Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-01-12


face of an aeroplene. To the layman
the full import of such a realization
cannot be understood In its full force.
Briefly 1t meant that the cloth which
alone held me in the air had begun to
rip on that side. and | knew that at
the tremendous speed ut which 1 was
going 1t would take only one good
grip of the wind under such small
opening to tear the entire fabric from
| front to rear. whip 1t off the frame
and leave me absolutely unsupported
on that side to so crashing below.
All this flashed across my mind III
an instant. and l made up my mind
to turn about and try to get back to
the aviation field.
L came down i'm as easy curves as /
could because 1 did not want to nut
any extra strain on the torn fabric,
and Kept my eye glued on that vi
brating piece of cloth, fascinated, held
spellbound by the problem Of whether
1t would continue to vibrate without
tearing until got down another one
hundred feet or so to comparative
safety. or whether it was merely wait
ing until the last moment to give q
final shrleiing rip as though in a fiend-
ish desire to tantalize me with false
hope as long as possible.
! know that cold sweat stood out nil
over my body. and it was only by in
stinct that | worked the controls of
my machine. for my entire mind was
focused on that little tapping shred
and all my thoughts revolved about
that one question of whether IT would
hoid long enough to let me get little
closer and have n chance for safety
In the fall If the rip did come.
Blessing of Something to Do.
AS | look back on 1t. believe I
never even noticed the iolting of the
wheels when at last I touched the
ground. Dumbly and by instinct again
| had shut Off the power on lantling,
bringing the machine to full stop.
! sat in my seat rs my mechanics
came running up, and with my eyes
still glued fascinated to the spot where
] had seen the tapping cloth 1 waited
for them. When one OF my men came
near shouted to him to go over there
and see what was hanging to the
plane.
II do not see anything" he said
isn't there a shred of the cloth
hanging thcrc?" asked
He ducked under the plane and soon
came up. holding in his hand n little
piece of string four or five inches long.
1T wasn't piece OF CLOTH" he said,
lit WAS just Il bit of string that got
caught in bolt here"
DO not get the idea from what 1
have said that an aviator is more or
less constantly engaged in fighting
fear when he is in flight. AS rule,
man in an aeroplaue is far too busy
to think much of fear. especially when
he is taking part in some meet. There
are pylons or turning posts to be
rounded. grand stands and Enclosures
10 be avoided. outlines of ships to
!rop bombs upon. circles and squares
10 land III for accuracy and all such
details that keep Il mans mind fully
occupied. The earth is near and flash
as by at the rate OF Il mile Il minute.
ana. more than likely. there are other
uii' hines in the air at the same time,
Iid the rules Of the road" must be
followed or there will he disqualitica-
ii"n !! rot total smashup So the
aviator is TOO fully occupied in guild
t!g his machine according to the rules
70 think much about the danger he is
n. yet oddly enough, it is in this very
competitive form of lying that he is
IN iioS peril In working by himself
he Is least in danger. yet he is likely
To lie more in fear. for lie has more
time to think of his peril and not SO
much to occupy his mind and SO quiet
his nerves.
Panic From Nothing to Do.
Before had gone very far into aero
planning 1 had an experience in the air
which illustrates the point that the
many things man has to do while
flying and think about for safety's
sake as rule operate to keep his
mind away from fear.
l had been well up in my BIeriot
several times and had felt very little
nervousness when friend in England
invited me to accompany him and n
party OF guests on n balloon trip. As
the ground sank away beneath me I
tried TO feel some of the thrills that
had felt in my good Bleriot But they
did not come. There was no merry
humming OF the motor. no singing
IRISH of the wind. no sense of great
power overcoming nature. nothing to
give me the idea that ! was doing
some of the work and that skill and
courage We're necessary TO success.
1t seemed that we were only hung
suspended by tiny thread and that
all Of us were on edge waiting for tho
thread to snap and the whole outfit to
go crashing below to the far distant
earth and to destruction.
l could not get cut of my mind this
sense of suspended fate-of helpless
waiting for something awful to hap
pen had never experienced 1t in
my Bleriot. There all was action.
Muscles mind. nervrs wee constantly
occupied with the glorious battle.
| found myself looking at the ropes
that suspended the car. They were oil