The evening leader., 1918-11-07

The anti-aircraft batteries prepared
10 shoot. The seaplane alighted on the
shore at Soon after it was
known that the pilot and his COM
panion were both IrredentistS who had
had from Austria.
The two had come from the island
Of Lussin, at the entrance of the Gulf
oe QuaranerO, opposite the shores OF
and of --.
The pilot cannot give his name
told me about their escape.
"From the outbreak of the war;"
he said, "my companion and l had
been Joined with others from Irreden-
ta at the aviation station of Lussin is
land as mOtOrmen. The life had be-
come insupportable. Seeing that
every means of flight would be impos-
sible we. decided, since neither of US
was skilled in aviation, to risk flight
I'm hydroplane.
'There was nothing to do but to get
ready and trust to God. The night OF
JNly 1 we went to bed with all our
clothes on at midnight. without at
fracting notice. At five in the morn
ing we ran under the shadows of the
wall from our quarters toward the
hangar, where the sentRel paced his
beat.
Prepare for Flight.
"Entering the hangar coolly, as if
we were going to carry out orders,
we dismantled the planes attached
to the station of their guns and placed
them in the apparatus destined for es-
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 cylin-
-ders.
"When all was ready we whispered
that there was nothing left but to take
the risk.
1My comrade looked about Nobody
was near. He cut the telephone wires
while /, with a strong push against
the levers, slid the apparatus out on
the sea. We mounted the plane, which
was soon blown by gust of wind in
front of the Austrian barracks, the
bow pointed toward the shore. 1t took
MS an anxious hour to turn it toward
the open sea. Finally we started the
motors, but with an explosion and a
rumble that would awaken even the
dead.
'"The officers, the commandant and
the soldiers Of the station appeared
at the windows of the barracks and
watched us with surprise, but with"
out suspicion, as we took our mysteri-
Gus leave, no doubt thinking we had
secret orders from some one higher
up.
"For several yards the hydroplane
giided along the surface of the wa
ter, unwilling to rise second time,
apparently, before the wind which
blew from behind, and possibly on ac-
count of the new pilot, who was as in,
experienced as he was audacious. At
last, however, we succeeded in rising
from the sea.
Face Many PeriIs.
"While we We're intent on our man
savers we found ourselves suddenly
opposite Mount Veli-Strasa, where the
AustrianS have 2nti-aircraft batteries.
We made terrific effort, with the
bow pointed upward and our souls
commended to God.
1'We crossed the ridge of the noun
tain not ten yards above the batteries
O. its summit.
"After half an hour of flight, rising
10 1000 meters, we ran into a thick
caoud bank which shut off all view OF
the Austrian and Italian coasts and of
the sea. 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 an attack of nerves. All the
while the apparatus was following the
italian coast and, discovering this, we
recovered our calm in an instant.
"My comrade, who was acting as
lookout, tied a white cloth to q gun
barrel and tried to signal the shore
our surrender. We soon alighted and
entered the port of -, amid
the cheers of the people, who were
jubilant when they found that we
were friends, instead of prisoners of
war"