THE NORTH PLATTE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
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HE aeroplane's career as a savior ot
lives in largo number began as early
as 1911, In the very war In which
it first demonstrated Its jiotontlall
ty as an instrument of war, and
the result shows that its poten
tiality was greater as an instru
ment of peace a life suver.
Those who followed the develop
ment of tho Italian-Turkish war will remember
how at tho very start of the campaign, before the
first engagement took place, the newly landed
Italians were saved from an unpleasant surprise
by the aerial scouts, who observed tUreo advance
ins columns ot Turks and Arabs of about G.000
men. The Italians, after receiving this informa
tion, could successfully calculate distances and ar
range for their defense.
On the following day, October 24, tho battle of
Sclara-Sclat took plu"co, resulting In the loss to
tho Turkish army of 3,000 men. During tho bat
tie two aeroplanes were circling tho air. Tho
flights took place above tho line of fire, so as to
bo able to direct tho firing of tho big guns from
the battleship Carlo Alberto and also of the moun
tain artillery. The aeroplanes were often shot
at by the guns of tho enemy, but with no resultB.
The finding of tho enemy was an influential event.
The situation at the time was such that without
that discovery the Italians would have mot with
a defeat which might have affected tho whole
campaign. Thus two men and two old, half worn
aeroplanes saved a defeat which might havo In
volved the loss of thousands of lives as was tho
case in the Erlthrea campaign at a cost ot pos
sibly only a few dollars, the prico of gasolene and
oil.
Later In tho campaign the aeroplane became a
veritable advance agent of peace, being used by
the Italian officers to drop manifestoes over tho
encampment telling tho natives of tho Italians' in
tentions. This is a very important matter, bo
cause, as shown by France's long campaign in
Algeria and Morocco, most of the trouble In colon
ies Is due to tho natives misunderstanding tho
purposes of the invaders, who .nevor havo a
chanco to explain their intentions.
Again in tho Balkan war tho aeroplane was a
messenger of peace.
' Porhaps tho greatest surpriso of tho Balkan'
war was that Adrlanople, the Gibraltar of the Bal
kans, which tho Turks wore supposed to defend
to the last breath of life, was captured with little
loss of life by a comparatively small force. Tho
aeroplane oven tho old typo clumsy machines,
manned by untrained pilots, used by the Bulgar
iansdeserves tho greatest credit for the saving
of life and money.
Tho Bulgarian air scouts, though untrained In
military matters and poorly equipped mechanic
ally, wont out over the besieged city and brought
to their commanders information which enabled
them to attack tho weakest spots. Then otherB
messengers of peace, whom humanity should
recognize now that they havo saved thousands of
lives in both tho Trlpolltanlan and Balkan wars
soared over tho city and dropped messages to the
besieged, which if not of peace, mado for peace.
An admirable feat In saving the lives of 500
French soldiers Is credited to a single aeroplano
of the French Morocco squadron. In December,
1012, a column of 600 French troops had been sur
rounded by rebols to tho south of Mogador and
for flvo days some anxiety was felt for their safe
ty Then Lieutenant Do-Hu, in his Blerlot mono
plane, was able to convoy Information to the com
mander that reinforcements were close at hand,
und, encouraged, they renowed their defonco,
whllo tho rebels, seeing ominous slgiiH in the ar
rival of tho aeroplane, retreated.
Llfo saving in tlmo of peaco, whllo it has not
attained moro than a fraction of tho number of
lives saved in war, Is, perhaps, more Interesting
to most peoplo than the latter, being closer to
dallv needs and experiences of the general public.
It is, therefore, gratifying to find that tho water
aeroplane, tho hydro-aeroplane and tho flying boat
seem destined to save llfo.
Tho hydro-aeroplane began Its career as a lite
saver in 1911, while still In tho experimental
period. It was during tho famous Chicago meet
an aviator lost control whllo flying over Lako
Michigan and fell into the wator. Three-quarters
of a milo away there was a hydro-aeroplane, the
early Curtis modol tho prototype of the flying
boat circling around and occasionally settling on
tho surface of tho wator like a big seagull. Tho
pilot of this craft, seeing the aviator's fall, went
to tho rescue. Fylng at a mile a mlnuto speed,
ho reached the spot, landed on the wator by tho
submerged aeroplane and offered to take tho
aviator to land all in less than one minute!
