The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-11-06
TELLS OF FLIGHT
IN HAIL. OF SHOT
Passengers Story Of Thrilling
Adventure In the Air. 8.
PERILS OF FORCED LANDING
Almost Miraculous Escape Of Air Man
After Bullets Disabled His Machine.
His Companion. Describing Awful
Experiences, Says. 81 Waited What
Seemed My Inevitable End"

His Companion. Describing Awful
Experience, Says. 81 Waited What
/ Seemed Ny Inevitable End" go
The exciting experiences Of passen-
ger aboard French war aeroplane
are described in the Paris Petit Jour:
nal. Shots from German sky guns
disabled the craft. but 1t came to earth
in u secluded spot. While the passen
ger kept guard with carbine the avia.
tor repaired the machine. Then an
ascent was made. and the machine al
length landed within the French lines.
The passengers story follows:
I'VE started directly north. tossed a
little by an east wind. Suddenly the
pilot cut Off the motor. and nothing
was audible except the whistling OF
the swind through the rigging Of the
aeroplane. The pilot pointed out. some
little black smoke puffs far below us
and told me to listen. l could hear
nothing except the wind Then the
motor was started again. and its
steady hum covered everything. The
smoke puffs grew nearer and more nu-
merous. We tried to rise still higher
when d great wind came and threw
us one side. The ever ready pilot
righted us. but another and more ter
rible shock hurled US vertically up
ward
1--WE Then Began to FALL"
1--WE then began to fall. The smoke
and flashes now were quite near us.
and we were thrown this way and
that by great blasts Of air. We still.
forged ahead ut full speed. Clinging
to the framework. | awaited what
seemed my inevitable end.
Suddenly calm was restored. We
had passed the danger zone. Be
meath us stretched n great forest. cut
here and there with ravines. AS we
left the zone Of danger our aeroplaDe
began to istA The pilot having done
his utmost to right us, cut of the mo
tor and, half turning his head. gazed
toward our left wing. where Il strip oi
.
I'VE began II headlong descent, end
ing with an abrupt landing in mar.
row glade. No one but that pilot could
have attempted SO desperate maneu-
yer with success. He jumped to earth.
shouting Take your carbine while
repair the damage He set to work
to fasten patch over the torn wing
Quick" he added. Quick. If the
Germans come. FIRE at them. Then
will set the machine OH fire.
Rises Over Sea of Troops.
When the damaged wing had been
repaired we tried to drag the aero.
plane 10 the other end of the glade.
liut roots and stones impeded it. We
were OF the poiut OF abandoning our
task when suddenly the pilot sprang
forward and thrust his revolver into
the face of Il dirt stained man who
had approached without our hearing or
seeing him seized my carbine. while
the man stood easily with his hands in
his pockets and said: we belong To
you. we are ready to guide our men
through the forest. We will give you
hand
upon signal from this mysterious
stranger II number of peasants took
their places around our aerOplane. In
an instant we were in our places ready
to go. The propeller was started. and
we arose. With Il bound that carried
us up almost vertically we passed
above sea of troops ut the edge Ut
tho forest Smoke and gun flashes re
appeared, but sudden swcrve en
abled us to regain under cover Of the
forest II sufficient altitude. When ave
came ont again the shy guns had crns
ed their fire. ana mtcr. descending
slowly. we landed in the French lines