The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-05-27
How Lind bereh.
Cheated Death
Flying Night Mail
CONTINUED from PAGE one1
flare might still Be used by Pulling
n,f< thn rre1ease cable |

CONTINUED from paee ono1
flare might still Be used by Pulling
out the release cable.
Clsfe Of Towns
continued on compass course
of So degrees until 7:15 D. M, when
raw a, dull glow on the top Of the
fog, indicating q town below. There
were several Of these light patches
ON the fog, visible only when looking
away from the moon, and knew
them to be towns bordering May
wood.
At no time, however, was / able
to locate the exact position of the
field, although understand that the
searchlights were directed upward
and two barrels of gasoline burned
in an endeavor to attract my attcn-
= ton. Several times ! descended to
the top of the fog, which was 500 20
900 feet high, according to my alti-
meter, The sky above was clear with
the exception Of scattered clouds
! and the moon and stars were shining
bright. After circling around for 50
clearing Lake Michigan. and In ~
attempt to pick up one Of the lights
on the Transcontinental.
Engine Quits
After flying west FOR fifteen min.
utes and seeing NO break / turned
southwest hoping to strike the edge
Of the fog south Of the Illinois river
Ny engine quit at 500 p. M, and
cut in the reserve. l was at that
time only 1900 feet high, and as the
engine did not pick mp as soon as
expected / showed the flashlight in
my belt and was about to release che
parachute flare and jump when the
engine finally took hold again. A
second trial showed the main tanl
to- be dry, and accordingly q maxi.
mum Of twenty minutes flying time
left.
( There were no openings in the FOG
and l decided to leave the ship II
soon as the reserve tsnk was ex.
hausted. / tried to get the mail pill
open with the idea Of throwing ou'
the mail sacks, and then jumping
but was unable to open the front
buckle. I knew that the risk Of fir
with no gasoline in the tanks wal
very slight, and began to climb fol
altitude, when saw light on thu
ground'for several seconds.
First Lights
This was the first light had seer
for nearly two hours, and as almost
enough gasoline for fifteen minute.
flying remained in the reserve,
glided down to 1900 feet and pulled
out the flare release cable as nearl!
as I could Judge over the spot where
the light had appeared. This tim
the flare functioned but only to IL
illuminate the top of q solid bank O
fog, into which it soon disappeared
without showing any trace Of tn
ground.
Seven minutes gasoline remained
in the gravity tank. Seeing the glov
Of town through the fog turnet
towards the open country and nOse'
the plane up. At 5000 feet the engin
.y,uttered and died. stepped up OF
TIE cowling and out over the RICH
side of the cockpit, pulling the Ri
cord after about 1O0-foot fall. Tn
parachute, an Irving seat service
type, functioned perfectly; l wa
failing head downward when tn
risers jerked me into an uprigh
position and the chute opened. Thi
time / saved the rip cord.
Plane HOvers Near
/ pulled the flashlight from M
belt and was playing it down toward
the top Of the fog when heard tn
planes engine pick up. When
Jumped it had practically stoppe
dead and / had neglected, to cut tn
switches. Apparently when the shi
: nosed down an additional supply Q
gasoline drained to the carburetol
Soon she came into sight. about
quarter mile away headed IN the gen
eral direction Of my parachute.
put the flashlight in pocket Q
my flying suit preparatory to slip
ping the parachute out of the way
if necessary. The plane was MAXIM
d left spiral Of about . mile diameter
and passed approximately 300 yard
away from my chute. leaving me o.
the outside Of the circle. | was un
decided as to whether the plane or
was descending the more rapidly an
glided my chute away from tn
spiral path of the ship as rapid
as | could. The ship passed com
pletcly out Of sight, but reappearo
again in few seconds, its rate Q
descent being about the same as tina
of the parachute. counted fiv
spirals, each one little further ava
than the last, before reaching the to
Of the fog bank. sssr
Loses Fiasllight
When I settled into the fog knc,
that the ground was within 1000 fee
and reached for the nashlight, bu
found it to be missing. / could Sc
neither earth nor stars and had n
idea what kind Of territory was be
low. crossed my legs to keep froI
StrgtddlinK Branch 0f wire, 6uarti6
my face with my hands and waited,
Presently ! saw the outline Of tn
Iss..a.lll - p -.
TI1E HOMIE