Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1911-09-22
III.-The Physical Strain OF Flight

me as pathetic had 1t not hcen 50 dan.
gcrous.
For three circuits of the course
fought TINT stubborn neroplanc. deter
mined 10 conquer It and to make as
good n showing in the result us posi-
bic. Then l felt the strain begin to
tell on my nerves. 1 found myself
warping when there was no need for
It. Ny arms jumped the steering post
about In Il way that threatened de-
struction, and fancied the Dleriot
was buckinE when she was on an even
keel.
Again l went around the course
hurtling through the air mt speed
that would have left nothing but splin-
ters IL l had struck the ground, and
again the strain of those unfamiliar
and cnntunkerous little wings increas.
ed Its evil effects upon mind. body and
nerves. Soon found my brain abso-
lutely refusing TO work. my nerves
jumping like mad and my arms Shout
dcrs. legs and back aching rs though
| had been beaten with club.
Finally came down thoroughly
tired out in every faculty and almost
unable to walk. though did manage
to brace myself up to pass the scrutiny
OF the onlookers about the hangers.
In this case the entire breakdown
was the result Of nervous strain Yet
flying can impose great physical strain
without reference TO nerves or mind.
Those who go In for endurance rec
ords are subject To this. and those of
us who have made climbing for height
speciality know the tcrrors of physi-
cal fatigue which is purely muscular,
but which has the mental and nerv-
GUS element added to II.
Strain of Endurance Flights.
l have seen men crawl down from
their neroplancs after long flight and
have seen their friends rush I'D to
them to shake hands In congratula-
ton for noteworthy feat And have
seen tho hand dropped ut once, for 1t
could not respond to the grasp that
was given It, There was no life In
It II hung limp. inert. powerlcss and
rHclinglcSs from tho fatigue OF grip
ping IL lever with little or no change
or position for so long n time.
Yet endurance flights such as those
made for the Michclin trophy and
prize are flown over good courses
clearly marked by pylons or posts, and
almost invariably over good grounds
that provide snfc landing places Mt
any time. In this way there is az lit
tie as possible OF nervous and mental
strain Otherwise such flights as that
or Henri Farman. who stayed up over
eight hours. would he impossible.
When these long flights are made
across country the nerve and mind en-
ter into the EQUATION against the man.
He faces uneven and probably broken
land untitled for II quick decent If any
thing goes wrong. nnd he frequently
nles across country that is unfamiliar
To him. and that keeps him I'm mental
uncertainty that adds great deal to
the Physical fatigue he has to suffer.
The Greatest Strain of All.
Those of us who are foolish enough
TO climb for height have all OF these
tormcnts infinitely multiplied, and,
added 10 them. we face conditions that
are not met with In the ordinary
work closer to the ground
To most people the strain of altitude
climbing appears to be only matter
of enduring the rarered air met with
couple of miles above the earth. but
the big torture comes with the sudden
descent-with the rapid change Of
prcssnres as We drop n thousand feet
II minute or more-nnd this is indeed a
torture long 10 be remembered.
In the early days OF my altitude
climbing, when I set the worlds rec
ord Mt I.anark. Scotland. kept fight
Ing for each extra inch as long ms
there was any strength or endurance
left in me. | struggled ut the top un-
I'll 1t was useless to struggle any long
er. and then. with all my strength
gone. there was nothing for 1t but to
fall back to earth with my aeroplnne
pointed rs sharply townrd the earth as
safety would allow
When the Head Feels Like Bursting.
came down like thunderbolt AS
the descent began the pressure began
to change rapidly with my entering
Into heavier and heavier strata Of air,
and began to feel pains I'm my head
and ears These pains got worse with
every second Of the descent, and when
was within hniling distance OF the
earth felt as though something In
side my head would surely burst with
the awful tightening about my cara
and temples can appreciate now
the fortunes suffered by medieval mar
tyrs who had bands Of iron gradually
frightened about their heads. The rec
objection of that descent Mt Lanark
makes me sympathize with them pro-
foundiy.
At Philadelphia last November rose
more than 1900 feet higher than at
Lanark and i fell faster on my de-
scent to earth, but while my sufferings
were intense they were not so great as
I'm Scotland, for had been told OF a
method Of counteracting the increasing
pressure and used 1t with great sue
cess. had shortly before this been
talking to Clifford b. Harmon about
some of his ballooning experiences and
Ind nplxnd him ff no hod ayar oufPora1