The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-03-24

Copyright, 1920. by The Newspaper
Enterprise Asseeiation-l
Eli wish Il m ght remember what hap
pened Immediately after began to fall
THAT part of the flight will always be
4 blank to me- / must have been I'M
conscious the entire time with the
machine rushing toward the earth
with the velocity, almost, of shoot
ing star.
The next sensation / recall was OF
a terrific explosion in my head, and on
looking about discovered / was within
u few thousand feet OF the earth and
in a strange territory. My eyes panied
me very much and my hearing seemed
to be gone With great effort
leveled the machine and headed west
by locating the sun.
Eyes Go Closed.
After about IS minutes flying. l
found myself over Wilbur Wright's air
drome, but by this time my eyes were
practically shut, and / was sure that
to attempt a landing would be dis-
Rstrous.
IN 4 few moments I was directly
over McCook Field. My eyes were
worse than ever, so / decided to gain
a little altitude and jump to safety
with my parachute. However, as i
recognized the post hospital | mechan-
ically shut off my motor and landed
The wheels hit the ground and found
myself unable to move muscle ana
with both eyes tightly closed
After several days under the doc
tors care, I was able TO examine my
instruments and record my obserVa-
tions. the celebration of the instru-
ments gave me an altitude OF 5o,l5o
feet.
Up 100 Feet a Minute
At the maximum height | was stlli
climbing at the rate Of i20 feet per
minute. Considering the indicated for
ward speed and the distance | was
driven back. there must exist winds
with yelnc ~ in the neighborhood of
go miles per hour at points between
10000 and 35.000-foot attitudes. and
which arc always from a westerly di-
rection.
To make use Of these high velocity
winds III air travel is quite feasible.
In fact my present plan includes a
trip from san Francisco. to start in
the morning, landing in New York for
dinner. This feat / fully expect to ac-
complish within the next few months.
Speeds OF 800 to 400 miles per hour will
easily be obtained
IA close examination or my lnslfu-
ments showed that / had fallen a YER
tical distance OF $4,000 feet in minutes
and seconds at speed varying from
800 to f60 miles per hour. Fifteen Sec
onds more and | would have crashed
to tie earth.
"shocla' Brought Him To.
This brings up the question-what
caused me to regain consciousness !?
AT the start OF the fall / was under
an atmospheric pressure of about 51z
pounds per square inch. This drop in
pressure had come on gradually TO the
inner system. At the end Of the fall
/ was under an atmospheric pressure
OF about III pounds per square inch. or
! had tripled the pressure at a terrific
rate Even when gliding down at nor
NAL speed from altitude the e ar drums
cause great pain, due TO the attempt of
the inner ear to increase its pressure
a. fast as the outside pressure in
creases
From 10000 feet down sufficient oxy-
gen was In ne air to supply my needs,
but something was necessary to rouse
me from my stupor. The seeming ex-
piosion in my head, caused no dc lbt
by the rush Of air to the inner ear to
'equalize the pressure, caused con-
cussion effect similar TO an explosion.
this sudden shock rousing my stupi-
fled nerves sufficiently to make me
realize my position.
Upon examination OF my eyes. the
doctor pronounced their condition only
temporary. Except for varying fever