Somo months later, on March C, 1912, two avia
tors fell in San Diego bay whilp flying and their
machine .capsized. An aviator on tho shore saw
the accident, jumped on his hydro with his
mechanic and flew to tho rescue, landing a mln
uto later by the "shipwrecked" two
Tho first demonstration of actually rescuing a
person not connected with aviation was given on
Octobor 10, 1912, by Charles Wald, instructor in
the Wright school of water flying, at the Glenn ood
Country club. A man named Walter Strohbach
fell Into tho harbor from a rowbont In which ho
was seeking diversion with a friend. The row
boat was half a mile off tho shore at Sea Cliff and
fully a mllo from tho Glonwood Country club,
when, miscalculating his position, Mr. Strohbach
attempted to sit further on the stern ot the boat,
with the result that ho fell overboard. Although
his friend tried to reach his companion, a strong
current carried them apart. Shouts along the
bhoro told of tho plight of tho young man, who
was exhausted in the chilly water. Mr. Charles
Wald, learning of tho occurrence whllo at tho
hangar preparing to make a flight, jumped Into
his machine and flow tp tho man In tho water,
who could be seen from the club station.
Alighting In the hydro-aeroplane on the water
near Strohbach, tho aviator first threw a life pre
server to tho young man, who was scarcely able
to keep afloat, then, bringing tho machine along
side, managed to get him aboard one of tho floats
of the biplane and brought him safely to the
Wright station.
Boats leaving the shore did not reach tho
scene ot the nccldent until tho hydro-aeroplane
was voll on Its way to shore with tho rescued.
Mr. Glenn II Curtlss, the dean of water flyers
and creator of both the hydro-aoioplano and flying
boat, was tho hero of a llle-savlng act last Juno,
rescuing two occupants of a broken down motor
boat with the big four-passenger flying boat of Mr.
Harold F. McCormlck. Mr. Curtlss and Mr. C. C.
Wltmer wero flying over Lako Keuka in the boat
to test It and wero running for homo ahead of a
coming thunder shower when, a mile from bhoro,
thoy noticed a motor boat In which two men
wero waving wildly. .
Curtlss brought the flying boat to tho water and
stopped near the motor boat Tho men said their
motor was broken and thoy wanted somo one sent
out to row them ashore. Mr. Wltmor crawled out
on tho tall of the flying boat and took a rope from
the motor boat, which ho held while Curtlss drove
the flying boat a mile to the shore '
Tho motor boat was left there and, taking tho
men aboard, Mr. Curtlss (lew back to Hammonds
port. Tho alrboat nnd hydro-aeroplane may be said
to ho tho logical adjunct of llfo-savlng stations
and, therefore, absolutely necessary. As an es
sential purpose of a Hfo-Bavlng station is to re
lievo wrecks and save peoplo from drowning,
speed, In doing It Is tho essonco of ofllcloncy. The
aeroplane tho wator kind Is revolutionary In
this respect. It can fly to the spot where relief
Is needed at tho rate of a mllo a minute, nnd the
alraan who Bees every detnll of what goes on be
low can either land by tho object or rescue or Just
11 ,
JAVft) r?Of1 D?OMYY(T &Y A AY0?O -
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drop life belts, ropes, food, medicine, or stimulants
according to tho urgency ot tho needs.
With all tho navies working to develop means
for launching aeroplanes from battleships and
receiving them back, it Is safo to say that tho
problems connected therewith will he solved very
soon. Then liners will carry aoroplanes to uso for
carrying dispatches and for general pilot duties.
Just as the water aeroplano is a wonderful aux
iliary of tlm navy, it is a wonderful auxiliary for
ocean liners, promising to afford to passenger
carrying ships services of tho hlghost kind.
