EXPLORER'S PHOTOS IN AIR WHILE UNCONSCIOUS

Shannon News, 16 August 1929, Page 4

EXPLORER'S PHOTOS IN AIR WHILE UNCONSCIOUS

FLYING OVER ANDES. A remarkable story uf liow he filmed the "roof" of the Andes while unco»scious was told recently by Mr. J. 0. Bee Mason, the explorer, who has raturned to London from South America.

Mr. Mason started his flight over Illimani, one of the highest mountains in South America, 21,300 ft. above sea

level, with an English pilot named .Russell Banting. "At 16,000 ft.," he said, "I began to feel the effect of the altitude «and signalled to Banting to turn on the oxygen. After that I r!eJt better, and standing up, exposed some film.

"After a time I looked round again, and saw we were very close to Illiruani and almost level with the top. J had removed by gloves to operate the camera, and my fingers were almost frozen. I noticed my camera was covered with ice.

"The rest of the journey is a complete blank to me. I knew no more until I heard a voice say: 'Fetch the doctor at once,' and found we were back at La Paz. I was not allowed to leave the machine until the doctor had given inc.an injection, and 1 was then taken to the hospital and made to drink two large cups of black coffee. "I soon revived, and on looking at my camera found it registered 150 ft. I was puzzled, as I distinctly remembered putting the meter back to zero b;foro starting, and I had exposed 60 feet before losing consciousness. "] went to bed, but was unable to rest. I could not explain why the camera registered 150 ft., so decided to get up and develop my negative and find out what the other 90ft. was. 1 was amazed at the result.

"I had a most wonderful picture of the snow-capped peaks of the Andes, and the final scene was a magnificent view of Illimani.

Banting afterwards told me that when about 21,000 ft. up I stood up and vigorously turned the handle of my camera. He noticed I had a strange

look on my face, and wondered what was wrong. Soon after that I collapsed."