The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-02-08
Walcott, Since Shot Down Over
German Lines, Tells OF
Comrades Daring.
MAKES DIVE OF 10000 FEET
Aviator Reaches Ground Safely Al.
though All the Wires on His Ma
chine Are Loossned - Spend
Holiday In Air.


WaShington.-Word pictures OF the
work Of the members Of the Lafayette
Squadron and other American ayiators
In France are given In letters which
Dr. Charles ID, Walcott. secretary Of
the Smithsonian institution. has re-
eeived from his son. Il. 3. walcott.
whose airplane fell somewhere be-
hind the German lines" along the west
ern front The illusions to the work
Of the American aviat0rs contained In
these letters are all the more interest.
Ing at this time In view OF the fact
that the men about whom walcott
wrote have Just been commissioned In
the American air service on the rec
ommsndation OF General Pershing.
Doctor WalcOtt has received a dis
patch from Paris informing him that
his son fell within the asnemy lines
December II while fighting three sin
gie-seatsrs, after having demolished an
enemy two-seatsr. and that his fate Is
uncertain. Inquiries are being made
10 ascertain. n possible. from Germany
whether young walcott was seriously
injured or not.
In letter dated November IL, In re.
sponae TO an inquiry about Campbell,
an aviator from Chicago. who was re-
parted lost, young walcott wrote as
follows:
Campbell was in the Lafayette Es-
eadrille. and they are a member OF the
seine group a. Squadron "a. so have
asked them about him. He was on
patrol with another chap: they attack
ed some Boches. and when II was over
the other chap was alone. Campbell
was brought down In German territory
and - reported miasing. believe the
chap he was with has seen and talked
TO CampbeIi's father or some close rel.
alive since.
Another chap named Bulkely was
brought down In similar circumstances
about the LIST OF September. Ten days
aEo word was received from the Amer.
lean embassy that he had communl.
Gated with them. q prisoner In Ger
many.
There are many similar cases
whore men brought down with crippled
MACHINES or wounded escaped de-
stFNtcsion by = miracle. The only sure
thing h whom = machine goes down in
aahnes or h seen 10 lose a wing or two.
~For Instance. there are two officers
In tho group who arc In the best Of
hsalth and daily working. Several
Snanths aEo they were on patrol TO.
Eether and cOilided In the air. One
machine cut the tail rigging complete
~ al the other plane. and then they
separated. cue plane without n tail
and tha ether machine with various
parta n = tail MIXED among the cables
and struts % ons side Of his machine.
rhey both landed in France. one on bis
wheels. followed BY capotage. or
sotnsrSanit turnover. the other quite
eaDpiotely upside down. Then term
IN the hospital. and back they are
again.
~ksnncth Mari. an American and
friend ~ Pvte's. bad the commands of
both his eontrols cut 10 q combat. the
rndd0r and elevator. leaving him moth.
lng but the slisron. the lateral balance
control. and the motor. He landed with
saly . skinned noas foe casualties. and
Got = decoration for II.
Dives Vertically 10000 Feet
-Anothsr chap. In an attack on cap.
tive halloons. dlvcd for something IKE
1000 feet vertically and with fun mo.
tor on. thereby gaining considerable
speed. ~ you can Imagine. He came
right on top Of the balloon. shot and.
10 keep from hitting u. yanked as
roughly az he could. fattenlng out his
eive In the merest fraction of sec
ond Imagine tho strain en the ma.
/ chine When he got home all the
wiFcs had several inches sag In them :
The metal connections OF the cables in.
- the struts and wood OF the wings
had bit into the wood enough 20 give
hs AAR.
Machines are built 10 stand Inn.