Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-08

hitch, and with q crackle and roar
that was music to my ears. But
the motor was singing q different
song, and since that is the heart of
an aviator while In the air any
weakening thereof is dangerous: so
If necessary 1 must needs turn back.
You can imagine my humor was not
improved when the patrol returned
with the tale of fght with two
Huns-and my guns were working
so good tool
Looping IN Vain
Getting over a little town near
the piste I tried O. "vrflle" and a
loop. Both pleased me immensely
for that was some loop, but my
pleasure was dampered somewhat
by the fact that the LADY in whose
honor # was done was sleeping
soundly at the time and never saw
them. Serves me right for show
ing Off so early in the morning! In
terested now, are you D@dg You
said It! I sure met peach{
It happened on my way back from
ChaIons, where the Y, M. G. A
man doubted my nationality. when
the Frenchman with me stopped in
at a small shop to. drink and talk
mostly drink. Not caring to drink
and understanding little of the talk,
I was not greatly elated with the
idea-that was until got inside, and
then ambition was suddenly born
in my breast, for there was GER
tainly some pretty girl, and 4
wanted to learn some French "tout
de suite" 1t didn't take her long
to proudly flaunt her knowledge of
American and naturally, my fluent
{
been for the inevitable lemon, which
always attaches itself to a feminine
peach 1 would have had a grand
time. However, I talked French
for one solid hour, and was right
proud of my knowledge, until I got
back to camp, where my commander
talked to me for ten minutes and +
only got six words.
The Linquist Runs Wild
This happened in the morning,
and the weather still being bad in
the afternoon, little Walter was on
the road "chercher" his petite pro-
fesseur" tout de suit" again
Kamerad. Kamerad!! Once again
felt quite pleased with myself. for
my French was still standing up un-
der the strain and the way that
French girl could smile and raise
make me do some wild stunts the
next time in the air. And now
you have the history of that "vrille,"
and loop not forgetting dives, quick
turns and spirals. THE latter don't
cali acrobatics for they are in use
every day but the two first named
surely come under that head, espe-
clally when one is loaded with two
guns and 1000 cartridges. Even if
had not told you the reason for
the acrobatics, Dad would no doubt
have guessed there was a woman at
the bottom of 1t. There generally
is, you know.
Several days ago while on al
patrol over - our leader sud-
denly dove down on a bunch of ma
chimes which looked like Huns. Just
as ne started down he noticed a |
speck in the distance somewhat
hlgher than us. Thinking 1t a Hun
ne pulled up and endeavored to |
climb over it But we were fooled
both places, because the planes we |
dove on proved to be spads. and the
speck we climbed over was q red
balloon. 0
The Huns send these over quite
oIten' filled with papers mostly filled |
with ooastings and wild official ON
bulletins of the enormous damage
done OF their long range shooting
at Paris, or their success all along
the front.
Discipline in the Air
am beginning to acquire some
discipline in this escadrille. espe- |
cially in the air, for meeting the
leader is no haphazard affair as in |
100 where the leader said he would |
meet us at certain height, after
which we all went up and chased |
each other around the piste for an |
nour trying to find the leader. They |
90 II different here. The planes are |
all lined up in a row, the motors
started ,and then when everybody
is ready are sent off one after the |
other for all the world like motor
cars at a theater.
It's most imposing sight to see
all these planes lined up, take off |
one after another and climb up in |
a wide spiral, each one in his al |
loted time, all going at tremendous !
speed and making one awful racket. |
speaking about my old escadrille |
156, one of their most liked pilots
now tbs feared he will not live. II |
was the usual fault, that of loss of |
speed, and in his case it was strange
he was not killed outright. II was
a Spad he was flying, and with this
type plane, one must run along the |
ground. Therefore when he pulled |
on his motor, threw his tail I'D on a |
level and started down the stretch |
ne saw no thirty meters in front of |
him hangar. Naturally, he did not
want to hit this, so he endeavored |
to Jump over IL before he had hardlsy |
enough speed to fly. True, he did
clear it, but used all his speed in |
the attempt, and he having not
more speed and an airplane, not be- |
ing an elevator, he went off on a |
wing. crashed through an adjoining
hangar and into another plane rest |
ing therein. Incidentally, an eyaI
witness told me he kept shooting all |
the time, he was falling, and said eve
witness should know since IL bull |
lets landed feet away from him. |
This shooting may seem strange to |
you, but If you knew how our trig- |
gers are arranged the mystery would |
be clear. You see, the triggers are
right beside ones hand on the
stick" so it's the most natural thing |
in the world to press them, they
being so convenient, and this pilot |
being interested in regaining control |
of his plane forgot he was gripping |
his triggers as we'll as the stick" |
OF course, he was taken to the hos
pital imm mediately and it was thought |
he was hurt in no way except from |
shock. But to-day he has grown |
worse and recognizes no one, and IL |
is feared his head has been hurt in |
Il 4