Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 44, Number 279, 6 September 1919 — Page 14

PAQK TWO

THE RICHMOND PALLADIUM. SATURDAY. SKI'TKMMKU 6, 191!

Carrying Mail for Uncle Sam in A Fog "A pipe and a spoon and a tenpenny nail Stole a tin dish-pun and. wont for a sail; But the cook he grew curious, Fussy, and furious), Gathered his trappings and went on their trail. He found them that night ' In a pitiful plight, And Bent them all home on the ten o'clock mail." liut It Is an entirely different mail service, that occupies all the time of Robert Shank, the most experienced airman in the mail service of the United States. He is one of the "Postmen" who go from New York to Washington, and hack again in two hours, and this means 225 miles at 100 miles an hour. Among the

other men In the mail service, he is known as "Rob Rird." The fol

lowing story Is told by him, of one

night when he was returning with

mail to New York and was forced

to fly through a fo;

"One of the worst things an air

man has to tackle is thick fog or

a heavy fall ot snow," he began,

"Electrical storms or cloudbursts have no terror for us, but, believe ijne, it isn't any fun to fly when you

can't see where you're head in for."

"The funny part about fog," he

went on, "is that you can see down

through it, but you can't see ahead Many a time I have been flying in

the sunlight at an altitude of about

7,000 feet, with a mist bank beneath

me that looked like an impenetrable blanket of cotton batting, but.

on going lower, I found that I could

see the earth by looking straight

down, although a few feet ahead of the plane was a literal wall of fog. "The particular time I'm thinkin' of was about two months ago. I left the field just outside, of Washington, at about 1 o'clock in the afternoon of a rather murky day. Shortly after I had started the fog came down like a shroud, totally blotting out all landmarks, so that f6r some time I flew by blind guess in a general northerly direction. This was at an altitude of nearly 9,000 feet, and, as the cold at that height was so intense, I decided to go down a ways in the hope of coming out frcmi under the enveloping mist, so as

to fly under it during the rest of the trip. The altometer registered 5,000 feet, 3,000, 2,000,- 900 down and down and down, and no opening in the floor of clouds; 500, 300, 150 little chills began to run up and down my spine, for the mist still held. Now I was down to the 100 mark, which is pretty low for a plane. I held my breath as the machine sped on through the gray twilight of the fog bank. At ninety miles an hour the prospect of crashing into a water-tank or a smokestack did not offer much attraction, yet I was afraid to rise because of my absolute helplessness in regard to finding out where I was flying. "However, I rose several hundred feet, but couldn't see my hand before my face, and decided to chance it by coming down again. This time I grew reckless and descended Ho the height of only 75 feet from the ground. There, beneath me, was a winding river. On either side of me were factories, with towering stacks: huge water-tanks on tall iron supports, and lofty elevators. How in the wide world I missed striking any of them, heaven alone knows!

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I LIKE THE ELEPHANT BEST OF ALL ANIMALS (Honorable .Mention .in Animal Story Contest) The animal I like best in tlm elephant. It has such a bie trunk. My!

lie is such a big whopper! I think the monkeys are cute; but what would a circus be with monkeys instead of elephants? I once read about an elephant that walked into an office and asWd for a chock for his trunk, and he wondered why everyone ran when a respectable fellow like him only asked for a check for hia trunk! I would run, too, wouldn't you? If the elephant wat good to eat, wouldn't he make a big dishful? I like the elephant best hecauso he eats peanuts out of my hand. Au'aay! He drinks pop, too, and nod.3 his head for more. I like the elephant because he Is so strong. He can push a bis parade wagon with his head. When you ride on his hack or head, you are so high that nobody can hardly reach you. So, when you say animals -why. elephants are my choice. Melvilhj SI it er. THE MONKEY (Honorable Mention in Animal Story Qontest) I like a monkey because they aro smaller than any other animal. And it is more pleasure to watch them. Herause they are such kind mothers. And take good care of their babies. They are so quick you can teach them most, any tricks. Ami they are more like a human being. Kthel Relhage, Spring Grove. THE DOG STAR Five thousand years before the) Christian era, the l.'gyptian peasant, as he watched each year 4r

the happening of the great miracle, the rising of t he Nile, noticed that its gracious waters began to trickle; over his parched land just at tho time that a certain glorious star aipoarcd above the horizon. And so inevitably did (lie rising of the Nilo follow upon the rising of the star,

! that, to the peasant, the star's faithj fulness could only be compared to the faithfulness of his dog, and thus jSirius came to be called the Dog .Star. Christian Science Monitor.

