The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1911-11-16

Of the onlookers about the hangars.
In this case the entire breakdown
was the result Of nervous strain. Ye,
flying can impose great physical strair
without reference to nerves or mind
Those who 60 in for endurance rec
ords are subject to this, and those OF
us who have made climbing for height
speciality know the terrors Of physi
4 cal fatigue which is purely muscular
but which has the menta. and nerv.
4 Gus element added to 1t.
\ Strain Of Endurance Flights.
| I have seen men crawl down from
their aeroplanes after long flight and
have seen their friends rush up ia
them to shake hands in congratula.
ton for a noteworthy feat. And have
seen the hand dropped at once, for It
could not respond to the grasp that
was given It. There was no life In
it. 1t hung limp. inert, powerless and
feelingless from the fatigue Of grip
ping a lever with little or no change
Of position for SO long a time.
Yet endurance flights such as those
made for the Michelin trophy and
prize are flown over good courses
clearly marked by pylons or posts, and
almost invariably over good grounds
that provide safe landing places at
| any time. In this way there Is as lit
| tie as possible Of nervous and mental
strain. Otherwise such flights as that
of Henri Farman, who stayed up over
eight hours. would be impossible.
When these long flights are made
across country the nerve and mind ell
ter into the equation against the man.
He faces uneven and probably broken
land untitled for quick decent If any
thing goes wrong, and he frequently
flies across country that is unfamiliar
to him, and that keeps him In mental
uncertainty that adds a 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
torments infinitely multiplied, and,
added to them, We face conditions that
are not met with in the ordinary
WOIA SlOSEI " tue SIOuuOs
To most people the strain Of altitude
climbing appears to be only a matter
Of enduring the rarefied air met with
a couple of miles above the earth, but
the big torture comes with the sudden
descent-with the rapid change Of
pressnres as We drop thousand feet
minute or more-and this is indeed a
torture long to be remembered.
In the early days Of my altitude
climbing, when I set the worlds rec
ord at Lanark. Scotland. l kept fight
ing for each extra inch as long as
there was any strength or endurance
left in me. l struggled at the top un-
til it 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 aeroplane |
pointed as sharply toward the earth AZ
safety would allow.
When the Head Feels Like Bursting.
came down Ike thunderbolt. As
the descent began the pressure began
TO change rapidly with my entering
into heavier and heavier strata Of air,
and ! began 70 feel pains in my head
and ears, These pains got worse with
every second OF the descent, and when
was within hailing distance Of the
earth l felt as though something In
side my head would surely burst with
the awful tightening about my ears
and temples. can appreciate now
tt,, n y,,.,.1tnvaI |
tyrS who had bands Of iron gradually
tichtened about their heads. The rec.
election OF that descent at Lauark
makes ne sympathiEe with them pro-
foundly.
At Philadelphia last November I ross
more than $500 feet higher than at
Lanark and l fell faster on my de-
scent 10 earth. but while my suterings
were intense they were not SO great a.
in Scotland. for l had been told OF 4
method Of counteracting the increasing
pressure and used II with great sue
cess. had shortly before this been
talking to Clifford r. Harmon about
some of his ballooning experiences and
had asked him II he had ever suffered
during FN[llO uS>SeukS rs Qs0 AZ L11-
ark.
81 did quite frequently In my early
DAYS" said Harmon. "hut Captain
Baldwin told ME way to avoid It."
What is that?" asked.
Swallow constantly" said
Harmon.
So on this plunge frcm the clouds
above Philadelphia. when NY nerves
we're racked To pieces and my rhyss>
al faculties were utterly worn cut.
thought ~ this scheme whec
he pressure became painful IN nay
,ars. and the relief was Immense
Effect of An Hour In the Air,
An altitude digit u this Kind dses
lot last long according IL the tirae ~
he watch. IL seeuss Skes, bat nay
record fer usy highest cssraA
.S97 feet, showed that IL ts>ss rse sass
bout hfty minutes ~ rcach the rsaxt>