The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-03-23

Behind British Lines in France,
Feb l5.-(Correspondence of the
Associated Press).-"Would you
care to go up?" asked the polite
British officer in charge of the big
kite balloon, one of the long line OF
captive sausages, the "eyes of the
army" which swing through pend
ant from the clouds all up and down
the fighting line from the British
channel to the Swiss border.
"Certainly,' replied the CORE
spondent.
So an extra warm overcoat and
muffler were brought out and
donned, and most important OF all,
he parachute harness was fitted on.
BY this time the balloon had been
connected up to the winch and ev-
erything was ready. The officer
hoisted himself into the car with an
agility born OF long practice, while
the visitor was assisted to his place
by the car men" who then hooked
the parachute harness to the para
chute which hung just outside the
little wicker car.
Jutting out from one side OF the
car was a board on which was
pasted a large-sc scale trench map of
the district In pockets inside the
car were maps, air photographs and
field glasses. On the rigging OF the
car was dial to show the altitude
and an Indicator registering the
force Of the wind in miles per hour.
lust show, dominating ALL was the
huge bag of floating fabric, only
kept in place by the crowd OF sol
diers holding the handling guys,
The slender cable and lis sister tcle-
phone wires stretched lazily across
the grass to the winch on a big
motor lorry nearby.
The observer fixed the telephone
receiver to his head. lie tested the
line by calling up the winch party,
the exchange, and the chart room at
the balloon section headquarters.
Satisfied that all was ship-shape, he
waved his arm to the blight sergeant
on the ground, who ordered crisply:
LET up hand over hand, and then:
Walk forward the winch
Ground Sinks" Away.
The ground began to sink away.
The first impression was that the
bottom OF the basket was going to
fall out. For a few moments this
impression was so strong that it was
physically impossible to look over
the side. The view was excellent,
but the mood to appreciate it was
absent. The officers enthusiasm as
he pointed out different objects Of
interest in the landscape, seemed
somehow oyerdone.
Gradually this first impression Of
insecurity passed. The altitude dial,
comfortably close at hand, now in
dicated that the balloon had reached
2,800 feet. The thermometer already
howed a drop Of twenty degrees.
But the balloon was still rising.
There was a light ground mist"
explained the officer, and expert
ence proves that under such circum-
stances better results are obtained
from higher attitudes SO it was
not until the pointer signihed 4,2O0
feet that he telephoned down the
order stop the winch and the
business of the day began.
Artillery observation was the Of
fcer's appointed task. A British
battery was going to take on" a
German battery, and the observer
made his preparations accordingly.
lie had the positions OF the two bat
teries marked on his may, but he
wanted to make sure OF the position
of the balloon. SO he leaned out
over the side OF the car, verified his
landmarks, and telephoned the re-
suits to the chart-room.
Let me know when they are
ready" aid he. There was pause.
Then short monosyllabic conver-
Sation, and the balloon officer gave
the order Fire and adjusted his
glasses to his eyes.
For the next fifteen minutes the
officer was too busy to pay any at
tention to his passenger. He was en-
gagged in ranging but from time
to time he passed down a remark
which showed that he was not CON
lining his attention to ranging guns,
but had also an alert eye for flashes
OF enemy guns anywhere within his