The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-08-22
Fell $500 Feet
in An Aer0plane

Mrs Jennie Dale of this city. is in
receipt of a letter from Beardstown.
H., describing the almost miraculous
escape from death OF her nephew.
Lieut. Earl NJ. Epier. OF the aviation
division of the army in a 4.500-foot
fall III an aeroplane at Kelly Field.
San Antonio, Texas, on July 25. The
letter was dictated by Lieut. Epler
while in the base hospital at San An
tonic. the next day after the accident
and was sent TO his parents at Boards
town, who forwarded it here ior Mrs
Daie's perusal. In the course of
most interesting account OF his expert
enoees. Lieut.. Eplecr says:
We were flying in close formation
at an elevation OF some $500 feet.
Beautiful clouds rearing up from the
main mass below us made it appear
as II We were flying over the snow
capped Rocky Mountains.
Just then the leader checked his
machine as a signal to break forma-
tion, | was flying position 49,. second
man on the left hand side OF the "v''.
and we We're very close together as we
were passing over the field and want
ed to make a good showing, as viewed
from below.
Suddenly heard crash as of fall
ing timber, and on looking around I
realized that my control. OF rudder.
and my elevator had been smashed
all out of shape The next instant
was in an uncomfortable tail slide.
Il found my control like real ace,
but to very little avail, altho / sue
eeeded in sailing the plane several
times and in that way managed to
slacken the terrific speed at which
was falling. At 1900 feet, realizing
that | must hit the ground and could
not get out of it, cut my switch and
killed the motor.
"Glancing down i could see every
thing that was going on beneath me
on the big dual field. ] could see the
lieutenants leave their machines and
run towards the edge OF Leon creek
towards which | was careening like a
dead bird. Contrary TO all expecta-
tons, ] didn't think at all of the
things the story books say drowning
man does. l thot of how / could man
age to strike the ground without kill
ing myself.
''At 1000 feet threw away my cog
giles. You know goggles break and
sometimes cut ones face up terribly
in smash. Then ! got busy work
ing my ailerons. which were still in
tact. ] did few barrel rolls on my
back one minute and over the next.
At 500 feet | began to realize how ter
rifle my speed was and how small my
chance OF getting out of the affair
alive. At 80 feet was headed straight
for the ground like rocket. Using
what controls | had. I exerted all my
force on the ailerons and threw the
plane over on the. right wing. Just
as struck the earth the right wing
crumpled up under me like a piece OF
cardboard. but 1t saved my life. II
broke the shock of the fall and, as |
braced myself with both hands on the
cowl. the worst | got was few cuts
and bruises.
They gave me some anti-tetanus
serum at the hospital TO prevent lock
jaw and it has a tendency to make one
nauseated. but l slept fairly well last
night. My back is a little sore where
the top OF the sea. struck II.
Wasn't l lucky7 Lieut.. Freese.
who ran into me in the air. broke his
propeller. He landed all right as he
had oil Of his controls to manage his
machine with. Everybody who saw
me coming down. speak Of my fall as
being by far the most spectacular and
thrilling that has thus far taken place
ON Kelly field. Imagine me coming