The Ocala banner., 1922-06-16
AVIATOR RELATES WiERD Ex-
PERIENCES IN EVERGLADES

anu nights III the WlIuS OF the Ever
glades, and going without food for
the greater part of the time, isn't going
to interfere with Cadet Raymond
Whites career as an aviator. The
young Texan. back at the flying field
after his narrowing experience, in an
interview this evening said he wasn't
going to give up flying for any old
Everglades or any old panthers and
alligators. Describing his experience.
White. twenty years old and in the
air service since January 4, 1921, said:
Il was making the return trip from
Okeechobee City, flying about 1000
feet up and alone. when l got lost
that r.. lost my sense of direction and
didn't know where l was headed.
Just kept on flying. A little before
n0on-thiS was last Thursday-my
fuel tank ran dry and had to make
a landing: so | volplaned iato a clump
OF scrub palmetto The old plane
turned over, throwing me clear.
wasn't hurt at all, but the plane.
practice machine. was a wreck. 7 stay
ed with il until the sun was far en-
ough west for me TO tell directions.
and then | started walking north
weswardly The whole country as
far as could see was nothing but
swamps. sawgrass, cypress trees and
more swamps. and couldn't figure
how ever would come clear.
Sometimes | waded through SHINY
mud ankle deep. and sometimes l had
to swim bayous and fight for a foot
ing in the mud of the opposite side
kept thinking about that other Carls-
from Field aviator who got lost in the
Everglades about three years ago,
and remembered that all they ever
found of him was his skeleton. six
or eight months later There were
alligators-big ones-in the bayous.
but they all sank out of sight when |
came along. and didn't bother me.
The mosquitoes and swamp gnats at
tackled me in swarms. My clothes had
been pretty nearly cut off me as |
pushed through the giant sawgrass.
and my whole body soon became
raw sore. swollen mass. ! had no
knife, no matches, no cigarettes or
makings. and | couldn't see where it
was going to end.
Thursday night ! camped under a
tree. covering up as we'll as / could
with pine needles and leaves in the
effort TO keep off the thousands of
mosquitoes. Then big panther near
by let out scream, and the way |
went up that tree would have done
credit TO a squirrel l climbed up
nearly fifty feet and hooked onto the
tree with my belt. and there stayed
all night. Other panthers came close
enough for me TO hear them eater
wauling in the woods, but when day
light came they went away.
"As soon as it was light | climbed
down and started walking again.
was half dead from exhaustion, the
mosquito bites and from being with
out food since the previous morning.
| had drunk the swamp water and il
was making me sick. I staggered on
nearly all day Friday. under the broil-
ing sun and almost eaten alive by the
insects. ! was afraid of sunstrOke.
but more afraid of another night alone
in the wilderness. Finally | felt as if
were really going to die and seem
ed TO feel myself going, but | kept
plugging along through the swamps
and mud, knee deep in some. places.
passed some grape vines and tried
to tnd few grapes, but they We're
all dried up on the vines About four
O'Clock that afternoon, desperate with
fatigue and hunger. | caught one OF
the immense grasshoppers l saw in
the swamps. and-yes sir-I did
actually tried to eat it, | was that
hungry. could only manage the
hopper's legs. but later l caught an
other and ate all of it, Then didn't
see any more of them.
THE sun was nearly down when l
fought through a slushy, oozy cane
brake and found myself in some sort
of an old road l had picked up
couple of sticks to help me walk. My
eyes were nearly closed from mos
quito bites. | had been about ready
to die, but the trail gave me new hopes
so | staggered on and an hour later
saw a Seminole Indian boy about
nineteen. He couldn't talk much En-
glish, but he went along with me and
when we came to a fork in the trail
he said I go this way. | said 4 go
this way too and ne took me to a
little Seminole village He gave me
piece of dry bread, too; that and the
grasshoppers was all had to eat until