The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-03-25
TELLS EXPERIENCE
~ BRITISH BALLOON
All The Varied Features OF Novel Trip
Are Described BY Correspondent
Who Was Very Much
Surprised.

/ SURPRISED,
Behind British Lines in France. Mare
% Correspondence of the Associates
Ipessi, Would you care TO 60 up
asked the polite British officer in eharg
of the big Kite balloon, one Of the lon,
line OF captive sausages, the eyes o
the army" which swing ms though pend
ant from the clouds all up and down tbs
lighting line from the British channel {,
the Swiss border
Certainly" replied the correspondent
So an extra warm overcoat and muillcl
were brought out and donned, and most
important of all, the parachute harncs:
was fitted on.
By this time the balloon had been con
nected up Go the winch and everything
was ready The officer hoisted himself
into the ear 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
parachute, which hung just outside the
little wicker car.
Jutting out from one side of the ear
was pasted a large scale trench map of
the district. In pockets inside the ear
were maps, air photographs and field
glasste On the rigging Of the ear was
u dial 10 show the altitude and an indi
Gator registering the force of the wind
in miles per hour. Just above, dominat-
ing all, was the huge bag of floating
fabric, only kept in place by the crowd
of soldiers holding the handling guys.
The slender cable and its sister telephone
wires stretched lazily across the grass to
the winch ON a big motor lorry near by.
The observer fixed the telephone re-
ceiver TO his head. He tested the line
by calling up the winch party, the ex.
change, the chart room at the balloon
section headquarters. Satisfied that all
was shipshape, he waved his arm TO
the flight sergeant on the ground, who
ordered crisply: "Let up hand over
hand and then: Walk forward the
winch.
The ground began 10 sink away. The
first impression was tkat the bottom of
the basket was going to fall out. For
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 in |
terest in the landscape, seemed somehow |
overdone.
Gradually this first impression of in.
security passed. The altitude dial, com
fortably close at hand, now indicated |
hat the balloon had reached $500 feet
The thermometer already showed drop
II 20 degrees. But the balloon was still
Using There is a light ground mist,
explained the officer, "and experience
proves that under such circumstances
better results are obtained from higher
So it was not until the
pointer signified 1920 feet that he tele
,honed down the order stop the winch,
nd the business of the day began
Artillery observation was the officers
ppointed task A British battery was
DING to take on" German battery
nd the observer made his preparations
He had the post ions of the
wo batteries marked on his map but he
7anted to make sure of the position of /,
he balloon. So he leaned out over the +,
ide of the car, verified his landmarks, /,
nd telephoned the results to the chart ,
oom. !
Let me know when they are ready, !
aid he. There was a pause. Then
hort monosyllabic conversation, and the
alloon officer gave the order Fire" and !
djusted his glasses TO his eyes. (
For the next II minutes the officer !,
as too busy to pay any attention to i
is passenger. He was engaged in rang !,
t." but from time to time he passed !
own a remark which showed that he :,
as not combining his attention to rang. a
x guns, but had also an alert eye for
ashes of enemy guns anywhere within q
is range of observation. The range Of 4
sion was roughly 20 miles. n
After the first order to Fire a boom \
the distance indicated that the order =
I'd been obeyed. The balloon officer
owned slightly, and telephoned a cor :
ction A moment later the battery
again that it was ready, and
lis time the result was better. The
ocess continued. Once the observer
ked to be put into direct communica.
on with the battery, and the exchange
ranged accordingly Apparently the
suit OF this conference was satisfac-
nv for soon the observation came
rough as correct.
A few more rounds and the balloon re
ested the battery to start firing for
ect. While this was being DONE an
her battery was rung up and ranging
ne on another target, the balloon OBJ n,
rver occasionally switching his glasses ~
the old target to see that the guns
re shooting correctly.
Now and again the observer passed
wn message to the effect that BLANK
INK Is active" Blank blank was an