The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-27
Filler A TORCH
FALLING 1000 FEET
Federal Mail Carrier Holds
Nerve to Last and May
Pull Through.
CLOTHES CHARRED OFF
Paul L. Terror Making Game
Fight for Life at
Hospital.

In the battle for his life which he
- making at Jamaica Hospital. where
no was taken after n fall of 1000 feet
in a burning airplane at Belmont Park
yesterday. Paul l.. Ferron, a new Fed
eral mail flier, was reported last night
to be going through fine" on his
nerve. Things happened quickly 1000
feet up when the big plane In which
he was making a trial flight suddenly
kicked up, the engine stalled, and there
was an explosion. The machine went
into n nose dive, and a curl of flame
darting out of the ignition system caught
on the slender framework Of the ma
chine.
From then on It was rushing OF
wind, n quick approach of the fire
famed by the fifty mile breeze and
the added acceleration Of the falling
plane. Ferron said he realized his dan
ger from the first. fateful minute. with
one hand he operated the controls OF
the machine. bringing it out of the
nose dive and into a gentler volplane.
With the other hand he covered his
face where 1t was not protected by
his helmet. But against him the heat
was pressing fast. and to those on the
ground it seemed that the entire ma
WAS anu nuSt collapse.
The hope for Ferron's life last night
was said by physicians to depend en-
tirely on whether he had inhaled the
smoke. Ferron told them he had not
He thought of that danger even in
the press of other dangers during those
few minutes in the descent He in
sisted that he had shielded away the
fumes and that none of them got into
his lungs.
There was the difficulty Of making a
landing. Ferron said he was afraid he
wouldn't be able to hit the ground in
good form and had prepared to jump
He unbuckled the safety belt and in
the brief glance that he cast down he
saw that it was a question of one or
two seconds before his fate would be
decided. The ground was rushing at
him, and he recalled that he must have
made an odd spectacle coming crafty
down out of the air with streamers Of
smoke behind his plane Anyhow.
when the machine struck 1t was nose
down and Ferron had a clear space
through which to jump in his burning
clothes. He made the leap at the
same moment, rolling over and over,
catapulted from the machine. believing
that In this way he could smother the
flames.
He rolled directly to the feet Of two
brother aviators and a score Of other
persons who had witnessed the whole
thing. They rang for ambulances. but
finding that his clothes had been
burned SO that they fell from him at
the touch they put him in a motor
cycle side car and throwing a canvas
tarpaulin over him to keep the wind
from the wounds sped to Jamaica Hos
pital There 1t was found that his
hands and face had been badly burned
and one leg had been seriously
scorched. The prompt treatment that
he was given and his undoubted cheer
fulness despite the pain OF the burns
led the doctors to state that they be-
lieve he will weather through.
Ferron is 81, married, and lives in
Jamaica.
''It was some job" Ferron said just
before the doctors put him into bed at
the hospital. at seemed as though 1t
took hours to come down. / knew my
clothes were on fire and that the flames
were mounting toward my face All
could do was to guard my mouth and
eyes and get ready to jump. ] guess
I'm pretty lucky to be here at all"