Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-02-01
WaIcOtt, Since Shot Down Over
German Lines, Tells of
Comrades Daring.
MAKES Dive OF 10000 feet
Aviator Reaches Ground Safely Al
though All the Wires on His Ma
chine Are Loosened -, Spend
Holiday in Air.

Washington.-Wor pictures of the
work of the members of the Lafayette
Squadron and other American aviators
in France are given in letters which
DIR. Charles d. Walcott, secretary OF
the Smithsonian institution, has re-
ceived from his son, e. s. Walcott,
whose airplane fell somewhere be-
hind the German lines" along the west
ern front. The illusions to the work
of the American aviators contained in
these letters are all the more interest
ing at this time in view of the fact
that the men about whom Walcott
wrote have just been commissioned in
the American air service on the rec
ommendation of General Pershing.
Doctor Walcott has received a dis
patch from Paris informing him that
his son fell within the enemy lines
December - while fighting three sin
gle-seaters, after having demolished an
enemy two-seater, and that his fate is
uncertain. Inquiries are being made
to ascertain, if possible, from Germany
whether young Walcott was seriously
injured or not.
In letter dated November 13, in re-
sponse to an inquiry about Campbell,
an aviator from Chicago, who was re-
ported lost, young Walcott wrote as
follows:
Campbell was in the Lafayette Es-
cadrille, and they are q member of the
same group as Squadron "a, so have
asked them about him. He was on a
patrol with another chap; they attack
ed some BocheS, and when it was over
the other chap was alone. Campbell
was brought down in German territory
and so reported missing. l believe the
| chap he was with has seen and talked
TO Campbell's father or some close rel
ative since.
another chap named Bulkely was
| brought down in similar circumstances
about the LIST of September. Ten days
ago word was received from the Amer
lean embassy that he had communi-
Gated with them, prisoner in Ger
many.
"There are many similar cases
where men brought down with crippled
machines, or wounded, escaped de-
struction by miracle. The only sure
thing Is when machine goes down in
flames or is seen to lose wing or two
For instance, there are two officers
in the group who are in the best OF
health and daily working. Several
months ago they were on patrol to
gether and collided in the air. One
machine cut the tail rigging complete
ly off the other plane, and then they
separated, one plane without a tai
and the other machine with variou:
parts Of tail mixed among the cable.
and struts of one side of his machine
They both landed in France, one on hi!
wheels, followed by a capotage, ol
somersault turnover, the other quitt
completely upside down. Then tern
in the hospital, and back they ar,
again.
Kenneth Mari, an American and ;
friend of Pete's, had the commands O
both his controls cut in q combat, th,
rudder and elevator, leaving him moth
iHS put lhS dueIoh, bhe idteIul DdIduc'
control, and the motor. He landed witt
only skinned nose for casualties, ant
got a decoration for it.
Dives Vertically 10000 Feet.
another chap, in an attack on cap
live balloons, dived for something lik
10000 feet vertically and with full me
! tor on, thereby gaining considerabl
, speed, as you can imagine. He cam
, right on top of the balloon, shot ant
to keep from hitting it, yanked a
roughly as he could, flattening out hi
a dive In the merest fraction of Sc,
ond. Imagine the strain on the ms
: chinel When he got home all tn
wires had several inches sag in them
| tho rrlntnI nnnnnntinr,. ..f tI.n ,uI.I-.. L.