The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-08-27
AVIATOR LIVES
TO DESCRIBE FALL
Tells Of Drop to Ground Amid
Fire Of Fierce Conflict
MACHINE SMASHED BY SHOT
Few Ever Survivs to Give Account OF
Such a Thrilling Experience-Lost
Consciousness as His Aeropiane Drop
ped Through Clouds to a Battlefield
Thousands OF Feet Below.

Paris.-The following account consti-
tutes a record OF an experience out OF
which few come alive. 1t Is the story
told by an air man of his fall and his
instinct with the terror OF the air.
Scarcely had | burst through the
curtain OF Clouds" the aviator writes.
when / saw long tongues of fiame
and the lightning of explosions, while
the air was full OF little puffs OF
~shrapnel. | was over a battlefield.
ION making the necessary maneuvers.
I attempted to turn about. But i'm
mediately l saw a large enemy's BIZ
plane making straight for me. IL was
Just as l had finished my visage and
lost sight OF the enemy that the irrep-
arabic happened. There was a ter
rife crash. The machine was hit by
a shell.
1T tilted forward. pushed me from
behind. and the left wing was she'd
ding its remains to the winds. My
levers slackened, the machine rocked,
and In spite Of my efforts with the
elevator and rudder pitched forward
and began to fail. The earth rose up
to meet me with terrific speed, and In
stantly the thought OF the fire after
the fall tool me by the throat. Any
thing but that With inconceivable
rapidity ! cut the ignition, and leaving
my levers / struggled TO undo my
straps. l had no time. though, as we
were down already. First the screw
went into a hundred splinters. aud
an indescribable confusion of noises
and movements assailed me.
MY straps cut me cruelty. then burst,
and l fell crouched amid the wreck.
through space. In despite OF all l
made desperate efforts to free myself
from the tangle of cords and wires.
Then l heard a voice shouting. Lie
down. In the name of God-they are
firing at your 1t was only then. to my
intense establishment. that | grasped
the fact that the battle was filling the
air with Its tumult and that the earth
was trembling with reverberation.
Mechanically tried to raise myself
on an elbow, but at that instant on the
stone that protected my head came the
smack of a bullet, which went rico
cheting on In the midst OF a shower OF
sparks. My giddiness increased. and l
felt that ! was gradually losing cor
~sciousness: then coma. | do not know
how long 1t lasted. but gradually con-
seriousness came back, and the tumult
Of the battle seemed to fade away In
the distance. A confused sound Of
was being dragged along by the feet.
Suddenly / fell into a hole. Four or
five soldiers were standing round me.
looking with pity at me. A great stu
por was over me and prevented me
from moving or speaking.
''The voices OF the men seemed to
come to me from afar, but l could cas-
fly make out their sense and W. n
tice the queer phraseology of some of
the remarks, such as. He is well touch
ed mp He Is not altogether done for,
but his face Is a jelly and so on. Then
q commanding tone from some invisi-
BILE person asked. Have you caught the
air manf Yes, lieutenant answered
one, and in reply to a query as to how
l was, We cannot see; his head is all
bloody, and he does not move, but one
would say that he looks at u.s. Take
him to the hiding hole
''The men replied that 1t was not
possible because the enemy was pour
Ing q curtain Of fire with noxIous gases
80 that not a ield mouse could pass.
TO the captains hut, then. and ! was
taken very carefully up and carried
along the passage trench. while over
head the noise Of tearing metal and
roaring shells was u~nceasing. Sud
denly my bearers threw me against the
stde and slipped into the corners just
- Tremendous report burst owe our