Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-01-03
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Why He Missed
the Air Photos Z
By cENEvRA COOK

TOMMY ALLEN, plotting the fast
L biplane Of the Daily Star, circled
over the empty valley below. Only
I few minutes now, and the big time
would begin; few minutes more and
the followed earth below him would
be the bed of great reservoir. Tom
my thrilled to the significance of 1t.
Far up at one end Of the valley the
water, held back by the new Cresco
dam of the upper reservoir, washed
threateningly against the concrete
walls. At the other end Of the brown
valley walled in by the Packanack
hills, the white edging walls rounded
to second dam, Cresco II, the men
called 1t, its gates tightly closed to hold
back the flood when 1t rushed through
the opened gates of Cresco /.
Tommy, his pride In the wonderful
assignment, his first big one on
aerial photography for his paper, had
already taken the two dams and the
once fertile valley, bare now Of the
neat white houses that two years be-
fore had clustered into little village
there. ao af4a1 Ai
Suddenly in the long, bare valley
below him, he saw something morel
Stop. Move again. 1t approached a
little uneven spot in the ground. Once
more it stopped. Now 1t was moving
two of them were movingI Great
Godi Were there people in that val
ley? Tommy could feel the rush Of
the water in his ears. Only minute
or two now and it would sweep down
on them, roaring, and swallow them
up, screaming. Tommy gulped He
couldn't go down there now. He had
to get those pictures-he had to.
| The little black dots moved slowly,
unevenly on. They couldn't be peo-
pie. How would people get in there
and why? They were cattle. They
had to be cattle Tears of effort
stung his eyes. God! He couldn't
face that. They must be people. And
he would have to. get them. He
couldn't let them die there, like rats
in a1hole. From far up at the end of
the valley came the thunder Of the
first gun. .e Sc .lf,s 9g8I ra 81
r Tommy's hand reached out auto
matically for, the camera. He pulled
1t f1ercely back, and began to bank for
the downward swoop.
| There wasn't much Of a place to
land, the ground was bumpy and un-
even, but he would have to be quick.
He found place that seemed fairly
level and not too far from the moving
spots. As he TAXED jerkily over the
bottom Of the valley, he heard the
report Of the second gun.
| Bringing the plane to a stop, he
sprang from 1t, shouting and gesticulat-
ing. He could see the two figures
plainly nova very bent, very white
haired old man valiantly supporting (
trembling old, old lady. A pathetic
dropping picture they made, desolate
| in valley of desolation.
"Come onl" Tommy shouted, run
ming toward them.
They seemed scarcely able to stand.
He thrust his strong young shoulders
between them and fairly pushed them
along toward the plane, lifted the little
old lady bodily into the forward cock
pit, boosted the frail, white-lipped old
man In after her, nurtled himself into
the pilots cockpit, and was of.
As the plane liftel over the valley
| there was the sound of many waters
and the flood rushed In. Tommy saw
| other planes above his head, knew he
| was beaten, had lost for the Star.
When he had gained altitude, 1t would
be too late. G aai -YAl
At the field Tommy unloaded his
two trembling, fearful passengers,
guided them tenderly to chairs in the
Office, and listened to their story
the story of the condemning of the
little house where they had lived to-
gether so happily for so many, many
years; their witnessing even of its de-
struction, board upon board, nail upon
nail, like the tearing apart of their
two hearts; their wish to see the
place Of their home only once again.
So they had come back, hand in hand,
to see it for the last time.
-
An hour later Tommy walked I'M
happily into the office Of the Daily
Star. The Old Man was waiting for
him. Tommy drew a long sobbing
breath and faced him.
VI didn't get them,' he said.
The Old Man held out big hand.
II know what you got boy" His
voice choked a little. 1--WE haven't
got the dam pictures, but we've got
something a d-n sight finer-we've
got you. r.ysa
"And your name and the name of
the Star on every front page in the
country, Tommy. What pictures
they'll be! Tommy, that was a fine
thing you did"
~ The door of the office opened and
men we're shown Infamous men, too,
to Tommy; big editors, some of them;
reporters way up In the game; one
sporting man. He swallowed hard
| The Old Man beamed. Boys" he
said, II want you to meet Tommy
Allen Of the Star A mighty good re-
porter-in line for promotion in
aerial photography; quick thinker,
clever pilot; and man, boys, a man
for the world to be proud OLA d-n
| fino man .a ..4u