Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-10-20 | Page 14 | Catching Balls from Airplanes is Lates Sport

Catching Balls From Airplanes ' Is Latest Sport CORPORAL, BESSOLO, a member of the 819 areo squadron, is still champion "high catcher," according accord-ing to Plane News, the American expeditionary force aviation paper. Last July Bessolo caught a baseball dropped from 700 feet at' Kelly field, San Antonio, Texas. Recently the aviators in France tried to break the record, and, although fifty had a ling at catching the ball, none broke the record made in Texas. The Plane News tells the story in this manner: "Hundreds of soldiers turned out on the day picked for the contest, and lined the bank alongside the athletic grounds In hopes of seeing the world's record brought across the sea. In spite of this disappointment, hower, the men were highly entertained, for the performance was very exciting and in many instances humorous. "The aspirants gathered In the 150-foot 150-foot white circle promptly at 2 o'clock and were given instructions bv the officer of-ficer in charge, Lieut. R. D. Smith. A few moments later a trim little plane, piloted by Lieut. Coleman, hove in view, swept low over the field and received the prearranged signal to begin dropping drop-ping the balls. "The plar.e climbed to an altitude of 750 feet, turned and headed in the direction direc-tion of the circle, while the would-be catchers braced themselves to receive the ball. "A cry. 'There it comes!' set up from a thousand throats as the pilot let loose the first leather pill, and the white object, glistening in the sun, could oo seen in Its downward course. Contestants thinking thev had the best line on it moved rapidly about, now running, now walking, to Satire the vantage point, yet the pill fell un-tou un-tou hod. well within the renter. 1 "Back again went the aviator to set loose the second missile, but the rising ris-ing wind carried It out of reach and got the crowd on the run. who did not seem to be willing to risk their bones in range of the imaginary bomb. "Hundreds examined the Tialls after they dropped, being anxious to see what effect sucli a fall had on them put contrary to reports received of the Lylly field contest, none of them were damaged."