Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-12
BOVE the earth exists a new
world of evanescent and

~ world of evaneScent and
~ uncharted valleys, peaks
cavernS and ravines
strangely beautiful and exciting
known only to those who fly. II
Is the world which exists above
the clouds.
To any one with any sort Of
imagination or eye for beauty the
first fight above solid bank OF
clouds is a taste of one of the
rareSt and headiest wines of life
It Is an adventure in a world
which cannot be judged by any
thing In experience on the ground
below.
The world of the clouds is one
OF rare magnificence, of spotleSs
purity, without harshneSs or eye
sores anywhere, of ceaseless
change and yet unchanging
beauty. It is world which can
not be seen with the eyes alone,
but which must be felt with the
senses. It is a world where moth
ing is gross, where the spirit can
range free without any of the
trammelS or cares of the mum
dane life crawling beneath. In
short, a visit to the world above
the clouds is one which should
be in the experience of those who
have the fire of life which impelS
men to climb out of the rutS
ordinary living.
The amazing Suddenness of the
transition from the world below
to the world above may explain
some of the fascination it holds
for the minds of those who ex-
perience 1t for the first time.
Rain and Gloom.
On the ground the day Is
gloomy. The earth is Sodden.
Clouds hang low and there Is
gray mist. Water drips from the
caves, from branches and twigs,
from the hat brim. It Is day
when worldly cares hang heavy,
when carking little thoughts chase
through the mind, dull day de-
voted to dizziness. Still, your day
calls for a little job Of flying, as a
passenger, of course, since this Is
not intended for the eyes OF pilots
who have lived through the ex-
perience already.
The airport is apt to be depress-
ing. There will be mud through
which you pick your way, your
thoughts on the ground, upon
muck and dirty water and the
unpleasantness of getting soiled.
The rain drips and an upturned
coat collar and downturned hat
brim are not conducive to COM
fort.
You climb into the plane with
out enthusiasm; there is no
tendency to warm up to the
prospect of flying through these
dull gray spaces below the clouds,
with driving rain hammering,
hammering under the lash of the
propeller stream. You are chilled
and slump down in your seat
waiting for the splashing OF mud
and water in the run across the
field. The grayneSs of the day is
in your mind, there is no warmth
or cheer inside or out.
AS you had anticipated, there is
a great splashing of Soupy mud
and you rise finally, Sluggishly,
into the rain and mist which now
seems darker and more forbidding
than ever. Rain sluiceS in hori-
zontal lines across the triplex
glass, you ram your hands into
your pockets and bunch down
into your coat collar. Below the
paved roads gleam, black and oily
under the rain, and a thin, I'M
easy mist curls up from the
soaked fields.
The Earth Disappears.
AS the plane climbs shreds of
clouds stream by below and the
earth, already dull, becomes tenu-
GUS and unreal, like dark dream.
The mist and clouds close in, less
and less of the earth Is seen.
What part remains visible is
darker and darker. Then the
clouds close in tight, there Is no
ground below, there Is no sky
above, there is nothing but an
impalpable, clinging gray every
where. There Is an abrupt sense
of smothering, you strive to pump
more air into your lungs, you feel
buried in an ocean of wool. Crepe
as you will, there is nothing any,
where that is tangible, nothing
solid all about to tie your thoughts
to. The rain sluices across the
windows.
Now you notice that the mist is
becoming brighter. Where it was
dull gray there now Is a hint of
silver and mother of pearl. Steadily
It becomes brighter and brighter
and your thoughts lift little by
little.
Then, as the mist becomes so
bright you vince bit, you plunge
abruptly out of the clouds into
the new world. The sun blazes
out of a splendid sky, blue as the
dream of a day in June. Mighty
terraces and crags of cloud jut up
all around, cleaning in the light