The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1918-03-28

our sisssss = kesT q ~ s5a6s
Two vhkte AednD noanlnG terek-
ward told aS thsk the tuo $500 80
'of the BALBOA had rot clear In time.
Just then two similar speeks appear
ed suddenly from under another bal
lou. warning us that the. boche was
out for wholesale> killing this time.
1t seemed like Q full minute before
we. saw . thin black streak curl up
from this. second balloon. ana the
volume of smoke increased a the
balloon sank. with ever-gathering
momentum. down to earth. Sir
more white specks now appeared and
since 1t was evident that the entire
line was being attacked. gave the
order to haul down.
"At 1000 feet I ordered the winch
stopped. No more balloons had been
attacked. and although ours was
now the only one up. l could see
British nghting planes ascending
from the earodromes behind us to
chase away the enemy. So I decided
to venture up again. We ascended
to 5000 feet this time, and soon
were at work again.
Then suddenly something hap
pened. 1t happened swiftly as in a !
dream. We didn't even see the Ger
man albatros approaching, but our
ground officer and his scouts gave us
the alarm just a second or two be-
fore the hawk was on US. 1 heard
my observer, at the telephone, say
suddenly. Whats thatf Stand BY! \
Good Heavens!' Then he turned
calmly to me and said with a smile,
Sorry, old man, we must get out at
once He helped me over the side
first. and 1 had d confused notion
that somewhere or other, near at
hand. machine gun was banging
away briskly.
Il dropped, and heard 'wumph'
as the parachute left it's case. This
was the last sensation attempted
to analyze as 1 fell like a stone for
5000 feet. L saw the balloon shoot
violently upwards, and then my view
was biotted out by large white UNI
brella, which suddenly appeared
above my head. and 1 realized that
the parachute had opened. I didn't
look down as felt my body swaying
easilv in the breeze. The road above
-J.u ,... - Alh: trcs had done
its work and the balloon was atire.
You cannot, of course. Vancouver a |
parachute, and there is always the
possibility of the burning balloon
overtaking you and burning your only
means of escape
But before l reached the ground. |
l saw, far in front, the .Albatross
crashing to earth, minus a wing. |
She had been hit by cluster of an
ti-aircraft shells.
The next thing knew was that
was lying in the middle of a plough
ed field, while a short distance Off I J
saw my observer coming across to-
ward me-"
All twelve of the officers of the
wrecked balloons escaped safely on
this occasion. They are not always
SO fortunate. At this same station
few days before an officer was shot
and killed while dropping in his par
achute. His balloon had been set
afre by German airplane. and as
usual he and his companion took to
their parachutes. They had hardly
got clear of the balloon when the at
lacking airplane swooped down on
them, it's machine gun in full play.
One OF the officers was killed, and
although the other escaped his para
'hute was torn by bullet and sew
eral of its cords were cut. Few men
have been nearer deRth and lived to
tell the tale.
The balloon commander told the
story of an officer who had gone up
alone and whose balloon was shelled
when flying at 1000 feet One these
occasions it is dangerous to haul
down for the position of the winch |
is thereby given away to the enemy
gunners. At last, however. after a
cloud OF sharpnei smoke had appear
ed almost under the basket and no
response came down the telephone
wire to inquire as to whether every
thing was all right the ground officer
gave the order to haul down Ten
minutes later the car touched the ,
ground and the observer was found |
lying at the bottom of the basket
unconscious, but unhurt. 1t was a |
bad case ct shell shock, from which
the officer was several months in re-
covering.
few days ago, at nearby sta
ton, balloon suddenly caught fire
for no apparent reason. The two OBJ
servers tried to escape in their para
chutes. but the blazing balloon over
took them and they were killed.
Theories as to the caues of the dis