The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-10-26
FIGHTING STORM
HIGH UP IN AIR
Navigator in Plane Tells of Thrill
ing Experience During a
Fierce Cyclone.
BREAKS WITHOUT WARNING
Hail and Rain Lash Machine Mercl-
lessIy, Making II Toss From One
Side to the other Like a Cork
on Surface Of Sea.

49,
plane describing an experience In 0
storm Thousands of feet above the
earth writes:
"The sky was strewn with the rem
nants OF a morning cirrus, rs the
climb was made carefully but swiftly
81 the wings Of a warm wind. Eight
thousand feet was reached with the
merest effort. The salient features Of
the countryside could be picked out
without glasses. The air lad a milky
tlnge. but It was such as the eye could
speak through, and it gave no i'm
preston of the moisture with which II
must have been heavy. 1t seemed
warm and brilliant, and as the ma
chine throbbed IT'S way through II two.
warm slip streams flowed back over
the wind screen.
Comes %UnheraIded.
"Some time must have elapsed be-
fore the pilot, in twisting the craft
round TO a new direction, caught a
glimpse OF a llyid purrle-gray bank OF
clouds which had crept up from the
south. It had como quite |unheralded
by thunder, but although the sight was
not attractive there seemed neither
cause for alarm nor need for a premG-
ture descent. Even the growing rumble
Of thunder Mt a great distance, which
came at last, failed TO discomfort, end
the airplane scared on with bracing
wires singing and the engine in deep,
full-throatcd roar.
"Then. without further warning. the
storm broke in full fury. A mighty
crash Of thunder. which seemed to
deafen and almost shake the machine
out of the skies. was accompanied by
n wild burst Of hail and rain which
dashed the machine mercilessly and
made II toss from one side 10 the other
like q cork on the surface OF the sea.
In a steaming cloak Of rain and mist
il was impossible for the eye to see
the ground.
peal after peal Of thunder followed
In swift succession between vivid
flashes OF furious summer lightning
The heavens had opened to pour forth
the accumulated passion of centuries.
at nearly 1000 feet up it would be
suicidal to descend into the unknown
end unseen. Which was safer-air or
nudau-Po the pilot. anxious almost
lrynnd endurance, cane the thought
common n every flying man. OF fire
IN the nlr. md rs If 10 confirm this
Horror q flash in n moment illumi-
mated ;lr whole machine as though 4;
vcrc caught in the probing beam OF
a s%carohllght at night. The sky WINS
r2nt from vault to horizon lay a vivid
streak of electric fire. Tie indicatin.
fingers on the navigation instruments
oscillatcd wildly.
Like Wounded Eird.
at seemed the last moment hut Il
passed., and sim the machine was air
worthy. The hail stlll tore fcrcely n
the fabric Of the planes the machiu,
was becoming more and more un
stable; but II stil hummed on. Dowr
below n cloGl OF ynpor made IL i'm
possible 10 sce the earth or to sigh
q stretch Of ground whercon to land
The thunder broke with undated fury
at regular intervals. aud at each on
slaught the machine qulyercd IKE s
wounded bird.
'1f the pilot continued 10 NY on (
could only be a matter ~ mquienti
before MI control Of the TRAIT wouli
he wrenchpd from his hands. 1t wa
equally hazardous to plunge down int,
the sea of mist in total ignorance o
the lie Of the land beneath, But I,
the latter course only could a SIRE,
Of hope cling, The engine therefor,
was suddenly shut on and The nose o
the machine. dropped.
"By the altimeter, watched feycriSh
~. the descent of n few thousand fee
seemed TO take many minutes, In tn
thick Of a Swirllng mist n sudden AM
violent contact with the earth WIS me
mentarily expected. Put downtown
Until at y hat seemed the critical sec
oud there came n sudden thrush O
steHdy, grateful air from n region q
smiling content and peacefulness, wit
the earth u thousand feet below. Their
was no sunshine, but there was ais
no storm. II h0! been a cyclone q
fIn unrpr rnrions only