The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-11-18

summer just ending an enemy hydro
plane bearing the black cross Of Aus
tria appeared in the heavens over
The anti-aircraft batteries prepared
to shoot. The seaplane alighted on the
shore at ---------. Soon after it was
known that the pilot and his com
panion were both Irredentists who had
fed from Austria.
The two had come from the Island
of Lussin, at the entrance of the Gulf
Of Quaranero, opposite the shores OF
$500 and of ------.
The pilot cannot give his name
told me about their escape.
From the outbreak Of the war;"
he said my companion and had
been Joined with others from Irreden-
ia at the aviation station Of Lussin is
land as motormen. The life had be-.
come insupportable. Seeing that
every means Of flight would be impos-
sible we decided, since neither Of us
was skilled in aviation, to risk flight
In hydroplane. :
i ACl g was l1OtAAllEo ~ Nv DuL Co 49,
ready and trust to God. The night Of
July l we went to bed with all our
clothes on at midnight, without at
tracing notice. At five in the morn
Ing we ran under the shadows Of the
wall from our quarters toward the
hangar, where the sentinel paced his
beat. ,s..,sr.,@ -. III. .4,..s... . .s-.ss.. .
Prepare for Flight.
Entering the hangar coolly, as If
we were going to carry out orders,
we dismantIed the planes attached
to the station of their guns and placed
them in the apparatus destined for es-
cape.
''After locking the telephone opera
tor in his cabin, we opened the heavy
doors of the hangar. We got ready for
immediate flight and tested the cyiin-
ders.
"When all was ready we whispered
that there was nothing left but to take
The risk. j.. @- aE
my comrade looked about. Nobody
was near. He cut the telephone wires
while !, with strong push against
the levers, slid the apparatus out on
the sea. We mounted the plane, which
was soon blown by a gust Of wind in
front Of the Austrian barracks, the
bow pointed toward the shore. Tt took
lis an anxious hour to turn it toward
the open sea. Finally we started the
motors. but with an explosion ard
rumble that would awaken even the
dead. .. e..
'"The officers, the commandment and
the soldiers Of the station appeared
at the windows Of the barracks and
watched us with surprise. but with
out suspicion, as we took our nysteri-
Gus leave, no doubt thinking we had
secret orders from some one higher
up. s.-e:.s& r.~. sg s.-~E 2s"~
For several yards the hydropiane
glided along the surface of the wa
ter, unwilling to rise second time,
apparently, before the wind which
blew from behind, and possibly on ac-
count Of the new pilot, who was as In.
experienced as he was audacious. AT
last, however, we succeeded in rising
from the sen. r,.. Viii
Face Many Perls. . .....a~
"While we were intent on our man
euvers we found ourselves suddenly
opposite Mount Veli-Strasa, where the
Austrians have anti-aircraft batteries.
We made terrific effort, with the
bow pointed upward and our souls
commended to God. ,-.....- ..+..
''We crossed the ridge of the noun
tain not ten yards above the batteries
on its summit. .-.. . s=a.
After half an hour of flight, rising
to 1000 meters, we ran into thick
cloud bank which shut off all view Of
the Austrian and Italian coasts and Of
the sea. We could not find our way.
Moreover, the pilot was without he'll
met or glasses and could not steer be-
cause his eyes filled with tears. We
suffered an attack of nerves. All the
while the apparatus was following the
italian coast and, discovering this, we
recovered our calm in an instant.
My comrade, who was acting as
lookout, tied a white cloth to Il gun
barrel and tried to signal the shore
our surrender. We soon aIighted and
entered the port of ------------, amid
the cheers of the people, who were
jubilant when they found that we
were friends instead of prisoners of
war"