The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-08-29

adjusted that the aerOnaut can choose II
his level at say 1000 feet to 150O feet;
or 200 feet to 100 feet and
The hours passed very slowly, and there
nothing to break the monotony until
a m. when we saw at great distance
in the east long thin patch of milky haze
indicating the lights of q large town. AL
ready had passed south of Brandon
burg. We had left the deserted country
behind, and again in popuous
ter. but not until the leagues of lamps at
Potsdam and Charlottenburg appeared,
with enormous of illumination be
yOnd did realize that were passing
Berlin and its suburbs.
All three of us had seen London from
balloon at night--a spectacle of unparat
leled splendor-but there was something in
this view Of Berlin that most inspiring
and encouraging Seventeen hours from
London TO Berlinl We felt that were.
indeed. realizing our dream of crossing Flu
rope in the air.
Berlin seemed endless. 1t appeared to -
grow with progress New features
opened out every minute and
pected vistas of long avenues of lights.
losing themselves in the distant blaze of the heart
of the city. Slowly the long eastward extension
OF the city unfOlded itself. We passed very near
to it. and then the large stretches of water
and forest. Az a. m. (LondOn time), were
watching Germany's magnificent capital slowly
fading away in the west. We had passed Bel
GUM, Holland, and a great part of Germany and
we began to speculate on the distance we might
yet achieve.
Across Germany.
IN HE dawn of November 10th at last began, a
faint light appearing in the east soon after five
o'clock. Captain Maitland and Mr. Gaudron We're
both asleep, and l hudded up in a corner
my eyes closed, but occasionally glancng at the
aneroid.
The movements of the clouds became visible
The heecy masses seemed to bestir themselves
for the coming day We were impressed by the
silence of the earth. In hngland the dawn is
hailed by a chorus of cockcrows. In recent bal
loon journey to Lincolnshire, the Growing OF the
cocks was sweet music, telling us. in our lonel
ness in the fog. of the peaceful homesteads be-
low. In Germany fowls are rare.
Across the light in the east, regiments of vapory
figures slowly stalked. 1t was easy to imagine
that these grOtesque shapes were Inhabited by
spirits akin to their weird forms. There was a
strange commotion in the field OF grey fog. Wisps
of thin cloud would suddenly rise here and there,
and as the light increased, the cloud shapes be-
came better defined. Never at rest in the general
movement eastward, varying currents OF air car
ried some portions of the cloud area faster than
others There were other movements of the tr-
regular surface up and down. The woolly hill
locks passed and repassed each other rose and
fell before each other and, against the back
ground Of the tightening sky they appeared like
small moving pastebOard targets in shooting
saloon only white and soft-edged.
Through interstices in the clouds we caught
glimpses of a country with hedges, burrows, ami
roads white with snow and streams and ponds
frozen 1t began TO snow, extremely small crystals
falling all around some into
the balloon and settling the T-R7T177 S711I7-77
] ] !
edge of the car. These not only ILtANHtAStsES
obscured the sun, but their ESINEA eAsNSA
weight on the balloon brought US ss4ES8Af A1ee J.
down gradually. We passed over lk%-HIN&Ns&f
Posen and the river Warta a lsEHHNNNsA&
branch of the Oder. In little &4AENNtRt
than hour we should be tWNA4e4 ~
In We threw onf m