The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-05-10
LACK Of OXYGEN
FATAL TOFLYERS.
SAY MEDICAL MEN

MINEOL4A, L. l., May 10. They
stood in compact. little group that
marked the training ground OF an
aviation field. Three were United
States army officers: they wore on
their left breasts the silver wings
that showed they were expert bird
men. who had learned to emulate the
swallows flight in machines Of mans
invention.
The group was watching the tiny
dragon-fly that was skImminE far
above. Admiration showed on each
Countensnce as the fragile thing
climbed to a dizzy height. dipped and
dived toward earth with lightning
/ like speed, and then Strengthened out.
] Now the droning OF the motor has
4 stopped as the pilot has shut of the
| engine and begins TO volplane from a
great height. Faster and faster
dsshes the frall thing toward earth
AZ terrifying speed He MUST
/ straighteu out soon or meet disaster.
! Breathlessiy the little group watch es.
! listens to the hum OF the motor that
will tell that the headlong flight has
ended and the pilot has Strengthened
out to safety. but the machine con-
tinues on its psrilous course.
Impact Is TerrIae.
Too late. Hes too near the ground
now to straiEhten OUT. They can see
! the driver working duly to make a
safe landing. Some stand bresthless.
aws-stricken. Others turn from the
sickening sight.
CRASH
with = sound OF splinterinG wood |
the biplane hits the ground with ter
rife impact and smoke begins curling |
up from the mass OF splintered wreck I
age Spurred to the necessity OF i'm
mediate action, the men race 10 the
scene. a bare 600 yards away. and /
begin to work frsntically TO release
the poor lad buried beneath that tan /
gled mass OF wood. canvas and wire.
There he is cries one OF the Of
hcers.
Lying amid thew reckage. his face
and head Eashsd by splinters OF wood
the pilot lies with eyes closed, face
white and drawn. Tenderly they lift
him out and place him in the ambu-
lance.
Mis- Motor Is o. X.
He'll live II nothing inside is In
jured." said the officer who wore the
insignia OF the medical corps.
J
duced pressure and made him lose
control" unused one OF the officers.
That must have been it, affirmed
snotheT. FOR the motor was o. X.
when lie voIpianed time before last,
ond his controls seem to be all right.
Guess he couldn't stand the pressure.
It's funny what high attitudes do 10
some people"
In many lands, on many heldF. the
same accidents were chronicled for
the first three years OF the European
war. Always either a mechanical de-
feet or reduced pressure from high
attitudes was blamed.
Finally, Il occurred 20 members OF
the army medical corps attached TO
aviation sections that perhaps there
was some other cause that made APP
parently sound men lose control %
their airplsnes. Tests were made.
AyiatoTs were being MANNED and
killed through loss OF control because
Of the diminished percentage OF I
oxygen at higher attitudes. They re-
membered the difficulty in breathing
related by mountain climbers. aero
nauts and others who reached the
rsrer atmosphere OF unusual heights /
With the entry OF the United states
into the struggle, army medical OF
icers al once took up the problem.
Tests were conducted al various ny
ing fields.
AT "BreakInE Cp- Levels.
It was found individual flyers he
gan 10 sufte- from lack of oxygen ~
varying heights. but that the same :
individual began "brea!lIag up 8. T,
the same altitude day after day.
Perhaps. one Of tEs greatest d.sf!- ,
culties encountered WAS the fact that
the fly4rS did not realize that they I
were being affected D. the lack OF
oxygen os the height increased. Even
after they crashed 10 earth, they had
no idea why II ha0 happened. fOr "ey-
erythinS had been working al right
when she started the nose dive" That
is what those TEo sU5vived said.
What really happened: Just this:
The lungs require Il per cent OF {
oxygen or GJ m.llimeters Of oxygen {
when a person j. on the ground. AS =
the blrd-man climbs swiftly 10 great o
er heights. the air contains less oNy- a
gen and the pilot finds u increasing ?
y harder 20 keep that amount in his j
lungs. l. requires faster br-at-!uS.
This increases commeHsurateIy the
his her he climbs.
Loses hts Efficiency.
Inye-seiy. as the machine GesCends
swiftly from a higher altitude 20 a b
lower ne gets more oxygen with less =
sffOrt. In either event. he begins to J
lose efficiency. Coordination be- O.
tween hand and brain decreases. He t
Is slower 10 respond TO what his
brain tclegraphs him TO do and less
accurate in doing II. lie fUmbles at h
he controls.
Sight becomes less keen. especially :
At 4 short focus. His attention on
The aeroid. which shows his height. :
: not 50 constant. his hearing IA az =
'ected 80 that lie cannot distinguish :
Dy the sound OF his motor Whether Il =
mas accelerated o. slowed. F,.ally he
-aints-and the machine pIunSes TO =
Earth
Il has been recomrIo nded that all
avIstors be tcs;cd ard Classified as :
10 ability 10 stand lack OF Oxygen.
Those who cannot 20 10 greater =