A MACHINE A MINUTE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2944, 2 December 1916, Page 9

A MACHINE A MINUTE

FRENCH AIRMAN'S RECORD AND SENSATIONAL ESCAPE. The Paris "Matin" states that on a certain Saturday in September last tho French champion.. Flight-Lieutenant C4uyuenicr, broughtdown three German aoroplanes in the record time of three minutes, and then himself had an extremely narrow escape from death.- A, portion of an enemy shell struck his macliino when at an altitudo of 3000 metres, and smashed through its left wing, and the aeroplane fell with terx'iblo velocity to about' 1500 metres, when it was caught by a gust of wind, I which drove it towards the French lines. It fell heavily to the ground, and was completely destroyed, but with i extraordinary good fortuno tho lieuton- , ant suffered little hurt. , - Guyuemcr declares ho gave himself up for lost: the only thing ho asked Providence for was that he should not fall in enemy territory. "I was powerless to make my will felt. My niaonina refused to obey'me. At 1600 metres I determined to make a fight for it, all tho same. The wind had brought mo back into our own linos. I was almost happy. I was already thinking of my funeral, witli sorrowing friends walking behind my last remains. I had noth- ' ing moro to fear from tho ben. However, I felt that it was death, and that thought is not a very pleasant one. "My fall continued. In spite of all my efforts, I could not do what I wanted with my machine. I tried to turn it first to tho right and then to tho left. I pushed and pulled, hut all to no purpose. I 'could do nothing. Down I fell faster and faster, drawn surely and inevitably to tho earth where I was' going to be smashed to atoms a brutal : and a futilo one. I shut my eyes, thon I opened them again and looked down. At something liko 180 kilometres (125 miles) an-hour I crashed into a pylon. There was a terrific cracking sound and a deep thud. I looked round and found that nothing was left of my mnohine. How is it I am still alive? I'wonder myself. I think it was the straps which held mo in my seat which saved my life. They had eaten right into my shoulders anyhow, but if it had not been for them I should be doad at this moment."