and faster, until the air was filled with big white flakes that made my chances for seeing the way even more doubtful than before. I descended to 75 feet above ground, and found myself as I had thought, directly over the open fields of Staten island. Clearing towns and villages by litle more than a few feet, I headed for the harbor. Even though it was not quite 5 o'clock, lights twinkled beneath me, and the sky above and around me was black as ink, while the snow pricked my face like a thousand needle points. "I kept the plane at 75 feet until St. George was sighted, and passed and only the open water lay be neath. Then I dropped to 50 as I felt safer on the water than over dwelling houses and manufactories. The night came on with surprising rapidity, and the swirling snow fell more and more thickly. "Suddenly, a tiny point of light pricked the murky gloom directly in front of the plane. Frightened cries and not a few curses broke

the snow-deadened stillness. I

mist, and could see my way fairly jerked over the rudder just in time well. Upon following the river for to clear the mast of a tramp steama while I discovered that I had er which was lumbering down the

flown into Ohio and was directly

over the Ohio River, going north

east toward Pennsylvania. I skimmed over Pittsburgh and finally reached Philadelphia, carefully

skirting the city, so that in case of

an accident or shortage of gas I would not be forced to alight on the housetops. "It was getting on toward 4 o'clock and the mist began to get thicker instead of clearing up. I had been in the air for four hours and had only gotten as far as Delaware, owing to the roundabout way in whicfi il Bad traveled. The moan of thp rwind through the wing-wires rose ."to a shriek, and seemed to almost drown out the roar of the exhause

tfrom the motor.

"On and on through the darken

ing afternoon I flew, hoping against hope that by some special dispensation of Providence the mist would

uift Jong enough for me to get my

bearings and make a dash for Long jjsland, 'Srp add to my troubles, when I treadled 'what I thought was Staten psfenfl, .tiie mist suddenly changed Ho snow, which came down faster

bay. What her crew called to me as I sped past I don't know, but J could guess that it was anything but complimentary. "That was sure a narrow escape," Bob Ilird went on. "Then, just as I got safely past the steamer the machine took a "side slip" and it took all of my skill to right her. "A 'side slip' is when the machine just tips over, loses its balance and falls down a ways," he explained. "But that was simple enough," continued Bob Bird, easily; "I just kicked the rudder over, pulled her nose around, and she soon gathered headway afiain. These things happen once in awhile, and are not unexpected. ITe continued: "I reached the Long Island station, in Brooklyn, and then I really was stumped for a moment. I had intended following the railroad tracks out to Belmont Park, but, as you know, theyi

co underground until thev come un1

for air at Noslrand ave. However, j EXERCISE AND REFRESHMENT while I was thinking about it, Ij Sign in New York: "Cup of Coflooked down, and there 60 or 70 ,' fee and a Roll Down-Stairs for 15 feet below me was a fast express cents." Boston Transcript.

bound for Jamaica just issuing from the mouth of the tunnel. "The storm by that time was so thick that even the lights from the moving train were hardly distinguishable. I sent the plane down until I was not more than 20 feet above the roofs of the passenger coaches, the tips of the wings barely clearing the telegraph poles that whizzed past in a faint blur. Sparks from the engine streamed toward me in the rushing wind and I could feel the soot from the soft coal smoke settling in layers on my face, or rather what part of it showed beneath the heavy leather rimmed goggles. "As we neared Jamaica, I saw the fireman craning his neck out of the window in the engine cab, his face showing white with terror in the darkness. I heard afterward that he had some sort of idea that I was armed with bombs and intended blowing up the train. "Fortunately for me, just as the express pulled into the station, a local was pulling out. so I was able

to switch from one guide to another without delay. I therefore attached myself to the local train, while crowds gathered on the station platform below to watch me go by. It was quite different after having been flying at a speed of 100 to 150 miles per hour to reduce my speed to a pokey 35 miles or less, but if it had not been for the railroad train, I might never have reached my destination that night. "As it happened, it was all I could do to make the landing at Belmont in safety. I circled around

going lower and lower each timo, until I finally spotted the huge bulk of the grandstand at the edge of the race track. Then all I did was to cut out the motor and coast to the ground. "The bunch at the hangars had given me up for lost that night, thinking I had either met with an accident or had put up some place until the fog should lift. You can just bet that this funny little stove loked good to me when I landed in camp."

Do you know Mr. Hook?" "Yes, Hook and I (eye) are old associates." Lone Seoul.

Frank Johnson "That's a good clog you've got. Franklin." Franklin Miller "When did you taste him?" Lone Scout Magazine.

Do You Recognize Nazimova in This Unique Bewiskered Bunny Costume?

Nazimova in her rabbit costume One of Nazimova's great gifts is a wonderful ability to interpret rhythmic dances with all the skill of a premier danseuse. In her newest picture, which will be released in September, she does a fantastic trpsichorean number in the garb of a bewhiskered rabit. She supervised the making of this costume and it is plain to be seen that the result is almost perfect. She docs thedance in a fanciful and futuristic setting of which this giant toadstool is a paxt.