The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-10-23

autumn evening talking to the young
sters of the wonderful aviation serv-
/ ice Great Britain has almost miracu-
lousy built up since the war began.
We've got the Germans now where
| they have TO fire blindly or shoot by
the map" these intrepid men Of the
air will tell you. "Of what use are
their wonderful guns II they don't
know what they are shooting at?
They don't dare send plane over our
lines. They don't even dare approach.
The minute they show themselves we
have an overwhelming number Of ma
chimes to send after them and they
beat 1t for home again as fast as they
can go. They can't take a photograph
OF our new positions. Their batteries
have been driven from the heights and
they can't observe. 1t is a big differ
ence from the first days Of the war"
Associating much with Britains fly
ing men one will soon learn that an
Archibald" usually called "Archie"
for short, is an anti-aircraft gun.
Archie banks at you" said Bren-
nan. He goes 'woof, wool, wool He
isn't comfortable to listen to, either,
but it's when you get down little
nearer to earth and the machine guns
get to working that you feel you have
got to do what you set out to do right
quickly and get started to some quiet
er spot just as fast as the air will get
out of your way and let you through.
You can't imagine how much that old
atmosphere gets in your way when you
are really in hurry"
When you get on speaking terms
. ! with q IL
talks with a putt. putt, putt" The
ordinary hand rifle, which often takes
a shot at you when you get too close to
the trenches. goes crack, crack
crack" just as everyone expects q
] rifle 10 go
+ A Flaming Onion.
"A flaming onion? Well, that looks
for all the world like an eight candle
power electric light bulb coming at
you. Then all Of n sudden it breaks
into nice little ribbons of fire that
dart and float through the air like so
many blazing scrpents. They are very
disagreeablc, these onions. Their one
desire in life is to set you ahlaze and
explode your petrol tank One thing.
the American always has to remember
over here that gasoline, or just plain
gas" as the motorists and flying men
call it at home, has no place in the
English lexicon. 1t is petrol" Just
as lieutenant although spelled lieu
tenant, is pronounced "lettenant."
Several Of the young wing" subal-
terms were waiting for the Hickey
boos" to come over the other night
when they fell into a heated discus
sion as TO whether you would rather
have a shell break right ahead Of you.
right beneath you. or right over you.
There were those who contended II
, was better to have it break right in
front, for then the explosion would
spread the fragments and let you pass
safely through the spot where tho
, blooming beast cracked"
The others contended that a shell
breaking on the level with you indi-
Gated that Archie had his fuses
timed bit too accurately for pleasure
flying and that it was safer to take
chances from the fragments coming
from beneath or above. This was one
I discussion in which the innocent by
stander had no part. He learned,
however, that shrapnel from an
Archie" jumps at you with a bang"
that 1t looks like white puffball as
1t breaks in daylight and like the
, starry shower OF rocket as IL eX-
! plodes by night.
When a 'shrap" explodes beneath
the tail OF your machine you feel as
II you were going to loop the loop in
, the wrong direction. When 1t breaks
in front, you feel as If you very much
wanted TO do "flipfIop" backwards
in the most improved style. When you
, get 1t under the wings the conclusion
almost capsizes you and you feel as
+ if the old "joy-stick," OF guiding lever,
never will put her back on an even
keel.
/ The "Hickey-hoos." It develops in
the course Of the conversation, are
= the zeppelins. Where they got the
name no one seems to know. 1t is
the exclusive language Of the flying
corps. "Archie" is the name OF the
home defense aircraft guns as well
as those of the Germans, for, generally
speaking, all such guns are the natur-
al enemy Of thes airmen, whether he
be chasing 'iHickey-boo" over Lon
don or taking observations at the
front They are always threatening
him with an unpleasant end.
: Night flying is no easy task at
7 best.
| You feel like the man in the song
! said Sammy Simpson. midget of the
corps; you are all dressed up and no
Q place to 60"
1t is simple enough to sit up at night
Q and simple enough 10 sail away, but
+. it is something else again TO come
. down without taking off a chimney pot
: or "strafing'' big oak tree. In ordi-
!. nary times there is flare TO guide
4 you safely back TO the aerodome, but
on raid nights" when all is dark, and
when the ARCHES" are barking at the
r 'Hickey-boos," and the "Hickey-boos
D are putt, put, putting" at you with