The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-09-20
SAILING THE EMPYREAN.
S. HOLSTER Jackson Tells Experience
in Air Flight.

Flying How impossible it has
seemed to us, earth .fettered, human
mortals. We had read as boys Jules
Verne's Clipper of TIE Clouds and of
late kipling's "The Night Mail" Our
imagination ran riot. We lived in the
air, and coursed through cloud banks,
oyer mountains, valleys and waters,
like the birds OF the air. Our parents
chided us for reading such literature,
they did not call it literature, but
rather nonsense" Now we know
that Jules Verne was prophet, the
most modern of prophets, lettering
all OF previous ages. Even now his
prophecies have not had full fruition;
but the time is very near when the
"Clipper of the Clouds" will become a
reality.
Here in Vermont we are burdened
with an unfavorable terrain Noun
tains are not favorable to present
methods Of air travelling. There are
not enough fiat lands, not enough
plateaus, whereupon safe landings may
be made, There is room for develop
ment of such landing fields and it be-
hooves us to look about and dedi-
cate all possible fields and plateaus and
the art of flying. Safe landing places
are as essential to flying as safe roads
are to teams and automobiles, or har-
bors to the ships of the sea.
From boyhood ! have been obsessed
with the great possibilities of aerial
transportation. Nature has placed al
most innumerable stumbling blocks,
like mountains, valleys and rivers, in
the way of ground travel, but the air
has just one obstacle, that of the law
of gravity. Were the latter overcome
in full measure the air routes would
be the universal paths of travel and
progress. "As the crow flies" would
not then be a simile but a fact.
To my mind the greatest accomplish
ment of the World war is the incen-
tive which has been given to the cause
of flying. No matter what we may
bemoan in the way of lost lives, de-
stroyed property and hindered civil
cation, we must recognize that the
air was partly conquered by reason
of this war, and that an impetus has
been given to aerial transportation
which otherwise would have lain dor
mant for years to come. 1t is an i'll |
wind that blows nobody good. and the
whirlwind of war has brought about |
the possibility of riding upon the air I
in the pursuits of peace.
! had read the sensations of hving |
and had always wanted to undertake !
such a journey. Here in the Vermont I
hills il seemed as though opportunity ,
was slow in knocking at our doors. and /
that we should do something TO In |
vite its coming. Several attempts had I
been more or less failures A proper
field was required whereupon safe |
landings and wherefrom safe launch.
ings could he made. One dav ! was
talking with Mr. Donald Smith. presi.
dent of +. l.. Smith 4 Co. and he re,
ferred to the Wilson farm" as an
ideal flying field. From this sugges
ton grew the idea that this field could
be used to introduce flying to the Barre
district and thus encourage the new
art or rather industry Il was but a
short time when F. L. Smith 4 CO.,
backed by permission of it's lessee,
dedicated this farm az an aerial field:
and to-day we have aerial flights con-
Quoted from t. May | make sug
vestion. Let our community own this
field, improve II by filling and roll
ing. but cutting certain trees which
win increase the safety Of approach,
and then dedicate it for all time TO
aerial transportation. I believe that
Vermont cannot grasp an opportunity
Tor future development any better
han by adopting this suggestion,
whether il be this field or some other
| had my first fight on Sept. 10.
900, about 4;l0 p m. The expert
lnce, the sensation was better even
han my imagination had gathered
rom previous reading With me rs
was Mrs. Charles Brown,
wife of my friend, Charles. an ar
of weight; and. believe me,
he was game every second of the Trip
n spite of all the "jollyings" Of
we started with the idea of
wanting to go ND rather than dread !
ng il. The pilot was Lieutenant j
tanks. formerly of the ROYAL Flying
orps of England, a Nova Scotian by ,
firth. q Massachusetts, Technology stu ,
ent and a past master in the art of
wing. 7 had wished 10 be the first
o Ay from the field but was a little
ate in arriving, after a windy and
Amy day, and could only envy those
Who were first on hand. Such a de-
ire was rather sentimental than sane,
But our turn came Second and soon
We were running over the field. gath
ring speed and finally giving last
uick touch to mother earth. Then !
re were off, into mother air. climbing |
nd climbing, with the hillocks and
rees and waters gradually merging {
nto a checker. board of lights and =
hadows. Here was little piece Of :
lesdow land, fringed with dark out
ne of trees there was shining Ill
er working in and out. beautiful in
r. irregularitv. with the sun spark
ne upon It. II was the Jail branch a
nd az its ends could be seen Barre
ity and East Barre, liliputisn ham s
'ts with miniature houses dropped B
iggledv -piggeldy everywhere. We D
allied into the western sun and is
AVS blinded us SO that we could not
ok beyond but only back or down
looking down! Surely we must have
al some qualms in leaning over the