The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-09
From the Boston Globe.

From the Boston Globe.
TN years gone by a great many in
dividuals who have been up in a
L balloon have given their impressions
of their trip, and now it is the turn of
the people who are being piloted through
the air in dirigible balloons and aero
planes to tell the public how it feels to
fly.
An expert opinion on this subject is
given bv Mr.. Thomas 8. Baldwin in the
Worlds Work that is of special interest
at this time when airships are being
manufactured on rather large scale and
many persons are being allowed the priv
i1ege of experiencing the novelty of a
trip skyward.
According to this writer such a flight
tends to exhilarate and exalt the mind;
1t changes the registry and the workings
of number of human senses; and 1t
breathes into the body an overhowing
measure of health, endurance and pow
err. The feeling of triumph over the
forces of the air, in the face of natures
expanding majesty and mystery, Is one
of the most Irresistible charms that have
ever taken caputive the human magma
ton. Triumphant flight thrills one with
the feeling that his powers are some
what more than human, more than man.
Mr.. Baldwin makes the following OBJ
servations:
There are plenty of mechanics who
could build airships that can fly. The
great trouble is that there are very few
men who have the gymnastic gift to ny;
for flight, until it is completely mastered,
is a terrific struggle with both mental
and physical gravity, or the habits that
gravity has imposed upon the mind and
body on the earth plane. If one will
study closely the accidents that have
over taken airships in actual flight with
in the last year or two he Will see that
most of them have been due more to a
lack of skill in manipulation than to
defects in construction of these craft.
The fact is, we don't know, we can't
know until we can handle these craft,
what their shortcomings really are. That
is why I maintain, contrary to the opin-
ion Of some authorities, that balloon
Ing ia SO essential to the science Of
aerOndQIICS.
aviator to handle an airship by teach
ing him to feel at home in the air.
1t is maintained by Mr.. Baldwin that
in some mysterious way breathing and
gravity are associated. By the power
of initiating it's lungs with air the bird
is more enabled to fly than by the use
of its wings. AS one ascends In the air
of gravity--within this increased power to
breathe are as evident as the decrease
of gravity-within this increased powr to
breathe there is still more increased pow
er to control the breath One feels In
these moments of overcoming gravity
that his breath is completely under his
| will as never before. To many persons
| the first experience in going high In the
air is that one cannot get enough breath,
as the mountain climber feels. This Is
followed by feeling that the lungs have
become immense spherical bellows. ca
| pable OF inhaing and exhaling several
| square acres of space
Men who have been up in balloons will
| agree with the statement that when one
| begins to feel at ease on an airship as
on a speeding railroad train or steam
| ship-and it is surprising how soon that
! feeling comes with successful flight