Show THE SALT LAKE' TRtpy NE ii "i rtiw ftttti ttJH mill 3 femrs nj JULY SflOTAY MOIiNIXO u njumj itmn i n 11 1 n t — 27 1030 mnu — ‘o c I P hr 1 C0©:i g£ J' JC r ’ -- n £ r5?4sk1 L After making over IOO parachute jumps concluding with a drop that gave him a world record Bert White says chuting has lost its thrills five-mi- le y jVv Jr $ lf- e V ' SBsKs& K & t ff T'" ’ A 4 b $ ) More than one n axj to s(in a cat as Dell as to open a This is the other way not favored by in this case the chute has opened in the jumper While propeller slip stream and pulled the “ jumper ” clear While preferf to dive off first parachute 1 1 By DON ROBERTS V ki1' air and the ground is scarcely discernible — how does it feel to jump from that tremendous height with only a circle of silk between you and death? Bert White knows how it feels He’s the altitude parachute champion of the world who has leaped from an altitude over 25000 feet “I leaned my head back and I saw that the ’chute was open and then something happened — it was like a sheet know much until I passing over my head — and i didn’t was down around 15000 feet" That’s the feeling No fear no nerves or worry — he But knew he was safe so far as the ’chute was concerned a lack of oxygen in the air made him so weak that he and knew only that he was falling was safely 1 hat Sunday made ‘‘Slim" White a champion but it failed to give him a new thrill Over 100 jumps have been lute at various times and now it lacks "kick” made by Here’s how the record was made: " e took off from Glendale Cal in a cabin monoplane It was the only ship available capable of reaching a height sufficient to set a new record "It took sis about two hours to get up there After the pilot and I began using 16 000 feet Earl Gordon the oxygen in the tanks All but the pilot’s seat and my seat hid been taken out and my oxygen tank was in back of me ” White recites the story simply without an effort toward effect kIVC miles in llie ‘rrtHP altimeter registered 25000 for about 15 min-- I utes I guess and I saw that we couldn t get any higher Jt was a wonderful day We were near I a ik ater and I could see the streets but I found out later that the cars sent out to pick me up had not seen us at all although we passed "over them at about 15000 "I meant to wave then at Earl to tell him all right’ and I looked at him His eyes were popping clear out of I wanted to laugh and I couldn't There was Ins head oxygen in my tank to force itelf into my enough hardly mouth "I took the tube out of my mouth to peak to Eat! and almost passed out but I had enough left to shove it back I saw I’d better get going ui avain "I knew my eyes must be popping out like Earl’s It was terribly cold We wore heavy suits but I think the cold would have penetrated anything Earl could not slow the ship down much because it required all the motor had to keep it up at that altitude Throttle down a little and I lust 300 or 400 feet"ti White paused to consider "Things were pretty hazy" he explained "The door was to' my left and I stumbled over to it and 1 had no sensation of jiot leaned against it and fell out In preparing for the jump I fixed a cord on my falling slnulder about 12 oi 14 fret long then tied ore end to the other end to the bottom the ring and tacked of the ship "Af'ei a bit 1 leaned my head back and I saw that the 'chute was open all right and then things got all hazy 1 agnn although knew my rate of descent was pretty fast But I knew it was all right because the 'chute was open 'l nu don’t pass out all of a sudden hut it comes gradually and about I 5000 1 had that same feeling of drilling back mind cleared up" again and my you’ve rip-co- thousand feet or more — two miles — had White fallen without a clear knowledge of what was happening! He continues: "I hen when I began to get organized a little J discovered that the tube from the oxvgen tank was still in mEN I had been so concentrated on getting that oxygen tint I’d forgotten to release it when I fell out The tube lore off at a joint It was lucky it did because if the tank had been pulled out too it would have been curtains for me "I remember only that I was awfully weak and knew that 1 couldn't puh the door open and must lean my weight my teeth again! it It was a smart calculation that made White fasten the to the bottom of the ship for he admits he hid not the strength to pull it during the almost unconscious "When I came to again I