El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-11-23
ENSIGN HURT
IN FALL WHILE
ON AERO TEST.
COMPANION Is Killed When
Heavy Airboat Takes
Nose Dive To Water.
INJURED MAN IS
ANXIOUS TO RETURN

A MEXICAN Naval Bombing Base.
n France. Nov. 2s.-Ensign Edward
DeCernea, of New York city. IS walk
ing around the base with a limp, a
kink in his back and his lower jaw
showing the effects Of a severe frac-
ture. He is still under the surgeons
care, but now is able to move about
with Increasing ease every day
He IS one Of the crack fliers here
He IS a bomber. He sustained his in
juries in a bad fall while testing out
a new flying boat This occurred just
4 week after he had made the record
for the base in duration OF scouting,
his record trip ending in flight with
a submarine
In Air Hours.
He and his companions were IN the
air seven hours and SIS minutes, try
ing TO dig a submarine out OF the
North sea They landed three times
to replenish their gasoline.
The submarine was sighted Tar of
the coast. The wind was blowing
hard Aviators do not like high
winds Ensign DeCernea climbed into
his big bombing craft, with observers,
gun layers and plenty Of bombs They
slid up off the water and out into the
teeth OF the wind. For two hours
they ZigZaEged over the ocean toward
the east and north. They kept fairly
close 10 the water to better spot the
form sliding below the surface
Thought Hun Caught.
Several times they thought they de-
tected the Hun boat under the sur
face. They shot over the spot to find
It nothing more than the black patch
reflected BY the moving clouds.
Submarine in the west. sir" called
the observer. Just as the daylight was
beginning TO fade
out in the setting suns golden path !
was the periscope- It stuck up against
the glow like a black pencil Then
came the coming tower. The suds, |
washing back from the tower. ap-
peared like a spreading mustache-
Heading West.
She was heading west. straight
into the dying sun said one Of the
officers. describing the adventure. |
"She was astern Of US.
I'VE put about Immediately and
bore down on her AS we came close
they must have seen US. for stimuli !
taueouslv with firing our recognition
signal she started to dive.
I'VE gave her a bomb. II struck
about 30 or 40 feet off the port quar-
ter. It blew IN a geyser 20 feet The
submarine seemed then 10 he starting
for the surface again. We let 90
another bomb. This landed about 20
feet or so away from the first IN the
direction the submarine was taking. .
Did rot Come Up
The submarine disappeared She ]
did not come up again She sent up a
film OF oil that stretched out for more /
than a mile. That is always a good |
sign for Us. but II does not necessa- !
rily mean the ship has been sunk. for
they usually put out some oil as a I
ruse-
sBut our bombs landed so close to I
her and exploded so directly we are
pretty certain the work was done. At
any rate. we chased her off the sur
face and out OF the North sea"
New Flying Boat.
One week after this Ensign De-
Cernea took the new flying boat out
for the test Walter Love, a yeoman
OF Washington. was in the after gun
nit and Harry LAWN, Of New York. l
in the observers pit. Love had
never been up before. Just before
they entered the boat. lawn asked:
Where do you want to sitg-'
Makes no difference" returned
''WeH you better take the after
pit" said LAWN
Love climbed NJ into the rear while
LAWN took the front Fifteen min
utes out, Eusign DeCernea started to
make q left turn. Something went
wrong The big heavy flying boat
would not steer back into a balanced
position. She made a sudden jump.
then dropped into a nose dive. When
these heavy craft start on the dive
they cannot be Strengthened out
again. There was nothing for the men
to do but brace themselves and wait
for the crash
Hff TFI.e she'll
The heavy machine struck the
water like a she'll She plunged deep
down, came slowly back and lay on
the water helpless. LAWN lay crushed
and held by his seat; DeCernea could
not move.
Love crawled along the fusrage to
DeCernea-
Can't move my leg" said the en-
sign
Love lifted him Up and propped him
as far from the water as he could.
Then he crawled out to LAWN. LAWN
was unconscious Love pulled him
ont OF the seat wreckage and dragged
him close I'd to DeCernea.
LAWN Il Killed.
Half an hour later a motor boat
ran alongside and took the men
aboard DeCernea had sustained a
broken Jaw. broken leg. wrenched
back and side. LAWN was beyond all
aid. Love was unscathed.
Ensign DeCernea is picking up fast
now and is anxious to get into a boat
again The officers are having diff
Guilty in keeping him out Of the craft
until he has gained sufficient