Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-11-04


observed by the author
One of my most thrilling
memories of the three years
and over that | spent in Ger
many and one at which even
now | catch my breath, when
| think of it, was my flight in
a German aeroplane over the
Austrian and Italian battle
lines.
took the flight August Is,
1916, while | was in Munich,
in the southern part of Ger
many. was in Munich about
two weeks. This was before
the United States had entered
the war, of course; for after
that | was not permitted to
leave Berlin, until | went
home.
On the street one day a girl
friend and myself were talk
ing in English, and talking
very low so people could not
hear us. But a German Off
Ger passing heard some of our
words and stopped.
you are American" he said
to me with a smile.
Yes" | said, and wondered just
what was going To happen, for | got
so used to thinking / might be ar
rested ialtho never was) that | was
prepared for il all the time.
But he held out his hand. ~ lived
seven years In Chicago" he said, "and
! am glad to meet any person from
America"
The man was Captain Viewer and
he then was training in the aviation
corps He had been training only
few weeks. but one day when we
were talking of aeroplaning, | said
would like to so up in an aeroplane.
Wouldn't you be afraid?" he asked
me.
Just give me the chance" ! said.
"and I'll show you"
He did. IL was forbidden that any
person should go with an officer, and
in addition to this II was dangerous,
as he knew comparatively little about
aviation. But he said he would take
me, and | would have taken any
chance to get to go up.
Captain Viewer flew from 4 to 10 n.
m. and from to 10 p. m.. He took
me on one of the morning flights
was up long before daybreak.
trembling and too excited to eat. But
he told me to eat something. as l
might get "airsick" If did not
"Airsickness" corresponds to sea-
sickness, and, | am told, causes much
the same discomfort. | did not get
airsck, so | cannot say.
Captain Viewer was waiting for me
at q. IN. with machine. He did not
go to the camp with me as that would
have made my trip too conspicuous
and he did not want any person to
know | was going.
The camp was called "Schlleshelm"
and was about eight or ten miles out
of Munich. / don't know how many
aeroplanes were there, but they ran
into the hundreds.
Captain Viewer hurried to the camp
before | got there. ! was In a taxi
cab. | had the cab stop about half
mile from the camp and | got out.
| hurried across the field. When /
reached Captain Viewer he had the
leather coat and hood which | was to
wear ready for me. He hurriedly
helped me off with my own coat
pulled off my hat and thrust both
garments under the seat in the aero
plane Then he buttoned the big
leather coat on me and tied down the
hood. which had heavy flaps over the
ears.
\ Trip Thru the Clouds.
/ climbed into the machine both he
and | afraid every second some per-
son would come and discover / was a
stranger and forbid him to take me-
In the machine / sat in front he be-
hind me, and little above me so he
could look over my head. I was
strapped in the seat. j was afraid
eveiy minute-not of the machine,
but that some person would stop us
before we got well started. But no
one did. Evidently they all thot that
Captain Viewer simply had work
man with him, for every person was
too busy to watch any person else.
When we first rose off the ground
7 caught my breath for then / real
ized that / might never come back. I
knew we We're going over the enemy.
lines. But | was in for 1t, so ! took
my courage in both hands, gritted my
teeth and "sat tight"
We had to rise three thousand feet
in the air and stay at that height
most of the time. as the ascent was
made over the Tyrol mountains. The
air currents between and among these
mountains and the suction are so
strong that IA lower level is thoroly
unsafe.
As we rose | could see the Italian
and Austrian armies I'm battle array
below me. Nv eyes not being accus-
toned to watching from an aeroplane,
could not see as distinctly as Captain
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