The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1918-04-30
Twelve Observers in One Day
Trust to Parachutes in
Leaps for Life.
PERIL IN BURNING GAS BAGS
Flames Likely to oVertake the De-
seendine observers-Many Mar
row Escapes From Death-One
Relates Experiences.

Leaps for life from burning observa-
zion balloons when attacked by Ger
man airplanes were described by OBJ
servers of the British Royal Flying
corps to an Associated Press CORE
spondent when he visited one of their
camps behind the lines few days ago.
A balloon ascent at the front is new
sr light undertaking, and on one day
recently when the correspondent Wis
tted station in fairly inactive part
of the line six balloons containing II
men were shot down by German air
planes, all within sight of one another
One of the - officers who were COM
PEELED to reach terra frma by the para
chute route told the story of his trip.
''We were perched at $500 feet" he
said, "and had been up only half an
hour when a column of smoke two
miles southwark attracted our notice.
"There goes No. 16." said my observer.
''Two white flecks floating earthward
told us that the two passengers of the
balloon had got clear in time. Just
then two similar specks appeared sud
denly from under. another balloon
warning us that the Boche was out for
wholesale killing this time. Six
more white speckS now appeared, and,
since 1t was evident that the entire
line was being attacked, l gave the
order to haul down.
Sudden Attack by AirpIane.
"At 1000 feet. ordered the winch
stopped. No more balloons had been at
tackled, and although ours was now
the only one up, I could see British
fighting planes ascending from the air.
dromes behind us TO chase away the
enemy. So l decided to venture up
again. We assembled to 5000 feet this
time. and soon were at work again.
"Then suddenly something happen
ed. 1t happened swiftly as in dream.
We didn't even see the German Alba
tross approaching. but our ground Off
Ger and his scouts gave us the alarm
Just a second or two before the hawk
was on us. | heard my observer. at
the telephone, say suddenly. What's
that? Stand by, Good Heavens =
Then he turned calmly to me and said
with a smile, Sorry. old man. we must
get out at once He helped me over
the side first
ST dropped and heard 'wumph' as
fhe parachute left its case. This was
the last sensation I attempted to ana
lyze as fell like n stone for 300 feet.
i saw the balloon shoot violently up-
ward. and then my view was blotted
out by a large white umbrella which
suddenly appeared above my head, and
1 realized that the parachute had open
ed. l didn't look down. as felt my
body swaying easily in the breeze The
rDar above told me that the Albatross
Rad done its work and the balloon was
efire. You cannot. of course. maneuver
para chute and there is always the
possibility of the burning balloon over
taking you and burning your only
means Of escape.
"But before l reached the ground
saw far in front the Albatross crash
ing to earth minus a wing. She had
been hit by cluster of antiaircraft
shells.
''The next thing knew was that l
was lying in the middle of a plowed
field, while a short distance off l saw
my observer coming across toward
me-"
Narrow Escape From Death.
All IL Of the officers of the wrecked
balloons escaped safely on this occa-
sion. They are not always so fortu-
nate. At this same station few days
before an officer was shot and killed
when dropping In his parachute. His
balloon had been set afire by Ger
man airplane, and. as usual he and
his companion took to their para
chutes. They had hardly got clear of
the balloon when the attacking air
plane swooped down on them, its ma
chine gun In full play. One of the off
GERS was killed. and. although the 9TH
er escaped his parachute was torn by
q bullet
The balloon commander told the
story Of an officer who had gone up
alone and whose balloon was shelled
when flying at 1000 feet. On these oc-
CASlOuS III Is dangerous TO maui NOWn,
for the position of the winch is thereby
given away to the enemy gunners. At
last. after a cloud of shrapnel smoke
had appeared almost under the basket
and no response came down the teIe-
phone wire to inquiries as to whether
everything was all right, the ground
officer gave the order to haul down
Ten minutes later the car touched the
ground, and the observer was found
lying at the bottom of the basket I'M
conscious but unhurt. 1t was a bad
case of shell shock, from which the
officer was several months in recov-
ering.
"A few days ago, at a nearby station
balloon suddenly caught fire, for no
apparent reason. The two observers
tried to escape in their parachutes, but
the blazing balloon overlook them, and
they were killed. Theories as to the
cause Of the disaster were numerous,
but the one most generally accepted
was that the balloon had been fred by
an electric spark from thunder cloud.