Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-10-15
TELLS OF FLIGHT
IN HAIL OF SHOT
Passengers Story Of Thrilling
Adventure In the Air.
PERlLS Of FORCED LANDING
Almost Miraculous Escape Of Air Man
After Bullets Disabled His Machine,
His Companion, Describing Awful
Experience, Says, "a Waited What
Seemed My inevitable End"


The exciting experiences Of II paSsru-
ger aboard French war acroplauc
are described in the Paris rctit Jour.
nal Shots from GCrnau sky guns
disabled the craft. but II came to earth
in Il secluded spot While the passcn.
ger kept guard with II carhinC the avta.
tor repaired the machine Then an
nsccut was made, aud the marh,ur at
length landed within the French ines
The pASSeuGrrs story follows
I'VE started directly north, tossed II
little Ivy an east wind. suddenly the
pilot cut on the motor. and uo,htng
was audible except the Whi>jljug ut
the wind through the ri&Giu4 of the
acroplauc. The pilo, pointed ont some
little black smoke pubs far below us
and told me Ia listen. could hear
nothing except the wind Thou the
steady hum covered everything. Tho
smoke puts grew nearer and more nut
mCrouS We tried to rise Still higher
when II great wind came and threw
us one side The ever ready pilot
rghted us, but another and more ter
riblc shock hurled us vertically up.
ward
"Wo Then Began TO Fall"
1--WE then began TO fall The smoke
and flashes now were quite neat us,
that 10y great blasts of air We stil'
forged ahead ut full speed Clmging
to the framework, | awaited what
seemed my inevitable end.
"Suddcnly calm was restored. We
| had passed the danger zone, be-
meath us stretched great forest, cut
/ here and there with ravincs, AS we
| left the zone OF danger our acroplnue
! began to list. The pilot having done
his utmost to right rs. cut OF the mo.
! tor and, half turning his head, gnAca
| toward our left wing, where strip Of
/ torn canvas was streaming in the wind
I'VE began a hcadlong descent end
! ing with an abrupt landing in II mar.
row glade No one but that pilot could
have attempted SO desperate II mancu,
yer with success lie jumped to earth,
shouting Take your carbinc while |
repair the damage lie set to work
to fastcn patch over the torn wing
Quick he added Quick. If the
Germans come. fire at them. Then |
will set the machine on fire.
Rises Over Sea of Troops.
when the damaged wing had been
repaired we tried to drag the aero
plane to the other end of the glade.
But roots and stones impcdcd IT, We
were Oh the point of abandoning our
task when suddenly the pilot sprang
forward and thrust his revolver into
the face of dirt stained man who
had approached without our hearing OF
seeing him. seized my carbine, whilt
the man stood easily with his hands III
his pockets and said; We belong u
you We are ready to guide our mei
through the forest We will give you
II hand
Upon signal from this mysterious
stranger II number of peasants tool
their places around our neroplanc, u
nm instant we were In our placeS read,
Ia 20. The propeller was started, I'm
we arose With bound that carrie
us up almost vertically We pasm
above sen of troops al the edge q,
the forest Smoke ana gun flashes +,
appeared. but sudden swerve el
abIed ns to regain under cover OF tn
! ioreA n sufficient altitude When w
came out again the sky guns had cea'
s-d their fire. aud later. dcscendin