The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1918-03-29
DARING LEAPS FROM
BURNING BALLOONS
Intrepid Aviators Drops
From Clouds To Save
Their Lives.

tackled by German airplanes were
described by observers of the British
Royal Flying Corps to an Associated
Press correspondent when he visited
one of their camps behind the lines
a few days ago.
These camps usually are located
! just out of range of the howitzer
shells, although still well within the
range of the German high-velocity
naval guns which devote their time
to Smelling the back areas.
a balloon ascent at the front is
never a light undertaking. and on
one day recently when the CORE
spondent visited a station in a fairly
inactive part of the line six balloons
in sight of one another. One Of the
German airplanes was downed by
anti-aircraft fire from the ground.
1t was day when the visibility
was put down on the chart as
good" but there were many white
clouds in the sky which offered good
cover for the German airplaneS.
One of the twelve officers who
were compelled to reach terra iirma
by the parachute route told the story
of his trip. I'VE were perched at
$500 feet" he said, "and had been
up only half an hour when column
of smoke two miles southwark at
tracted our notice. There goes Num-
Der Sixteen said my observer. and
we brought our glasses to bear on
the scene.
1.-TWO white fiecks floating earth
ward told us that the two passengers
of the balloon had got clear in time.
ust then two similar specks appeared
suddenly from under another balloon,
warning us that the boche was out
tor a wholesale killing this tiwe. II
seemed like a full minute before We
saw a thin black streak curl up from
this second ballon. and the volume
of smoke increased as the balloon
sank, with strengthening mOmen-
tum. down to earth. Six more
white specks now appeared. and
since it was evident that the entire
line was being attacked, l gave the
order to haul down.
AT 1000 feet | ordered the winch
q, mara ha l91 hgpO
attacked. and although ours was now
the only one up | could see British
lighting planes ascending from the
aerodromes behind us to chase a|ay
the enemy. SO | decided TO venture
up again. We assembled to 1000 feet
this time, and soon were at work
again.
Then suddenly something hap
pened. 1t happened swiftly as in a
dream. We diden't even see the 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. heard
my observer at the telephone. say
suddenly: What's that? 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 l had confused notion
that somewhere or other, near at /
hand. a machine gun was banging |
away briskly.
81 dropped. and heard a 'wumph
as the parachute left its case. This |
was the last sensation / attempted to
analyze as | fell like a stone for 800 |
feet. saw the balloon shoot vio-
Iently upwards, and then my view |
was blotted out by a large white |
which suddenly appeared ,
above my head, and | realized that |
the parachute had opened. | didn't
look down as / felt my body swaying |
easily in the breeze. The roar above
told me that the Albatross has done
us WOIh anu the DdllOOn " do dhic'
You cannot, of course, maneuver a
and there is always the
possibility of the burning balloon
overtaking you and burning your
only means of escape.
But before reached the ground
| saw, far in front, the Albatross
crashing to earth, minus a wing She
had been hit by cluster of anti
aircraft shells.
"The next thing / knew was that
was lying in the middle af a
plowed field, while a short dis
lance off | saw my observer coming
across toward me-"
All twelve of the officers of the
wrecked balloons escaped safely on
his occasion. They are not always
80 fortunate. At this same station a
lew days before an officer was shot
and killed while dropping in his par
ichute. His balloon had been set
fire by a German airplane, and as
Isual he and his cOmDanion took 10