The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-08-21
attorney Mckinley Writes the impress
s!ons of Lieutenant In the Air
Service over in
France
ROYAL FEAST OF THRILLS
Fascinating Sport to See the Ground
from Miles Up, and Have the
Ship Drop in a Bump
and Spiral.


been in France since January %, in a
letter to j. 0. Boyd, describes recent
4 trip he took in an aeroplane. He
says:
..This week l got a view Of this
country. which simply left me speech
less to describe. One of the instruc-
tor pilots had been promising to take
/ me up for good ride for several days
and he picked wonderful morning
for me-one OF those days when the
sky is about third filed with big
white neecy clouds, and just nice
breeze blowing TO make good land
. ing.
I'VE soon got to an elevation of
some 500 meters and at this height
we circled around over the town
while, giving me an opportunity to
pick out from the air, things . was
Familiar with on the ground-they
look entirely different, l assure you.
Then we sailed out over the maneuver
grounds and trench systems Of the in
fantry school
The Trenches from the Air.
II was especially anxious to see
system of trenches from the air, and
i happened TO strike an ideal occas-
ion. The students in the grenade
school were carrying on a practice
trench raid with live grenades at that
particular time, and l got an excellent
idea as to the appearance of troops
in action in the trenches to an aerial
observer Men don't look nearly as
big as ants at even that comparative
~ low altitude. But I was almost
startled at the clearness with which
all the details of those trenches stood
out from the air.
And by the way, flying itself is a
sensation apart, Once you are a few
hundred feet of the ground, you have
a feeling Of just sitting up there in
space motionless, looking calmly down
On the petty struggle OF mere man on
the puny earth below 1t is something
remarkable but impossible OF descrip-
ton. / can readily understand now
the fascination flying has for so
niany-Im a convert myself.
The Patri-colored Pavement Below.
after the view OF the trenches,
the pilot nosed her up a bit and we
started off across country climbing as
we went. And then was the time
when l really appreciated the beauty
OF the country around-about.
s.Those peculiarly laid-out French
fields have the appearance of a nam
moth, irregular, mosaic pavement
suppose you might call it-with each
strip OF different color, and the var
ious ones ranging through all shades
of green, brown and yellow.
ITO one side of the view was q vast
forest of deepest green appearing
from our viewpoint almost as a won
derfully level green pasture land.
~ oil in a
be clearly traced the network of white
limestone roads, railroads, and the sill
very CLEAN of some small streams
Through its fringe of green trees. Here
and there appeared the red tile roofs
of village and We could perhaps see
all at once a dozen OF these, and the
country for miles and miles.
Inside of a Cloud.
But more grandeur was to come
At 1900 meters we struck the lower
edge OF the first clouds. Presently
We were right IN the middle OF chem
land pilots say that gptng through a
dense fog or cloud gives one a creepy
feeling, which one never becomes
quite accustomed to. You are VI
there in space scarcely able to see
the tip of the wings OF your ship. not
l4lAS 10 Suue you ana nothing &c
do but keep on going until you come
out of it-somewhere.
But at 1900 meters lover 1900 feet
we were out of them and above them
and what a sea of heaying white lay
before us! Better than a view from
any mountain top.
Then as We sailed along up there
to look down through the great riffs
in those clouds, and see again OLD
earth mile and half below in al
her luxury Of color! 1t was magni0
cent, I'll tell you
A Royal Feast of Thrills.
This was my first trip in the al
despite my six months in the air sery
ice, and I imagine not everyone get
royal feast OF thrills, sensations. an,
scenery on their first trip as I did
In fact / was 50 overcome with tn
delight of the whole thing that
couldn't express myself
"a few of the sensations W, les
pleasurable. although none the los