The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-09-09

Suddenly the engine whirred, and
could feel the wind of 1t and the
throbbing Mr.. Willard slipped quick
ly into his seat beside me, and the
song of the engine rose loud and
cracking in my ears. The machine
started. chung tightly; the biplane
rushed along the turf il rose; il was
in the air, flying.
The solid earth fell away from me.
| seemed to float close TO the sky. No
more OF fear, only exhilaration, the
JOY which comes from rapid motion,
deep breathing and the open sky.
The sensation OF flying is the very
essence of exhilaration, clarified in
the higher airs.
When we shot from the earth
looked al the crowd in the grand
stand. | could hear the cheers faint
ly. Far below | could see people
standing in the fields gazing up in
establishment. They looked as If their
! faces had been laid fiat on the crowns
OF their heads, by some droll mis-.
| take.
The Passing Scenes.
A gossamer ship to sail the path
less sky, And the sky was not unlike
an ocean. The wind spray" broke
in my face The foam of the breeze
dubbed about my ears. There was
engine, like the buzz OF a huge beetle
on whose back / was riding.
Below the country changed from
the fields dotted with tiny houses to
the still water of the bay gray with
the reflection of the mists. Little
boats fbobbed here and there, anchor
ed in their element, while | plunged
on through mine.
The broad beaches were contracted
by the perspective of distance, into
scarcely enough sand for child s
playground. The water Tapped at
them. leaving them white with foam.
All that was solid or familiar now
seemed so distant, so remote. 1t was
impossible to believe that | had been
in the air but minute. And sudden
ly everything grew even more remote.
For without warning, the mists
closed about the biplane and shut off
all the world. On the fragile little
ship we were alone in space. On
every side there was nothing but
filmy mist, scarcely firm enough to
be felt as it brushed against my face
We were winging our way between
the earth and sky in a solid cloud
OF mist
We were lost in the mist No land
mark was visible, nothing anywhere
but the soft film. Ii was as if the BIZ
plane, plunging through the fog, had
been q submarine boat blowing
through the depths of the ocean, so
completely immersed were we in the
fog and so shut out from all else OF
the world.
The moment was overfull of sensa-
tions Something appealed to every
sense. The rarefed air brought with
1t rarefied thought. Flying. it seems
TO me, is good for the soul The mist
seemed TO be an alchemy which dis
solved the physical. leaving only tie
spirit. On we flew, the cracking of
the beetles wings incessant.
Then. as suddenly the biplane had
entered the mist. it shot out, again
with a mighty downward sweep. Once
more the open marshy land lay be
meath me, with its lush grass ard
crooked streams.
Now the biplane few steadily up
ward again IL swooped with such
force that 1t seemed my body must
continue to fall forward. drawn down
by an irresistible magnet. Swooplng.
rising, dipping, on went the bipiane
like the seagulls that play at tag on
the shore. Suddenly below the up
turned faces reappcared.
4 last downward swoop, the wheels
OF the machine touched the spongy
earth. and with a bobbing glide, We
stopped
The flight was finished.
over my whole body warm glow
swept as once more ! stood on the
ground. My very brain tingled from
the flight through the air at the rate
OF nearly mile a minute.
looked up The sky, So high above.
was serene and still. unmarked by the
passage Of The biplane which had just
flown through IT,
sighed with contentment. Now,
az last, knew how IL feels TO fiy.
Two of Brazii's waterfalls will be
utilized to furnish power for a lJo-
mile electric railroad that viii develop
now Inaccessible iron ore deposits Of
much wealth