Tho water aeroplano is wonderfully adapted for
preventing disasters of tho kind which ovorcamo
tho steamship Titanic, nnd, In case such disasters
take place, minimize tho loss of life. A flying
boat on a steamer can rise to Investigate unseen
dangers ahead. It can do so at night as well as by
using the ship's searchlights as the acroplano's
searchlights. In case of tho vessel becoming dis
abled tho aeronlano can fly to notify othor vessels,
utilizing tho wireless apparatus, with which ovory
flying boat Is being equipped In tho foreign na
vies, to notify the other steamships of the need or
of Its aproach. )
Tho most nppalllng thing In the Titanic disaster
was that there wore a number of steamships with
in call distunce some not as much ns -10 miles
away which tho wireless telegraph did not reach
in some cnseB because it became disabled as tho
ship sank. A Hying boat could havo covered tho
10 miles in less than an hour, whllo Its wireless
plant would have notified the -othor vessels as It
proceeded onward,
A flying boat on tho vessels that camo (o the
rescuo after the Titanic had sunk could havo
searched tho surface of tho sea for survivors, Ub
altitude giving it a range of vision of miles, and
could have found tho survivors where tho vessels
did not seo them. It would thus practically have
superintended tho work of Hfo saving.
Each year there Is a long list of peoplo who aro
drowned from falling overboard from largo vessels
and who cannot bo rescued In time to savo tholr
lives, the boat sent to savo thorn reaching them
too lato to bo of avail. A flying boat can be
launched and can search for tho person that has
fallen overboard and can drop a safety bolt or land
by and pick him up much faster than tho fastest
life saving boat.
Tho sea is an unknown quantity in many re
spects, and tho biggest of steamships Is vary
much at Its mercy, and assistance of the kind
which the flying boat affords Is a necessity. A ves
sel at sea otten meets signs of wrecks or It Is
signalled b cra'ft In distress. At tho present tlmo
tliero is no way to Investigate such things without
involving a great delay or putting tho craft Itself
In danger through taking It out of its marked
route, whlrh is tho safety ?one. A flying boat can
do all these things for tho vessel It can bo launch
ed with two men, ono of whom searches the sur
face of thet sea with powerful glasses. TJiu ves
sel can proceed on Its course; the flying boat will
overtake1 it after having discharged Its mission.
As oven a special machlno and tho equipment
cannot cost more than $10,000, It Is ovldent that
It Is an abhurdly cheap factor of ofllcloncy which
every craft can afford and should havo.
ALL FOR, JEAN'S SAKE
Oy JEAN WALDEN.
"The man must bo willing not only to
effneo himself, but to blot himecltOut
of existence, if necessary, for my
Bako."
Jean Boyco made this statement
without premeditation, driven to It by
sheer ennui. It was tho third tlmo
that she had been called upon to glvo
her reason for hot acquiescing In Mau
rlco Ankeuey's belief that they wero
mado fur each other, nnd this tlmo she
wanted It to bo final.
They hnd Just turned tho cornor Into
her home tstreet. Jean hastened her
steps as she spoke with a little laugh
of Impatience.
Maurlco Ankcney lookod at her at
first with disappointment in his frank
blue oyeB, thou with speculation, and
at last with amusement. "Could you
care that much for anyone?" ho askod
coolly.
"Oh, no," her tone was matter-of-fact,
"I couldn't It Isn't In mo."
"Oh, 1 see. you demand It ns a com
plimentary quality In others."
, Ho continued his scrutiny of hor faco
as n smart trap with a man and wom
an in it rounded tho corner. Tho wom
an a stoutlsli blor.do with a rwmn
tain of, lavendor plumes on hor head
was driving.
Tho warm color that came to Juan's
cheeks as Bho returned tho man's rec
ognition deepened as tho trap rolled
puBt, for she knew that Maurlco was
watching her und ehe felt tho now,
strange Intentness In his gaze.
As for Ankenoy, IiIb expression sud
denly becamo u mixture ot calmness
and Btorn determination. "I'll do It,"
he exclalmod.' And for thiB apparently
eccentric remark, ho was rowardod by
an electrifying look of Inquiry from a
pair of dark eyes.
"Do what?"
"Effneo 1 menn extinguish myself
by getting him for you."
Tho dark oyea becamo inscrutable
"If you want Harold Buckley, you
shall have him," ho continued precipi
tately, as thoy mounted tho stops of
Jean Boyco's home. "It will bo an
eastf matter. Ho Is only dnzzled by her
millions. It's you ho really cares for.
Madge Racer haB no right to buy "
"Maurlco Ankenoy, I'll never speak
to you ngaln." As Joan faced him with
this omphntlc announcement, hor
blushes wero fully accountod for by
hor anger.
"All right, I might as well dlo ono
wny as another," and ho waB gone.
In tho dav-B that followed, Jean
Boyco hnd n now experlenco. Maurlco
Ankonoy nevor stayed away so long
before, and sho had missed him a
condition sho had not thought possible.
