wreck of the machine would not cut
me up badly and that my fall from the
top of whatever tree I landed in would
leave my features In good enough
shape for Identification at the inquest.
l took deep swoop downward and
I then desperately turned the aeroplane's
nose upward to coast as high as the
momentum would take me and search
for a clearing in this momentary re-
| spite. ~
| l plunged downward for hundred
feet at a terrible rate; then at the mo-
ment of turning up my heart nearly
stopped beating as l heard choking
cough from the engine. then another,
then another. and suddenly the br-r-r-r
of the cylinders as the explosions came
| with full force. and the propeller. get
ting its grip on the air, put on all Its
power. and climbed safely away from
the treetops, everything working per-
fectly and once more in control of a
safe and efficient piece of machinery.
sailed close to the ground until rec
ognized some houses over the edge OF
the wood l was more than twenty
miles from home; but, with the engine
working smoothly, the trip back was
mere child's play, and l was soon on
the ground again. being alternately
cursed and Rugged by Mac. while the
mechanics trundled the Bleriot to the
hangar.
The Eternal Question.
They are never pleasant to talk
about-these narrow escapes. II is
best to forget about them as soon
after they have occurred as possible.
for they get on the nerves. and things
that get on the nerves are not good in
1 aviation. 1t has always struck me as
odd that almost the first question the
average man will ask after he has met
| me is:
what was the narrowest escape
from death you have ever hadr'
This Is simply another manifesto
| ton Of that morbid desire for thrills
at another. mans expense by demand
ing feats the aeroplane was never In
tended to perform. The aeroplane has
its limitations. and they are. so far,
very narrow ones. 1t will do certain
simple things very well and II not
| pushed too hard is not great deal
more dangerous than manufacturing
dynamite or being picked out by the
Black Hand
| The late Ralph tombstone recognized
this clearly. and he once said, ut will
! get us all some day" TT got him
just as it has got many another good
man who is trying to advance the
| new science. but these are the things
that it is best for Us not to think
about.
| I remember when the first news of
| Johnstone's death reached me. was
dining with Grahame- White in Phil
| adelphia. White had had hard after
| noon flying In the teeth Of a fuky
| wind that would have kept any other
man safety housed in the hangar.
| Reporters wanted to know If 1t would
keep white from flying next day.
mo" said White. These things
cannot stop us We must do our work
| lust the same. But such accidents