Chicago Evening American, June 11, 1921. Washington, June 1.--How Lieut. Cleveland W. McDermott penned a death poem in the plane in which he and six others were crashed to death Saturday night was revealed here today.It is the story of perhaps the most remarkable premonition of deaththat ever has been recorded before the fatal flight. McDermott, whowas a seasoned world-war veteran and accustomed to hazardous flights,wrote seven letters to as many friends. These he placed in the handsof a fellow officer with instructions that they be mailed in the eventof his death. The poem was discovered in the lieutenant's personaleffects, written on a piece of scratch paper. It had been stuffed in abreast pocket of his uniform. The writing was scraggly, due to thevibration of the motors. This is the death poem: Another hour and far away I fly; A last farewell to my friends I cry; Then up to the rosy dawn in flight; A battle with the elements I must fight. Lost in the fog and mist and rain; Tossed hither and yonder I strive in vain To again win out as I have in the past; Little I knew this was to be my last. Sharp crash, and my wings are broken back; Every wire is useless with too much slack. Down, down I swirl and slip and spin; Thinking only of all my worldly sin. The earth seems rushing up to me; While rigged crags raise their heads to greet me. As twisting and twirling downward I swirl; I bid a sad good-bye to a little girl. Lower down into the trees I crash; My plane and I have gone to smash. Up from the Mass call me, My untouched, unfettered spirit flies Straight to mother's waiting overhead.Although no one, so far as is known, saw Lieutenant McDermott writethe poem, his fellow officers at Golding field pointed out today thatevery indication points to it having been written during the hourpreceding the fatal crash. His first act following the premonition wasto write the farewell letters, said a fellow officer today. The poemobviously was written under the vibration of engines, so it follows itmust have been set down during the last few minutes of his life. Theofficer to whom Lieutenant McDermott intrusted the farewell lettersmailed them a few minutes after he heard of the fatality.In this case the premonition seems to have served its purposeadvantageously. Death had no terrors for Lieutenant McDermott.
