The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1918-11-27

The untl-aircraft batteries prepared
to shoot. The scuplnnc nlichtcd on the
shore ut ------. Soon after II was
known that the pilot and his com.
panion We're both lrredcntlsts who had
fled from Austria.
The two had come from the Island
of Lussin, at the entrance ot the Gulf
OF Qunranero. opposite the shores of
------- and OF ---.
The pilot cannot give his nnme
told me about their escape.
From the outbreak OF tine war;
he said, my companion and l had
been Joined with others from Irreden.
tn at the aviation station of Lussin Is
land as motormen. The life had he
come insupportahlc. Seeing That
every means of flight would he impos
sIble we decided. since neither OF us
was skilled In aviation, 10 risk flight
In II bydroplanc.
There was nothing to do but Ia got
ready ana trust to God. The night Of
July l we went to he'd with all our
clothes on ut midnight. without ut.
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.
Prepare for Flight.
Entering the hangar cuolly. MS II
we We're going to carry out orders.
we dismnntled the planes attached
TO the station OF their guns and placed
them In the apparatus destined for cs-
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 cyln.
dcrs.
when NIL was ready we whispered
that there was nothing left but to tnke
the risk.
MY comrndc looked about. Nobody
was ncnr. He cut the telephone wires
while /. with strong push against
tile levers. slid the apparatus ont on
the sea. We mounted the plane. which
was soon blown by gust Of wind In
front of tile Austrian barracks. the
bow pointed toward the shore. II took
uS an anxious hour TO turn 1t toward
the open sea. Finally we started the
motors. but with an explosion and n
rumble thnt would awaken even the
dead.
The officers, the commandment and
the soldiers of the station appeared
nj the windows OF the barracks nnj
watched us with surprise, but with.
out suspicion, MS we took our mystcrl-
rus leave, 10 doubt thinking we had
secret orders from some one higher
UP.
For several yards the hydroplnne
giihcd along the surface of the WI.
ter, unwilling to rise Il second time,
apparently, before the wind which
blew from behind, and possibly on ac-
count OF the new pilot, who was ns In.
experienced as lie was audacious. At
last, however, we succeeded In rising
from the sea.
Face Many Perile
while we were Intent on our man.
euvers we found ourselves suddenly
opposite Mount Veli-Strasa. where the
-Austrinns have anti-nlrcraft batteries.
W iluNc lcIIllt tuOTt, Win the
bow pointed upward and our souls
commended to God.
I'VE crossed the ridge of the noun
tain not ten yards above the batteries
ON its summit.
After half nm hour OF flight. rising
to 1000 meters. we ran into II thick
cloud bank which shut OF all view OF
the Austrian and Italian coasts and OF
the sen. 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 nm attack OF nerves. All the
while the apparatus was following the
Italian coast and, discovering this. We
recovered our calm In an instant.
MY cotnrade, who was acting Ms
lookout, tied n white cloth to gun
barrel and tried TO signal the shore
our surrender. We soon alighted and
entered the pom Gf --, amid
the cheers Of the people. who were
jubilnnt when they found that we
were friends, instead OF prisoners OF