Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-03-24

son attacked Dy Gernan alfplahes
 Vnen described by observers If the
 .isb ve.I Royal Flying Corps to an As
 trl.,9d tra.od Press correspondent when he
 soca.s ..aa one of their camps behind the
 ines lines few days ago.
 a'lTb Tbose camps usually are located
 out of range of the hOWitZer
 JUS, ss e although still we'll within the
 slsne' sno of the German high-velocity
 lans1 ians1I guns which devote their time
 na m "helling the back areas.
 U 4 A baloon ascent at the front is
 .ror light undertaking, and on one
 lev o,'1 recently when the correspondent
 u..;tod uas a station in a fairly inactive
 .srt of the line, six balloons con
 pa,,; pla;n;ng twelve men were shot down na sa German airplanes, all within sight
 mo another. One of the German
 vi,nlanes ~ was downed by anti-aircraft
 sra ' from the ground.
 pn n was day when the visibility i
 .as mi down on the chart as good"
 n, there were many white clouds ill
 .ss @ sky which offered good cover for
 ,ba German airplanes.
 ono of the twelve officers who were |
 cancelled to reach terra firma by the
 mrachute route told the story of his
 Yin "We were perched at $500
 bet he said, "and had been up only
 h,lf an hour when column of smoke
 ,wo miles southWard attracted our
 notice, "There goes Number Six
 tpen,' said my observer, and we
 brought our glasses to bear on the
 scene.
 1.-TWO white fecks floating earth
 ward told us that the two passengers
 of the balloon had got clear in time.
 Inst them two similar speclis appear
 pd suddenly from under another bal
 oon. warning us that the boche was
 mt for wholesale killing this time. If seemed like full minute before we saw a thin black streak cu>i up from this second balloon. and the vol nme of smoke increased as the bal loon sank, with ever gathering mo mentum, down to earth. Six more white specks now appeared, and, since it was evident that the entire line was being attacked, I 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, 1 could see British fighting planes ascending from the aerodomes behind us to chase away the enemy. So l decided to venture up again. We ascended 5000 feet this | time, and soon were at work again. Then suddenly something happen cd. It happened swiftly as in q dream. We didn't even see inc Ger man Albatross approaching, but our ground officer and his scouts gave Us the alarm just a second or two before the hawk was on us. 1 heard my Ob- sserver, at the telephone, say suddenly |ssWhat's that? Stand by! Good Heaev- 1 |senst Then he turned calmly to me and said with smile, Sorry, old man, we must get out at once He helped me over the side first, and I had confused notion that somewhere or other, near at hand, a machine-gun was banging away briskly.
 T dropped, and heard a 'Wumph' as the parachute left it's case. This was the last sensation I attempted to analyze as I fell like stone for 300 feet. l saw the balloon shoot yio- lently upwards, and then my view was plotted out by a large white um- brella which suddenly appeared above my head. and I realized that the par achute had opened. l didn't look down as l felt my body sWayins cas- lily in the breeze The roar above told me that the Albatross had done its work and the balloon was afire. You cannot, of course, maneuvre a parachute, and there is always the possibility of the burning balloon 0Vertakins you and burning your only means of escape
 But before I reached the ground, l saw, far in front, the Albatross crash ing to earth, minus wing. She had been hit by cluster Of anti-aircraft shells.
 The next thing I knew was that was lying in the middle of plough ed field, while a short distance off l saw my observer comingacrOss to- ward me-
 All twelve of the officers of the wrecked balloons escaped safely on lnls occasion. They are not always so fortunate. At this same station few aays before an officer was shot and Killed while dropping in his para 'enute. His balloon had been set afire oy German airplane, and as usual N and his companion took to their parachutes. Thecy had hardly got eear of the balloon when the at !aacklng airplane swooped down on ,aem, its machine-gun in full play. one Of the officers was killed, and al 'aough the other escaped, his para '. caute was torn by bullet and several ul US cords were cut. Few men have Ueen nearer death 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 anen living at 4.000 feet. On these occasions it is dangerous to haul aoWn, for the position of the winch .s thereby given away to the enemy s,anhers. At last, however. after ea ooad Of shrapnel smoke had appear so almost under the basket, and no ,ospohse came down the telephone ts. h,ie to inquiries as to whether every .uns was all right, the ground officer n'; Sase the order to haul down. Ten 1ot l.. hI