At night the ærodromes were compelled by law to travel at halt speed, with two searchlights, fore and aft, in constant operation. The port lights of all ærodromes were red, and the starboard lights were green. These precautions were rendered necessary in order to avoid mid-air collisions. Some disasters in 1999 filled the [Ærodrome Collisions in Mid-air.] country with alarm. In 1940 a terrible mid-air collision occurred over Rio Janeiro. Two swift ærodromes, attached to the Mercury Limited express, collided about 2,000 feet over that city causing a serious loss of life. Collision in mid-air was always the nightmare and dread of ærial navigation. People in 1999 had not yet become fully reconciled to the delightful sensation of dropping out of the clouds and getting their clothes torn on church steeples and lightning rods. When they made a start for heaven they were better prepared to make it from earth as a starting point, rather than making a break for paradise starting from the clouds. Accidents, unfortunately, were of frequent occurrence. In the columns of the Hourly Journal, published in the city of Manhattan, (old New York,) under date of Thursday, July 17, 1984, we find the following harrowing narrative: MID-AIR COLLISION! The Comet Express Collides with the Milky Way Ærostatic Express. Twenty-five Passengers Dashed to Earth. Many Saved in the Descent by Using the Air-Life Preservers. Manhattan, N. Y., 2 p. m., July 17, 1984.--A mid-air collision resulting in the death of twenty-five persons, and injuries to many others, occurred at 11 o'clock this morning at a distance of 2,500 feet over the city of Binghamton, N. Y. The Transcontinental Comet Express, San Francisco to the eastern coast, which passes Denver at 10 p. m., takes its easterly flight and passes over Binghamton about 11 o'clock on the following day. The west bound Milky Way Express is due over Binghamton at about the same hour. A heavy fog arising from the Susquehanna prevailed at the time and this, added to the fact that a propeller-blade of the Comet Express was disabled, caused the collision, which collapsed the ærodrome of the Milky Way, capsizing twenty-five of the passengers, many of whom fell in the Court House green, being buried in the sod under the terrific velocity of the fall. One passenger from Cobleskill, who had just started for a trip to the Yellowstone Park, fell on the statue of Justice on the dome of the Court House. At noon his legs had not yet been extricated. The city is plunged in gloom. Among the killed were five passengers from Sidney, Unadilla and Bainbridge. The details of their death are too shocking for recital. The bodies were taken to the Binghamton crematory and burned. The ashes will be forwarded to-morrow to the relatives.