New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-28
GERMAN ESCAPES
IN AERO BATTLE
Hard Pressed by French
He Flies Over Swiss
Territory.
r, GORDON GORDON.SMITH.

Bclfort. Feb. 15-No town in France
so thoroughly realizes the full mean
ing Of the phrase state OF siege" as
the sentinel city Of the Vosges. The
streets present long lines Of closed
shops, the cafes show nothing but shut
tered windows, while for every civil
ian one meets one sees four men in
uniform. The civil population was
mustered two months ago, and all the
"youches es"-that is to say, all
those persons whose presence did not
contribute in some way to the defence
of the city were evacuated.
The streets Of the city echo day and
night with the ceaseless roll of bag
rage wagons, ambulanccs and guns,
which pour in endless streams through
the snow-covered thoroughfares. Above
all the noises Of the city one hears the
dull boom Of the cannon, which, ten
miles away. keep up continuous hre
on the German lines.
The garrison is at all times on the
0ui vive. as hardly a day passes that
the pnemv'y air craft do not attack the
city. Half an hour after ! arrived a
blast of trumpets from the cltade' .
taken I'D by the bugles OF the various
fire brigade stations in the town, gave
warning TO the population that a Ger
man aeroplane was approaching
feyy minutes later the rattle OF mus
kctry and machine guns showed tha'
the garrison had opened hre.
But still the aerOplane came stead
iv on Suddenly a gray colored French
aeroplane shot into the arr from inc
aviation ground and made straight lor
the German The latter evidently
wanted to drop a bomb on some par
ticular spot probably the blg alrSh'
sbod). for not even the sight OF Ihe
approaching enemy turned MN lr0"
his course. II was only Wheh tht
Frenchman was 200 yards away ma.
tho German turned sharply to the righ'
and fed. ,,.
As the forts and garrison had now
ceased firing, the sharp crack OF I ne
rifles Of the opposing aeropiaheS couip
he distinctly heard. Every tlme the
Frenchman threatened TO oEertahe w =.
German the latter shot on az iE",
oroles left or right. like doubling
- The Frenchman kept mounting
n'.idortlv with the intention OF getting
hove his adversary to drop a Domo
him This the German evidently
I,og. for every time he saw the French
80, above him he shot away from
IL either 10 left or right, just as
ui,u leon does TO avoid the swoop OF a
hawk. t,a,d;cannod in
-. .h;s aerial duel was gong on
- tho houses and he could only
g.. bic bomb when he had the Ger
-. ~ being able TO hit the IauDe,
o.L.r,r,so he would have endangered
~ ii,,es Of the people IN the cry pc
~, I, vas soon evident that me
Co.,,,sr outpaccd the Freedman. ne
Iattor made every effort 70 keep pc'
go, his enemy and the German Iines
~ Lo,t edging him further ana lur-
Their on TO French TERRITORY 10, he
II, his he was successful, Dul u.
100 a. the same time driving nun
,.1,.ord the Swiss frontier. inns wa
~ Germans salvation, as ne SUI
dorly nut his motor al top speed anu
Josbed Oft in the direction OF forreh-
.r,,y As the French aviators nave 'n'
,,cry strictest orders on no account "
cross the Swiss frontier no lur'"e'
pursuit was possible. 80,
Rut the Germans dangers were nor
-, on end The Swiss infantry guard
ing in O the frontier at once, opened mr., nrs
on on him. But he was now flying az sp ,'
a height and al such high speed mt, Iha' az
.bn b1llets failed TO reach him When
RonfoI was reached the troops there
warned by telephone had their ma.
chine guns trained on MN put "a ia,
Ann,bcr fusillade greeted him as he
a. over the heads Of the French
icons holding the German villages o.
pesrbidy. Pfetterhausen and Ofringen
bnt tbey had no better luck than The
Swiss. and the daring airman SCARED
Oft unscathed in the direction Of Much
I hansen.