The Washington times., 1910-08-01
A COLUMBUS OF SPACE By oAR9ETT : sEEylss

our course toward the distant noun
| tains- Whether the suggestion came
from Edmund or not. ] cannot say but
our car. which had been tOwed over the
sea. was now lifted upon one OF the
larger airshiDs- and II continued 10 ac-
company US
I felt very glad to see that III our
/ nopes OF ultimate escape centered upon
that carr
IN the course Of several hours Of very
/ rapid travelling We becan TO draw nea-
. the mountains. and now those singular
/ cOEWeD Ike objects which we had
/ caught sight of in tha far distance be
came very plain to view Although pris-
1 oners, we were nOI kept separate. and
no attempt was made to prevent our
cOuEerS-uE
uncI- Jack who had recovered his eoua-
nir-7ltT. was. as usual the first to spea K
by Joye. Edmund ne said. here S
new chance for youT genius for ex-
tbiass2''
Tn surpris ID that you haven't
guessed. was the repiy. ITS perfectly
plain what they are2"
NCt airships2''
Certainly. not. They're palaces
WHY. Of course
Castles in Spain, I reckon" said Jack
diSdainfuIlY
No. simply castles IL the afr. Why
snouldn't they float such things here7
y MS atmosphere is exactly suited for
them You see how easily these aero
planes ride It is a region Of atmOs-
pheric calm
only the most eentIe breezes are
stlTrlnS- / doubt il there is ever a high
wind here It's exacsiv what we should
expect OF these people. They are al
most as much Inhabitants OF the air as
or the land And could any i5ea be
more beautiful than that2''
NOoe',y Tepled. we were los IN ad-
mlratiCn, both OF the idea and OF the
scene II seemed probable that Ed
mund uas right again.
AnG - we continued TO approach we
tsecarne convinced that he was. for the
details OF the airy architecture began
70 be visible.
First. We saw an immense number Of
towers looming up. with stage above
stage, ike the huge steel buildings OF
New York before they receive their
outer coverings, bur inf- tely lighter
and more delicate. truly fairy COnstTIC-
tons, glittering with thousands Of bril-
liant points
Then below these. apparently an
e-oTLIlS tne Ho4u1g structures 20 tte
earth, appeared long cables which,
from our distance. reSembIed gOsSa-
mer threads bespaugIeG with dew
SuU nearer. and al last We believed
that we could see people IN the buoy
ant towers.
A few minutes later there was no
doubt about Il. for the cOlOrs broke
forth. and that marvelC us interchange
tOnisEed and delighted US on nearing
the coast was resumed
1T is my belief said Edmund. that.
CwithstaudiuE the buoyancy Of the
air, they are compelled 10 use power 70
keep these aerial edidces afloaL You
VIII see when we are nearer. that every
stage is furnished with revolving screws.
which help 10 hold them in position
Without that ] am sure they would rot
stay ND. particularly when there are
people upon them
And so IL turned out. In a short
time we were near enough TO see the
screws working, in a maze o. motions.
like the wings Of d. multitude OF in
sects- The resemblance TO insects wings
was increased by their gauZy structure
and they flashed and Elttered as If en-
ameiCd- The vast towers Swayeu slight
u 10 and fro with a siuuous motion
Between US and the swimming pal
aces was another range OF hills, and as
we approached near enough 10 look over
into the valley behind We uttered a cry
Of surprise
A vast city made its appearance, a
ruaEnified counterpart Of the aerial city
about IL have seen COnSta8unODle
IN the morning from across the sos
DhOTous- 7 have beheId Damascus. with
its spires. have admired the doUes
and minarets Of cairo. shining IN the
gold Of an Egyptian sunset-but all OF
these spectacles, combined with all thaE
the Imagination has pictured Of such
scenes. and multiplied a thOusandfoid
in beauty and cOmpTexity, would give
but a faint idea Of what was spread
before US