Still thoro was tho counteracting an
noyance of Harold Buckloy and tho
heiress. It Is truo, sho never roallzed
that sho cared for Buckley until sho
found that ho was out of hor reach.
But Joan'u Bolt-analyslB could go no
deeper than tills nnd her stato of mind
becamo chaotic onco more, when ono
afternoon Harold Buckloy called.
Jean's resentment was not wholly
dlspolleh by Buckloy'a keenly correct
valuation of tho heiress. "Sho was
fishing for a huBband," ho said, and
"It's a good thing just to know such
women. It makes one oxpert at esti
mating character."
Jean Interpreted this last romark:
"A man docs not need to bo bitten
moro than once!" and sho found hor
self wondering why sho did not foel
flattered by his confidence. Still she
felt gratlllod by hor triumph In bring
ing him back. Sho did not understand
until nftorwardB why his next romark
quenched her elation."
"Sho has Maurlco Ankonoy on hor
hook now, or rather, ho took her by
storm. I novor saw a follow maneuver
so." Ho spoko contemptuously. "But
he'B welcome."
"How small of him," observed Joan.
Then all at onco sho thought of Mau
rlco's strange prom I ho to her nnd she
wondered no It could not be, ho only
wanted a cloak for his merconary am
bitions. Jean did not feel altogether compli
mented by tho ease with which Harold
assumed hie old relations. Still, when
he askod her to tako an automobile
rldo that same evening, she accoptod.
Hor prldo in Harold Buckley's per
gonal attructlvoncss was extended to
his splendid machine as thoy wont
bounding ovor tho road with n red Oc
tober Biiuset in tholr faces.
Another automobllo came tooting up
behind them and passed them on tho
road. It was occupied by Madgo Racer
and Mnurlce Ankenoy.
The vague depression that had been
haunting Jean became poignant. Sho
felt misused.
"Qucor tasto ho has," she observed,
with a curl of hor lip. Then to hldo
her pique she conjured a spirit ot dar
ing. "Oh, lot's paBs them, do, do!"
Harold Buckloy, ready to pleaso hor,
or postiibly for reasons of his own, en
tered Into tho sport and put on power
with great abandon.
Jean was almost delirious with tho
oxcltoment of swift motion. "How Jolly
" Thon camo a suddon Jolting and
n desperate adjusting of brakes. They
had struck a rocky place in tho road.
Boforo Harold could slow up Jean was
almost shaken from her seat. Tbo
sun's rays, on a lovel with their oyos,
blinded thorn. Thoro was a loud report,
a Bcream from Maurlco Angonoy's au
to, which thoy had grazod In stopping,
and thoy toppled ovor Into a shallow
ditch, with an extra tire hanging to
ono of their whoels.
Jean felt a sharp pain in her arm as
sho picked hersolt up. Then the diver
sion of what followed made hor forget
hcruolf. Tho blondo heiress followed
up hor screams by an attack upon
Harold, who had just extricated him
Bolt from tho ditch.
"Mr. Buckley, this la a great way to
drive"," sho cried in hor high voice,
with Its slightly foreign accent, "Why
don't you look at your rond?"
But Bho was Instantly mollified by
Harold's nbject npologtos, and shook
hands with him quite swcotly.
Maurice, who hnd got to work with
out loss of time, hnd almost finished
putting on n now tiro, whon Jean felt
so faint thnt she had to sit down on
tho grass. Tho pnln was. coming back
Into hor wrist.
It was Just then that Maurlco An
konoy happened to look over his shoul
der. Ho burst out roughly to Harold,
who was still busy with tho helross:
"Don't you seo Jho girl Is hurt?"
Ho got to her first, but in a second
thoy wore all bonding over hor. Sho
assured them it was only a spralnod
wrist.
Maurice gave Buckley his handker
chief, ordorlng him to bandngo tho In
jured arm tight, and flew back to work
ngaln at tho tiro.
Joan received a feverish Impression
through hor brnln that thoro was a
parley und nlmost tin altercation. Mau
rice seemed to bo out of patlonco with
everybody nnd tho heiress played him
a closo second. Jean couldn't seo all
tho time, but sho heard Madgo Racer's
volco grow shriller nnd shriller.
