The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-01
RIDING ON A STORM.
A BOAT THAT RODE RIGHT UP THE
DOWNPoURING RAIN.
Unexpected Turn Of a Discussion on Air
'hips-To Win In an Argument Ono
Needs Only to Master His Conscience
and Think In a Hurry.

Neeus only to Master His Conscience
and Think In a Hurry.
II don't believe there is any such
thing as an airshipp' exclaimed the
man who had his chair tilted back
against the side of the hotel and who
was allowing cigar ashes to drop OH his
vest.
But people have seen it," expostu-
lated the man who wears long red side
whiskers on his head and spats on his
feet.
The other members of the Curbstone
club drew their chairs up closer and
looked interested.
Which simply goes to show" was
the reply, "that we are living in an era
OF aduiteration. Nobody ever saw things
like that before they got to making
chemical laboratories take the place Of
distilleries What do we want with All
airship anyhow?''
Scientists say it's bound to COME"
yentured the proprietor of white vest
and plated shirt bosom.
OF course scientists tell us it's COM
ing. Scientists have families to support,
the same as other people, and it's their
business to keep public confidence up.
And don deny that the airship mny
be coming some time. But it won't get
here till conditions demand it. What
could you do with an airship that can't
be accomplished just as we'll with a
trolley car or steamshipor u bicyole?"
Some drops of rain gave warning of
q storm, and when tho party had got
settled in the smoking room the skeptic
resumed:
Surprising they do fix up an arrange
ment to take you up in the mir. What is
there to do except to como down again?
OF course you can go from place to
place, but a straight line is the shortest
distance between two points, and what's
the use of taking the extra trouble of
travelling on curve through the atmos-
phere? If there were some way of an
choring cloud and starting u roof gar
den ON it, I'd say, GO ahead and have
the airship, by all means. There'd be
money in it,
But" ventured no Of tho plated
shirt front, "it would be nice way to
travel, plenty Of fresh air aud room,
you know
The storm had increased outside I'M
til its noiso attracted general attention.
The man with side whiskers went to
the door and exclaimed:
Il guess this is tho worst we ever
had i'll this part of the country
ut might be that and still not
amount to much" contemptuously re-
sponded the wearer of tho ash sprinkled
vest. Its coming down in drops SO far
apart that you can SEQ between them. {"
They're pretty big drops, though"
"Pshawl Compared to the real thing,
this shower is nothing but leak in n
wash boiler.I By the way, somebody
was claiming that nirship travel would
be commodious and comfortable and all
that sort of thing"
81 said that" camo the rather timid
confession.
"Did you ever try voyage at great
altitudc?''
mo"
II thought not. If you had, you
wouldn't mako any such assertion.
A number of years ago went with
friend for trip OH Lake Erie. That's
the place for storms. His boat was a
small screw propeller and one of tho
swiftest affairs ever built. Wo saw n
storm coming, and, i'll spite of our
efforts to run away from it, it overlook
us. Talk about rain! What we encoun-
tered there was perpendicular river.
My friend staid on deck to SEQ that we
didn't run into anything, and L, Of
course, stood by him. In few minutes
realized that if something WASH It done
we'd drown right i'll our tracks. wait
ed my opportunity, and presently, when
big wave came along and tilted tho
boat up SO that the deck stood at an an
glo Of about 40 degrees, turned the en-
CINE loose for all there was in it. T
glanced at my friend. He was white as
sheet, but he grasped my hand in to-
ken of his approval Of what I was do
ing. 1t was desperate chance, but It
turned out as had hoped. The boat be-
gan to rise steadily and swiftly on a
slant. 1t was time of horrible sus-
pense, for we didn't know what minute
tho craft might strike thin spot in tho
storm that the paddle wheels wouldn' t
take hold of. But we got safely to tho
top and both sank to tho deck in utter
exhaustion. When we recovered suffi-
GENTLY, we took n survey of our sur
roundings, and l give you my word l
never experienced anything more dreary
than the impression made by tho ire
mendous expanso of vacancy which met
our gaze OH all sides. After few hours
of it would have given fortune for
tho sight of few telegraph poles or tho
sound of train boy peddling oranges. I"
How did you get DOWN." asked one
Of the group.
We didn't bother about that After
playing seven up till we got tired of tho
game Wo turned in. and when Mn