Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-07-14
Cemetery Only Dead Spot in
Americas, Says Keller; Sumter
County Looks Good From Air

Ger, l was pumping a good deal of
the time and trying to keep one eye
on the ground while we were making
those corkscrews."
Sunday morning Brown and Roo
dies and went out to the Field to
find out how the ball game came out
between Souther Field and Cuthbert
the night before. The big field dried
so fast that they started the game
about $3.50 O'Clock, and there were
couple of hundred people over
from Cuthbert, and the game was
regular game, We had to leave before
1t was over, but we found out Sun
day that they wound up at nightfall
with the score in a tie &c. The
Souther Field pitcher, named Parsons
l think, showed lot of stuff and
they say he is equally as good on
the receiving end, but of course he
has to do one at time.
#T
also ascertained a slight correc-
ton on the plane crawling stunt
of Messrs. Vance and McMullen. l
was in the air when they landed and
found out the next morning that
Vance, after crawling all over the
wings, had got into the front seat,
previously occupied by McMullen,
and that McMullen had crawled out
and down on to the landing gear,
and had actually come to earth in
that position magnificent bit of
acrobatics and plane handling on the
part of both
Just at noon Sunday, Brown and
| hoped off again to try some bat
tie stuff with cameras, shooting
at one plane from the other. | have
found from experience that the only
way you can get close enough to
flying plane to make a picture of it
Is to shoot from another plane We
went through some of the combat
stuff and shot from every conceiva-
bic position. McMullen was plotting
Brown and was riding with Wolfe
We both took shots at the hangers
and field, and the two pilots played
around like couple of kittens. At
1000 to 1000 feet in the air they
whipped their planes under and over
each other, at times drifting side
wise so as to cross one below the
other to give the top plane a good
shot. 1t was the keenest sport | ever
engaged in-hunting an airplane
through the sky and maneuvering TO
get in position to shoot. The pilots
were as keen as we were, and follow
ed our occasional suggestions to rise
or drop with such promptness and
good will that it was a good thing
we were strapped in.
So
Then we went over Americas and
| caught sight of the only dead spot
in that town-the cemetery. 1t SEEM
ed quaint idea to take a picture
of cemetery from a plane a coup
lie of thousand feet above it, and |
tried hard to get Browns plane in
line-he was several hundred feet
below us. But Browns plane wouldn't
hold still and the graveyard would,
so | took shot at the latter and we
set sail for the field again.
About half way back and riding
fairly high-2000 feet-Wolfe throt-
tied down so he could be heard.
Take the stick" he said l had my
camera in one hand and laid hold up
on the stick with other, obediently.
Wolfe promptly lifted both hands
above his head-the engine was roar
ing once more-signifying unmista-
kably that l was running the ship.
Now, this was something else. But
there seemed nothing alarming about
it. The plane was driving steadily
along, and in my grasp the stick
twitched and pulled slightly like a
good-sized fish taking hold of your
bait. Then l noticed that the left wing
was dropping. AS had seen the pilots
do, moved the stick over to the
right little. The left wing came up
promptly, and l moved the stick back
to what | thought was neutral. 1t
wasn't was too far ahead, and
her nos ebegan to fall. l pulled the
stick back. Up came her nose. l for
got to neutralize this time and her
nose kept rising. Wolfe grinned and
reminded me by taking forward
motion with his hand. | showed the
stick slowly forward; got it shade
too far-and down she went once
more. You see, it's like finding a
note on violin string; you just have
to KNOW; there are no marks. AT
ter | got it through my head that
the stick ALWAYS must be returned
approximately to neutral after a cor
rection did fairly well, and man
aged to keep her on a decently even