discovered the oxygen tube d de-ce- 1 A ijj I y 1’ ' hsYPvA ' an-ti- iviSrtfr High Diver White ready for a 25000- fool leap above the desert Note the oxygen tube and tank the box of food and the pistol and knife strapped to the legs of the heavy flying suit “If I had been afraid I wouldn't have done it" laconically commented W lute It was all over so fast I didn’t he pilot waved and I exactly know what happened Jumped And the 'chute worked 1” In Rockford South Carolina is Bert While's home A few miles away is the plantation and cotton null of Elliott While Springs writer and flyer He brought the first airplanes to those parts It was shortly after the war and Springs who served abroad bought some salvaged war model Among them was a Thomas Morse Scout — known familiarly as a "Tommy” One ’ day Springs cracked the Tommy" up and gv 1 it to a friend White family and put it right hand in my pocket on the leg of my flying suit My was numb I had been wearing long I found gauntlets right hand had been flung straight up however and the wind Caught the gauntlet and I lost it My hand was about frozen and hurt plenty I could not find a place to put it to keep it warm fur-line- d "My T 5000 I opened the second chute to ease I was in landing wearing so much extra clothing and equipment you see It opened all right and then 1 saw I Was drifting toward a power house It’s the only power house in miles and I was headed right for some wnes leading toward it "I got over the first wires all right and then 1 was headed right for the house and I knew if I hit it it would be curtains I nearly collapsed the main chute to reverse my direction and I landed about 50 feet away "I was all right except for some cactus and some bruies" It took 28 minutes approximately to set that record Anticipating perverse winds that might carry him far into the deseit W bite was equipped with a pistol food and water for two days maps and first aid supplies What sort of a person is this "bhm" White who such strange feats and says they have no thrill? Well he’s young — 27 tall and blond Speaks with a southern drawl that is real South — South Carolina in fact But he's through paiachute jumping Why? Well principally ecause even parachute jumping gets monotonous after I 00 repeats 44 around some of tire bump jver-for- 1 T Miami was made a first Florida in 1923 jump and that was tint Bert White you might say give him a tiny break Lieutenant Frank Page had some obsolete wjitime planes unasembled which had been sold to the Caddo Company for use in its pirtuie ’’Hell’s Angels" just being contemplated then in 1927 The t" of the mod Is stumped Lieutenant Page but Wlitte was familiar with them from his tinkering wish similar back home ships owned by Springs He got the job of assembling them then wandered to Hollywood and set a record His first day theie he landed a job with the "Hell’s Angils" company in charge of the ancient planes then being bought up all over the country George Sthaumm a companion from Brooks 1 leld cadit days arrived also and the pair hustled up all the SL-5’- s I okkers and "lommies" and kept them running Tor 14 months he wmked on "Hell’s Anpels" in keeping tire antiques going Then he was transferred to another Caddo unit but stayed on only two months who lived directly opposite the HAT was young Bert’s first close-a- t hand acquaintance with a ship He aid'd the friend in putting it back together again gaining experience then that later was to get him a lot of work in ’‘Hell’s Angels" the flying picture recently released But the "Tommy’’ was a single sealer thus depriving Bert of the opportunity to learn flying Meanwhile he had attended school at Rock-hil- l Later he went to high school at Asheville North Carolina and made a hit of fame for himself in football track and field events and m swimming During the course of his scholastic days hlte was for three years captain of his football team held the state reeord for the pole vault comjieted in the javelin throw and shot put and was a member of the state championship relay swimming team Ntit content with athletic laurels Bert rescued 17 persons from drowning and holds tiic highest Red Cross award for life saving It was while playing football during Ins attendance at Rollins College V inter Park FI oridi that lie made his first ’chute jump hen not at school he hung around air fields roller-coast- about tins slim boynh perhaps it’s an explanation