The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-03-04
AVIATOR FALL five
MILES; LANDS SAFE
MAJOR r. w. SCHOEDER BREAKS
ALTITUDE RECORD WHEN HE
ASCENDS 5000 FEET

Aat McCcok Flelu, UdyVoh, NHho' iSN
ver FIVE miles after. reaching an alti-
hde of 5000 feet, said to be 5000
Jet higher than, the worlds record
The major is in a hospital recov-
(ring from shock and temporary blind
hess. instruments on the machine in
dicated that it fell more than FIVE
niles in two minutes. While still
1000 feet above the ground the air
plane righted itself and glided. to a
graceful landing. When the plane
settled, attendants who rushed toward
il found Major Schroeder sitting erect
in the machine, apparently hfeless.
For a brief time pesidents of Dayton
were sure comet had appeared In
the sky.
Aseends Two Hours
Thousands of persons gazed sky
ward watching the plane which had
ascended two hours before, plunge
downward.
His senses numbed and his eyes
frozen shut in a temperature said to
have been sixty-seven degrees below
Zero, Schroeder regained partial con-
|, sciousness when 1000 feet above the
earth, in time to right his machine
and prevent it from crushing to the
ground out of control.
The thousands of spectators were
unaware at the time that they wera
witnessing a drama of the sky,
they saw speck of black silhouetted
against the blue, to which was at.
tsched "tail" OF grayish color. Grad
aslly the object was enlarged as it
hurled 70 the earth. When but few
thousand feet above those watching,
they saw that it was an airplane turn
ing in tail spin. 1t was at this
point that Major Schroeder regained
control of his machine and headed it
toward McCook Field. Here Major
: Schroeder made a safe landing and
collapsed.
Limbs Were Numb.
He was blinded and his limbs were
numb, despite the electrically heated
a1it. in which he was encased. He
:anfering froms the effects of lack
,of oxygen. When nearly seven miles
aB6ye the earth his oxygen tanks be-
eaxffe exhausted, and it was this which
Icbbed him of consciousness and
caused him to fall.
Mechanics and officers at McCook
Field lifted Major Schroeder from the
plane and he was given first aid treat
ment, and later being removed to the
post hospital, where it was said his
blindness will be only temporary. 1t
win be several days before he will be
able to use his eyes, according to DR..
! Howard v. Dutrow, an eye specialist,
salled inte consultation.
T6e thermometer on Major Schroe-
der machine registered temperature
Of fifty degrees below zero, Cent?
grade, or sixty-seven degrees below
zero, Fahrenheit. Altitude figures
from the barograph reading indicated
height of $1,000 feet, and when cal
daated by; Capt. Sarison w. Flick
srer shG wed an official altitude Of
SS020 feet, new worlds record, and
variation of less than 1000 feet.
Gises Him High Record
The mark set by Major Schroeder
gain gives him the record, which
kaand Nolphs won from him July
1919, with an official altitude Of
BOO feet, and later increased in a
bnd fight to $1,000 feet. 1t also
AXIS the record of Adjt. Casale, a
each pilot, who was credited with
unofficial record of 3S,137 feet.
bajor Schroeder was dressed heav-
than any Polar explorer who ever
North. He literally was wrapped
bexihle electric heaters. His fly
suit was lined with the fur of
|Sese Nuchwang dogs and between
fur and outer lining flexible cleo
ss.tS units, connected by silk COW
kys7 q; with the dynamos Of the
ated the entire suit.
~ Ike manner his headgear,
pEs. and moecasins were heated.
Mjor Schroeder wore an oxygen mask
othis own design
Capt. Harrison w. Flckinger, chief
c.abration officer of McCook Field,
I'd Major Schroeder's record would
first sent to the war department
bhcials at Washington and late to
bAcials of the Aeo Club Of America
M &nro Cluh spf America, recogniz-