"No, Mr. Buckloy muBt tako tho back
sent with Miss Boyce. I'll rldo In
front "
But Mr. Buckloy said that somo ono
must stay with tho disabled machlno.
It hastily camo to Jean thnt ho sug
gested Maurlco as tho ono to do this.
At this Madgo Rncer Insisted that thoy
tako .Ruckloy's nuto In tow.
Aftor what seemed hours to Jonn
Bho felt herself lifted up In somo
body's arms nnd tho no.xt thing eho
know tho wind of rnpld motion ngalnst
hor faco brought ovorythlng clear to
her. Maurlcot at hor side, lookod back
grimly over his shoulder and swore
under his breath.
"All right?" ho questioned, seeing
her looking at him. "Guess I surprised
them this tlmo. Sho thought I was
going to wnit to tako Buckley in tow,
with you about to keel ovor thoro on
tho ground."
"But I didn't keel ovor." Hor votco
sounded far away.
"Oh, no, you didn't. You'ro game.
I'd llko to seo tho heiress in tho samo
fix."
Thero was so much of gonulno ad
njlrntion in his look and tono that Joan
took now Btrongth for n moment Sho
muBt havo boon weak too or Bho would
not havo said what sho did next.
"Do you really caro for hor money?"
Maurlco gavo her a sharp, quick
look. "You muBt bo out of your head,"
he muttered as ho bent again over the
guide wheel.
Whon ho was roady to Jeavo hor at
homo, aftor tho eprain had been enrod
for and tho color was crooplng back
Into hor cheeks, ho Btood ovor hor
couch and naked humbly:
"Am I sufficiently blottod out?"
"I think you nro," sho laughod.
"But I'd llko you to bo Buro," ho In
sisted. "I am sure," declared Jean, nnd the
look that camo into his bluo eyes told
her that ho waB satisfied.
Only Wanted a Blto to Eat.
"Now don't put yoursolt out on my
account," said Aunt Sorolda Bean, ai
sho untied hor bonnet strings after an
riving without provlous warning at tha
home of Aunt Jane Joy.
"You know mo well enough, Jnno, to
know thnt whon I go a-viBitln' it nln'l
for what I get to eat If you Just stli
up ono o' your 'lection cakes, an' mak
ono o' your raisin plos an' a pan o'
your crcam-tartor blBkits, an' fry a
ohlckon, an' havo a llttlo cranborry
snrco,wlth It, an' mebbo a glasB o youi
watormolon prcsorvo, nn' thon make q
PQt o' coffoo an' put on a fow dough
nuts, I'll git along all right without an
other thing, unless you'd llko to bak
some of your Greening applos. Thoj
go ruther good with roast chicken.
"I'm thnnkful I nln't ono o' tho kind
that visits only for what thoy git to
ea't. Older I grow, tho less I caro foi
what's sot before mo when I go vis
ltln'. How did your plcknltl como out
you told mo you waB goln' to make!
I dono but I'd llko a lectio mlto at din
ner, to see if tho rcsoot worked as well
with you as It did with mo." Judgo.
Preserve Historic Relic.
Tho original homo of tho Knights
Templar tit Rhodes, haB Just been pup
chased by M. Bompard, tho French
nmbassador at Constantinople. Ho has
made a present of It to tho French na
tion. This constitutes ono of tho most
glorious historical souvenirs of French
prowess in tho east, as It was there
that the military order ot tho Knights
ot St. John of Jerusalem, tho famous
Crusaders, Installed themselves when
driven out of Palestine In 1310. They
were nblo to romaln thero for two cen
turlcs. until In 1D22, after the desper
ato six months' siege, thoy capitulated
to Sullman the Magnificent nnd took
refuge ut Malta. The period of tholr
star at Rhodes was marked by numer
ous fine monuments, nnd tho Hostelry
which now reverts to Franco is a gora
ot middle uge architecture and deco
ration which will now bo scrupulously
kept up. and form nn attraction for
tourists and visitors henceforth.
Not Quite the Same,
in an lntervlow given its Pnrls corre
Bpondont by Clomenceau, In which
was discussed tho recent Lloyd-Georgo
naval armamont pronouncement, tho
London Mull made tho French states
mau rofor to tho English chancellor
of tho oxchoquor as a "mountobank."
Now It is explained tho Fronchman
used tho word "prlmoBautlor," mean
lug versatile. Tho editor of tho Mall
printed a correction.
