Evening star., 1916-10-04


were due to 70 to France thas day -
soon ~ the wire said . storm On TIE
othar side Of the channel had nAsseA
The correspondent slipped into . waA~
ded Jacket for protection against the
wind. which would also aot ~ . lee
buoy II he happened TO fau into the
channel, and took his place. position
usually occupied BY the observer. who
also mans q machine gun.
She's q good and steady 'bus.'s said
the the 2aetorx The. sw Lev. hss dovn a S
tuned up and ready for her part In
the big show on the other sids. You
must not expect any fancy stunts Or
thrills MY business IL TO dy her to
France and deliver her In good condi-
ton ready for work.
She was immaculate In her fresh var
n1sh ana reassuring in har stAnch-
ness. This pilot had made thirty such
crossings and was proud Of tho fact
OF the way stations. Before the war
he had been ranching in South Africa,
ana was ono of the thousands Of mon
who knew nothing about flying, but
Air Line to tho SommA
It was as straight as . line drawn
on a map following q plotted course
Of land objects for the route from the
aerodrome tho machine left 10 the
aerodrome at the front Altar forty
minutes IN unvary1ng steadiness Of
speed above the pattern work Of the
English hedges he turned at . given
point for tho channel crossing. Usual
ly the crossing Il made a& q height Of
1 A4 a.
way to descend to tho nearest shore
or to q steamer in the channel In case
Of engine trouble.
Our object is not to take any un-
necessary risks" said the pilot. 'but
is needed and will have risks In plenty
over the battlefield"
On account Of thick weather. he took
the channel this trip at q height Of
1000 feet As the white lscework Of
foot. the correspondent looked at his
watch. Beneath were all the patrol
ships that guard tho channel, which
We're lost as the machine ran into a
cloud.
Neither tho shore nor the surface Of
the water was to be seen. Then the
pilot stopped tho engine, and the ma
chine slid for . thousand feet until the
seafoor, dotted with tho white hecks
of wave crests, appeared. ana ahead. as
lJs
was the white edE1ng OF the surf at
the foot Of the chalk cliffs Of France.
Makes Steamers Seem Slow.
AS the machine crossed that tape, the
correspondent looked again at his
watch. and saw that the time elapsed
was seventeen minutes. The flight had
not been made over the narrow part
of tho channel Tho fastest steamer
would have required an hour and .
quarter. and travelling that way the
would have been rough. as q
heavy sea was running.
Now over the broad spaces Of the
hedseless land Of France, with the
fields SO many patchwork squares
between soft green clumps
of woods. and on toward the section
of the front and the battleline 80 we'll
known to the correspondent. Then,
finally over cathedral tower and down
on the green floor Of the aerodrome,
where a score Of other new planes
fresh from England had been mar
ahaled in ranks after their arrival.
When storms have prevented migration
for a period. fifty have come in from
England in one day.
Good night" said the pilot after he
had reported his arrival to the aero
drome ofice and before getting into
an automobile. II am of to catch the
steamer ana bring back another bus
tomorrow"