The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-10

BERLIN (via The HaGue). Sept. O.
tie Ia the air" Sergt Werner OF the
German aviation corps who piloted
Lieut.. Won Hcidscn in the lattcrs pas
sage over Paris told me his story. II
is remarkable tale OF adventure,
eclipsing those of fiction writer's.
Attacked by powerful British hi
plane and a ninety mile an hour BE
riot, Werner only escaped through a
most fortunate combination OF circum-
stances which led hun 20 pilot his ma
chine inside Of the German lines.
The men who hold the reserved
seas in the theatre OF war. who see the
battles as not even the generals can
see them, are the German airmen,' said
Werner TO me when | saw him at Licse,
just before | started for Berlin.
II had received orders to locate the
English forces and to determine their
exact battle lines and those OF their
French supports. Accompanied 10y
Lieut.. Won Heidsen. who was detailed
as cXpcr, observer, ! went up in my
monoplane and headed directly south in
the general direction OF Paris, although
on this trip We did not go across the
city. Previously. on Sunday, we flew
across Paris and dropped three bombs.
one failed to explode. Another dropped
on the roof OF house and set fire to 1t
and the third fell in a boulevard and
made a big hole. But We flew back to
our lines that time without being
molcsted and We were So high the rifle
fire did not reach us.
Located British Headquarters.
ION this trip to locate the enemy We
few directly south from Mons, following
broad and plainly marked road. En-
route We passed over the edge Of mag
nlficent forest in which more than 10000
Inhabitants Of the surrounding country
had taken refuge After flying for more
than an hour we passed directly over the
English headquarters and ] was able to
locate the positions of the Commander
In Chief and his staff. We accurately
mapped this position ana then swept
across the French position. paying spe-
cial attention to the locations of their
artillery much of which was masked
in pieces OF woods and behind buildings
and hedges.
Lieut.. Won Hedsen made rough
watching the country when suddenly
the Lieutenant pressed my arm He
pointed upward At that time we were
nearly 5000 feet in the air, ! looked in
the direction In which he was pointing
and there. fully 900 feet higher than we
were and coming at full speed directly
toward us, was big Bristol biplane.
at was evident from the start that
/ he was far speedier than we were.
/ tried To climb upward. realizing that
when he got over me he would drop a
| bomb and We would he blown to pieces
But the effort was vain, The Bristol
held me for speed could not get on
| a level with him. Soon the Bristol was
directly over our heads. My God! man,
] was not afraid. hut this was a mo-
ment Of suspense that took years out
of my life. was sure the bomb was
coming
Foe SwoOpiDE Down slowly.
The Bristol had reduced her speed
until she was keeping pace with US
She was also slowly coming down
| Swooping lower and lower, the Bristol
! came. At last l knew how bird feels
when an eagle or hawk Is swoopng
| down upon II. thought every minute
was to he our last. was certain that
what the British were trying to do
was to get so close that their bomb
! could not miss
MY nerves were entirely unstrung
and 1t was all that | could do to keep
my monoplane on an even keel
suddenly | saw a fash alongside OF