Evening star., 1924-10-19

Foregoing two major foot ball
gSmes and an international horse
race, thousands of Neutrality-suspicious.
went to Boiling Field yesterday
afternoon for the annual Army Relief
Associations benefit aerial perform
ance and were well rewarded for their
choice. The show had the edge" on
the one produced at the field a year
ago. and which at that time was the
greatest ever staged about Wash
lngton.
For two hours the crowd lined the
field from one end to the other and
was kept busy watching whirling
alrplaneS run the gamut of aero
nautical activities.
There were three events on the
program which managed to shove
this years show ahead of that staged
last year. They were the formation
flight of three Curtiss PW-S pursuit
planes. the latest in fast fighting
planes; the destruction of an observa-
ton sausage" balloon by the fore
going planes and the parachute jump
of Sergt. Pearson Of Mitchell Field. N. Y.
The three pursuit planes from the
1st Pursuit Group, Selfridge Field,
Mount Clemens, Mich. were flown by
the Army's outstanding aerial fight
ers-Lieuts. ICY" Bettis, T. X.
Matthews and G. P. Tourtellot. In
little planes that are capable of max
ing IFS miles an hour without effort,
they flew various battle formations
which included changing OF positions
by means of dives, wing-overs and
other maneuvers. 1t was the finest
exhibition of formation flying ever
seen about Washington.
Attack ON "SausaGe."
Upon conclusion of this perform
ance, the three planes separated and
stunted for many minutes, and then,
forming in W. and with consider
able altitude to assist them, dived for
the sausage at the south end Of the
field. The 12-cylinder motors were
coupled with the screaming noise
made by the wind through the planes
wires sent a chill throughout the
field.
The planes were supposed to carry
machine guns and incendiary bullets
were to be fired at the balloon. Blu
the large number of people on the
ground prevented any shooting. by
these ships, which were diving at
their objective at a speed OF not less
than 200 miles an hour.
A time fuse within the big sausage
had been set, but officers at the field
did not figure the balloon would
break away from it's moorings. which
it did. AS it floated idly toward the
east, smoke emitted from its tail and
suddenly it burst into a cloud of red
flames. Then it began to settle, this
huge ball of smoke and fire, but it
burned rapidly and just before it
struck the woods back of the field
and not a great distance away. the
fabric and hydrogen were about con-
sumed. AS far as could be learned.
no damage was inflicted by the burn
ing cloth.
Two Martin bombers were flying
over the field at an altitude of about
1000 feet, one of them carrying
Sergt. Johnson of Langley Field.
Va, on the left wing, and the
other plane conveying Sergt. Pear
son in the cockpit. All eyes were
skyward waiting for the men to
jump. Soon a human form was seen
to fall from one plane. feet first, and
then swerve into a horizontal posi-
tion. There was ma parachute to be
seen, and everybody thought 1t had
failed to open. Just then, however,
Sergt. Pearson pulled the rip-cord
and in an instant the chute opened,
jerking him violently in a large semi
circle.
1t was remarkable that the deli
~S
withstood the strain, but II they had
collapsed, Sergt. Pearson had another
chute strapped to his chest. He
fioated slowly down to earth and
made a perfect landing on the south
end Of the field.
Just at this time the other Martin
bomber maneuvered into favorable
position, and Sergt. johnson pulled
off, the wing-a term given when
Jumper opens his parachute by the
force of the; wind through the wings
of the plane, and then releases him
self from the ship. Before he had
descended half way to earth, john
son opened the second parachute he
carried, and he likewise landed on
the south end of the field.
The bombers were flown by Capt.
"Red" Black and Lieut. Grisham,
both of Langley.
Free Balloon Disappear..
The show opened promptly at 8
o,clock with the ascension of q big
hydroeen-filled free balloon. under
command of Col. Ira Fravsl, chief OF
the lighter-than-air section OF the
Army Air Service, and CARRYING MAI.
Tjnkins as observer. 1t arose verti-
callv to an altitude Of about 500 feet
end then slowly drifted to the east.
Finally It disappeared over St Eliza
heth's Hill and late last night had
not been heard from.
Lieut.. Batten Of McCook Field then
took the air in his sky-wrtting plane,
only he wasn't able to do any sky
writing owing to a protest made by a
private concern holding the patents
on airplane penmanship against such
operations by Army pilots. He, how
ever, traced his movements IN the
air with white smoke emitted from
a long exhaust pipe, extending from