The Washington times., 1922-04-25
Screen NewSman
Tells of Flight
Over VeSuviuS

~ be recorded in the annals OF
heroism than those lived by
news reel cameramen In their un-
firing devotion and loyalty to the
spirit of their profession.
Here's a thrilling example,:
Russell Muth. Fox News camera
man. who recently took air pic
lures in the crater Of Mt. Vesuvius.
was miraculously saved from death
during the sensational flight. when
the plane. carrying him and beau
Uful Italian girl pilot. Dolores San
tora. crashed against a tree and
was wrecked. Notwithstanding
this accident and a broken arm.
Muth was able to complete his as
signment and photographed the
wrecked plane. In a graphic, in
teresting letter to II. f. Hancock.
supervisor Of Fox News. the in
trepid cameraman thus described
the experiences:
I'VE had started out at 10 In tbs
morning for the summit Of Vesu-
vius. You can imagine how I felt
when I discovered that my pilot on
this hair-raising adventure WAS to
be a woman. When ! demanded
Of the executives Of the aeroplane
company. from which I leased my
plane, why in tho dickens they
didn't send a full-sized man along.
they all exclaimed. 'Signor. no man
in our company has the courage.
Signorita Santora is the bravest
and greatest aviatrix in Europe.
There is absolutely no question Of
her skill
so, since the girl was very
pretty. / decided to make the best
Of it; and want to say right hero
that don't believe there is a man
living who would have gone
through what she did and been
able to come out with a smile. Be-
ieve me, this experience has
changed my ideas about women.
I'VE first made two circles be-
low the surface Of the large crater
and then began to mount 80 meters
above the crater. Right here I
started to turn the crank, and after
circling at this height twice, we
tried an angle Of about 10 meters
higher, thereby cutting through the
2rpnlxa thu SidA NJ ha L.
crater. We no sooner had entered
the smoke when the bottom seemed
to drop out of the plane. The mo-
tor had stopped and We were in
heavy smoke.
by the time we got out Of the
smoke we Were descending rather
fast. We had just managed to miss
the far side OF the large crater an
started at about so meters fr
the slope Of Nesuvius TO desc
The girl looked around at me IN
a despairing shake OF her r o.. or
course / gave her a snn'' as IL
there was nothing on my mind at
all; but evidently this did not work.
for as we reached the bottom OF
sharp decline, We went into a side
slip.
Right there IL where I was will
ing to pay about cents for my
chances, camera and all. But al.
most by magic the girl managed to
straighten the plane out again
neither she nor I knew how: but
we did straighten IL out about
20 feet from the ground, head
ed off in the right direction and
ran plumb into a tree. After hit
ting this tree we fell to the ground.
A. we were falling / took a big
chance and threw the camera over
the edge of the plane In the bushes,
praying that 1t might not be
broken. AS soon as we managed
to come to after hitting the tree,
/ took a look at the camera and
the fact that 1t was unharmed
made me forget, for the time be-
ing, that my arm was broken. i
photographed the wrecked plane
so that everybody would not say.
when they heard this story, oh,
that's a press agent yarn If they
think so, all they have to do Is
look at this plane.
1.-The girl was badly bruised and
cut about the head and neck and
lower limbs, but we managed to
get back to Naples.
Accidents will happen to aero
planes; but I tell you am mighty
glad, and thank my lucky stars
that l am sitting here and die
tating this letter to you instead
of singing songs with the angels"
REN BEYER, the cyclist at b.
~ +. Keith's this week, is on
his aeYenfh tour ar0nnd thu xuorId