is his lack of fear He Cannot understand the emotion Now he explains lie knows his parachutes and all about them T o drop is lie asserts Tie ’chutes do not fill sifety He docsnT like He wants to amazing thing rpHE daredevil or all be a flyer — wanted to fly then more than anything else but something always obstructs tins deep rooted hankering! Presently White went up north to George Washington University at Washington D C He was all t to he a doctor But Washington has airports and fivers Which was tough on because Bert had friends at these medicine with the flying picture gave Bert to fly — but not the way be wanted bundayt he made lumps at various field in and almut Los AnjHrs I In went on for all of the I 4 months and some time after so you ire Bert has jumped quite a number of tunes During that time h had his only narrow escape of a lengthy career Over Glrndae Field since enlarged Bert did wing walking and stunts on a rope ladder attached below a plaae of an air circus He had a hunch one Sunday and followed it When he descended th rope Udder below the ship a ’chute was attvehed to his back I he jdane was over the field about 200 leet in the air Bert was gayly hanging by one leg to the rope ladder waving his hands at the crowd Suddenly the Huso motor gave a sad cough and ceased to function I here was no time to clamlier hack up the Udder The hunch had been right Bert dropped off pulled the ring and landed in a peach tree orchard bordering the north end of the field He was scratched hut unhurt T he pilot glided safely to an adjoining field "T hat’s the only time I ever wore a ‘chute doing stunts” says White At Ocean Beach near San Diego Bert had a contract for three jumps His landing Siot was the beach On one side he had the ocean and on the other a it would "If I landed in the roller-coastbreak every bone in my body" White jioints out chrerfully "I landed short in the ocean twice and on the beach once ” WORK illf But even when he didn’t know the ten perament premeditated There was an air circus giving a show and a scheduled of the devices he a)arentlv was unafraid The sensations while fating dejiend upon parachute jump Walking over to the men selling rides and how successful a jumer is in controlling his apparently in charge White said: and Ccne “I’d like to make a parachute jump" Just like that fields and spent most of his time with them body says X lute held Rock He didn’t know a parachute from a battfehip but it looked bometinies he tumbles head over heels and hands dieaming of flvmg a droppid that is not at all leasan! l hen his fall is exeWith some effort Bert obtained an appoint mile before opening exciting '“I might have been jumping with a bale of gunny sacks for all I knew” be rernaiks cuted projieily lie is in a perfect swan dive mrnt to Brocks F it Id as a flying cadet in the their double chutes Pr'sto! The air cirrus manager grabbed the opporfrom which position the recovery to noimal is eirrny The diy of days was at hand and life W lute the scheduled and and not a strain when the chute opens Farewell one Probably explains was tqzcadaver rapid glorious hop tunity jumper knew something about the ’chute Anyway Bert was "In making a long delayed drop I’m jierfect'y aware drv lectures He was in his jautlbj year but gave up school of what is happening below me F ven while tumbling I cm hut!ed into a Jenny rear cockpit and sent aloft without a regret I he ’chute was of the tvpe known as "attached ” That But the obtuse fate that pursues him didn’t Id up a bit see the field and the cars and the jieople looking up It is no trick to pull the ring — you have plenty of tune to th nk Five months were enough to convince army instructors that is the jumper wore on'y the harness The park itself was attached to the rear of a wing strut At the pilot’s signal about that" is his explanation Beit was not for the air ervice He was ingloriously Yl lute is through the jumper Leived hime!f overboard and his weight tore “wash'd out” Jlr d vesn’t Lke to talk about it the exjumping now and is sales mani’cr But there i still sum thing fir a parachute manufacturer the ’chute loose and rjvned it — sometimes perience of having bis dreams shattered was a painful one w as he afiaid? I a bed him the question quite bluntly Beit wandered over to ban Diego disconsolate Luck lukmg "Now I want to learn to fly" says Bert (Copyrleht 1530 By LverylVeek Msgailne— Printed In U S A) White |