The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-21

ton. Had TO send on schedule given
by the radio office. This is necessary so
as not to conflict with the messages
being sent in by the other machines. In
sending message you first have to let
out $50 feet of aerial, which trails be-
hind and below the left wing. On the
end of the aerial is a lead weight
known as - fish, " You next adjust
your spark gaps until You get the right
reading ON the hot wire ammeter. You
then press key and send message using
International Morse code. 1t seem
rather "useless to press that key
1900 feet in the air 80 miles out in tn
gulf and it seems nothing short of mar
velous on returning to the beach to fn6
that all your messages have been re
eeived, word for word.
Ensign /. D. Spaulding of Brattle-
horo is here and we have had some
good flights together. He holds an i'm
portant position, having to do with the
putting together of the planes a they
come from the factory
! | suppose the Pensacola station is one
of the best in the world. Millions of
dollars have been spent and the hangers
machine shops, carpenter shops and
walk from one end of the beach to thu
other. All along the beach the differen
squadrons are busy. Some machines arc
going out, Others coming in and SOM
being filed with gas and oil. 1t is no
uncommon to see 10 to IS machines ir
the air at once with many others out
of sight. In single day sometime
like 100 machines are in commission
Tba,.. e -
all the time 1t is an interesting sight
to go into the motor erecting shop. Yor
will see row after row of I.ibert,
motors being assembled or repaired al
so any number of the beautifully mad
Hispano Suiza motors and others.
The carpenter shops are little in
dustry in themselves. Here the bottoms
OF the flying boats and the pontoons for
the hydroaeroplanes are repaired.
Stunning is allowed over the "spiraT
field and usually late in the afternoon
several pilots in the light type of plano
will be seen making tail-spins,s >
Immelman turns, 'fwing-over
wings" "falling leafs, - "side. slips
and others. 1t is fascinating sight an6
the fellows never get tired of watehinr
; 1t. 1t is also some sensation to experi
ehee one yourself. A stunt is USUALLY
/ preceded by the shutting off of tn
, motor. As long as the motors drone
, everybody keeps on about their busi
, ness 1t is when the sound of the mo
tor dies away that all eyes look up ant
, usually they are not disappointed
Someone will say, THAT fellow i.
, pretty high up-it s : about time fol
, him to try something and sur,
, enough, short while later anothe,
: says, There he goes-a tail spin. -
$ Recently we have had some very sat
, and horrible accidents. Two diferen
flying boats fell in tail spins, KILN.
! all three occupants each time. Whcl
e the men are friends or acquaintance
4 1t has very depressing effect. The ma
D chimes were smashed to splinters an,
/ the metal parts bent and twisted.
RI The proportion of accidents is yer,
small, however. l suppose it is muci
e less than enc per cent. When YOU con
: slider that as many as 5000 flying hour
: are gotten in in week and that 10
+ seven weeks there was not a fataIt,
$ you will see the small percentage O
q accidents.
t Recently the complement of the sta
t tlon has been greatly reduced and
5 great many men are going home on in
4 active duty.