The Penn's Grove record., 1896-04-17
A FLYING SQUADRON.

"Have another cigar, lieutenant"
said. pushing the box across the table
toward him.
mo, thank you." he replied; but
with your permission, I'll fill my pipt
from yorr bowl. Indeed, when l came
up to your room 1t was only for a little
tobaccO-ran out myself-cigars al
gone. And here it is already II o'clock
My my! how time flies when Ii gets
notwithstanding. But, TO continue
Now, when my good friend Lieuten'
ant Swash takes possession of me and
my room at IL p. M, | do not always
consider it my duty to listen TO him.
He has been such a frequent visitor OF
mine since he has been staying at our
boarding house, and, then, he is Il of
those individuals who so lose them
selves in their own variations that they
ever forget they have an audience. So,
when the lieutenant said: Now, to
continue" | sank deeper into by big
chair and gazed absently into the fire.
He was talking warfare of the future.
What cared | for that, who possessed
neither stocks that would go down nor
food products that would go up. My
eyelids closed YEARLY; how l wished
he would 90. Then he made a state
mcnt so absurd that / laughed.
ut took place on July IL, 1916" ]
heard him say.
Eighteen forty-slx," I corrected.
"Now, see here" said the naval man,
testify. How old do you think I am
SO2 Pshaw! l was 80 then. 1t was
1916, and please don't contradict me.
1t was fifty years hence it all hap
Dened."
IF you will have 1t so, all WELL" l
said.
Now the date is settled and you
thoroughly understand the of the
war. Great Britain claimed the at
mospheric covering of the earth to a
height of 10000 feet, basing the claim
on the fact that as far back as 1899 an
English baloonlstha disappeared from
view at that helght-he was never seen
again. Such a claim as this, had 1t been
recognized by other nations, would
have given her too great a control over
mankind's supply Of breath. We claim
ed up to altitude of 1000 over the Unit
ed States, but she would not recognize
this and refused TO arbitrate. The
result was war-terrible war"
l took my pipe from between my
4natl nYl EynI n cold nun ON fha
speaker.
Lieutenant Swash," / said in n low
but distinct tone, you have explained
one cause of the war five times. ]
have swallowed your dates and may
be able TO gulp down your facts, but ]
ask that you desist from repetition"
well, well. If you'll have it so, II
go ahead. Having the straight
In your mind, you Will remember thai
1t was July 10, 1916, that the fight oc
CURED. There were three battle ship
in our feet: Admiral Wad's flag ship
the Swallow, carrying fifteen tom OF
dynamite and two machine guns; tn,
lightning, Captain Blower, ten tons Of
dynamite and two slx-inch rifles; th'
Hawk, Captain Wind, eleven tons ol
dynamite and one pneumatic gun, uset
for throwing explosives at the enemy
IN case she got above us. We were nc
cOmpanied by two small torpedo boat
and the swift unarmOred cruiser Kala
maZOo which we expected to be of lit
tie service, since n bullet could hav,
punctured her and sent her to eartl
forever. We lay about 500 miles cas-
of New York for four days, awaiting
the approach of the enemy's flyinj
squadron. 1t was 10 o'clock on tn
morning of July 16 when we sighte,
them, about 200 miles away, running
toward lis mt n rapid rate. They mus
have seen us Mt about the same time
for they sheered off a little toward tn
north and began to rise.
admiral Wad, at whose side / wa
standing on the quarter deck of tn,
Swallow, ut once understood thel
maneuver. In modern warfare it's tn,
fellow who gets above the other an,
drops dynamite on him that wins In
yariably. We were then at an alt
tude of about 5000 feet and did not los
any time getting higher. l can see tn,
grand old admiral now as he stood a
the switch board coolly putting hi
cigar MS If he was at his club down II
New York. There was not a tremo
observable in his long thin finger as h
pushed the button marked up Thel
we began to ascend.
THE two other battle ships followed
and as we arose we cleared for action
The Kalamazoo and the torpedo boat
were left behind. as 1t was not deeme,
advisable TO expose their frail struc
lures to the enemy's fire.
Il confess, as l stood beside my BRAY,
leader and felt our ship mounting
higher and higher and shooting on to
ward the enemy at n speed of ninet,
miles an hour; watched the crew OF tel
mel cOOlly placing dynamite bombs II
the most convenient places; saw tn,
three great steel balloons of our en-
emy's squadron glistening In the sun
light as they shot toward us, | felt thu
strange inward sensation that here
tOfore / believed could only be caused
by Il Welsh rabbit at 2 a. m"
"You must drink a good deal Of sic
with your Welsh rabbits, lieutenant"
I vVrSured, mildly.
Pm n total abStainer, sir" he re-
piled, quietly. And never did have
more cause to lie thankful for 1t than
ON that day, ! was in full possession
of my mental faculties; otherwise ]
would never have been able to have
lived through those awful two hours.
Andthe crew. tool never saw a braveI
set Of fellows in my life; not a moist
eye or a troubling lip among them.
''The energy had two hrst-class bat
tie ships ard two second class. They
advanced in a line parallel to ours. Ad'
miral Wad signaled Commodore Blower
TO engage the two second class ships on
the left, to Wind to take the right, leav'
Ing us the flag ship In the center. Thif
vessel, l saw through my glasses, was
D little larger. but of almost the same
construction as the Swallow. There
Is 80