The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-03-03
AVIATOR FALLS
FIVE: MILES

Nv u. Np1AH-S
Army OFFICER Attained Worlds Alti-
tude Record of Z Miles Before Mis-
lmp. Unconscious and Eyes Frozen
Shut by Cold.
| Dayton, Feb. 27.-An ainplane car
rying Major b. w Schroeder, chief
test pilot at McCook field, today fell
over five miles, after reaching an alti-
tudc Of 36o20 feet, said to be 1920
feet higher than the worlds record.
Tonight the major is in hospital
suffering from shock AMI temporary
partial blindness. Instruments of the
machine indicate that it fell more
| than five miles in two minutes. While
| still 1000 feet above the ground the
arplane righted itself and glidcd to
Il graceful landing. When the plane
| settled. attendants who rushed toward
| it, found Major Schroeder sitting erect
III the machine, apparently lifelcss.
! For brief time, residents of Dayton
were sure comet had appeared in
the sky They had mistaken the trail
Of vapor escaping from the machine
as it sped downward for a stranger
in the heavens"
Thousands of persons gazed sky
ward, watching the plane, which had
asccnded two hours before, plunge
downward.
His senses number and his eyes
frozen shut in a temperature said to
have been 67 degrees below zero,
Schroeder regained partial conscious
ness when 1000 feet above the earth
in time to right his machine. and pre-
vent it from crashing to the ground
out of control.
The thousands of spectators were
unaware at the time that they were
witnessing drama Of the sky They
saw spcck silhouctted against
the blue to which was attached a
tail Of grayish color. Gradually the
object was enlarged as it hurtled to
the earth. When but a few thousand
feet above them those watching saw
'iioI IL "do itll bll RiaIt, tul ulHb Ill q
taQ-spn. 1t was at this point that
Major Schroeder rcgained control OF
his plane and headed it toward Nc
Cook field.
landing and collapsed.
He was blinded and his limbs were
numb, despite the electrically heated
suit in which he was cncascd. He
lack OF oxygen. When nearly seven
miles above the earth his oxygen
tanks became exhausted and it was
this which robbed him OF conscious
ness and caused him to fall
Mechanics and officers at McCook
field lifted Major Schroeder from the
plane and he was given first aid treat
mcnt, and later was removed to the
post hospital, where it was said his
blindness will be only temporary. 1t
will be several days before he will be
able to use his eyes, according to DR..
Howard V. Dutrow, an eye specialist,
called into consultation.
The thermometer on Major Schroe-
dor's machine registered tempera-
ture Of So degrees below zero cent?
grade, or 67 degrees below zero fahr-
enheit. Altitude figures from the
barograph reading indicated height
Of $1,000 feet, and when calibrated by
Capt. Harrison w. Flckinger, showed
an official attitude of 36,020 feet, a
new worlds record and q variation of
less than 1000 feet.
Tho mark set by Major Schroeder
again gives him the record which
Roland Rohi first won from him July
80, 1919, with an official altitude of
10000 feet, and later increased in
second flight to $1,000 feet. 1t also
breaks the record of Adjutant Casele,
a French pilot, who was credited with
an unofficial record of 33,137 feet.