The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-03-20
CRUISE OF THE
''ALIGE WALL"

As the Alice Wall arose majesucal-
~ on her man-made wings for her
initial flight from Snohomish to Ho-
boken, bearing the mails. a mighty
cheer ascended with her. There were
no passengers except two super
numeraries shipped TO an the places
al any sailors who should inadyert-
emily desert while leaning over the
rail. Kabhau, the noted aeronaut, was
in command. but Prot. Thayer had
been commissioned by western uni
yersity to observe. I'm the interest Of
science, the psychological effect of
high attitudes upon sea rchins-or
the glass vessel containing them
AS the shin rapidly gained elevation,
though it seemed not TO make much
horizontal progress, the crew became
alarmed al a rumor that Kabhau had
forgotten which way to turn the things
that kent her from going too high She
was said to be unmanageable, aud in
that case would so up, up, intermin-
ably; nothing would induce her to turn
her nose toward the now-distant Meth
erness. Utter panic, alone deferred
the crew from instant mutiny.
Ten hours out. the barometer turned
upside down and tried to work that
way. The mercury fell and summer
clothing became mere ni,sQuito net.
ting, became spider web, cut decollete,
cut peek-a-boo dwindled into puerile
inadeQuacy
The two substitute sailors, SILVER
ing at the taffrail. passed downward
through the rent in the clouds made
by the ships passage, and grumbled.
The colossal mistake was dimly Wis
ible, though diminished by distance to
a petty faux pas
otis a pitiful cinder from the DEVILS
own furnace" Tim remarked; but
there's nothing ! want so much as to
be upon that cinder"
True for ye," Mike rejoined "Tis
no more than three ions of rarehed
radio-actvity energetically diluted wild
a pint of rectified ether; but I'd give a
quarter for 1t. Why didn't they tie a
stirring to II, so whin we wanted it we
could trawl 1t up?"
Il was thinking of me Preside said
Tim, "and want to go home. I've got
cold feet, a condition superinduced be
the state Of the atmosphere, with ref
'erince to its relative temperature All
me life I've wanted a sled that would
slide up hill, but It's glad am I niver
had wan What is life, anyhow? A
mere mlsstep into a trapshooting ma.
chine, and up We 90 down to Absolute
Zero! Sure, this trip makes me wish
I'd met wild a fatal illness when me
grandmother was a baby
"Yis," walled Tim; q don't expect
to live to tell the folks at home Of me
sad death in mid-air on the ship that
niver returned, and I'm thinking III
write a farewell letther"
"Ahl" said the professor, Speaking
of letters reminds me that we must
drop the mails, to be forwarded by
rail to Hoboken, as we are not making
any progress in that direction"
rs Hoboken in Mars?" Mike in.
quired
No, it's 5000 miles out from sno
homish. York state they call it, or
Jersey; but the mails are important"
The professor procured a cork and
dropped it overheard. 1t floated slowly
downward.
Gravity is still working" he OBJ
served.
"Bedad, thin, tbs working back.
ward, said Mike; we're falling up"
Kabhau and the mail clerk brought
out the pouches, and the former
looked downward through pair Of
binoculars. The clerk held a pouch
over the rail, prepared to drop It at a
word. Tim gazed wistfully at the
"cinder." far. far below.
otis folne shot If they hit IT," he
murmured.
Before you drop the mails" sug.
gested Prof. Thayer 81 should like to
look through the glass, Mr. Kabhau.
My technical training may enable me
to tell you exactly or approximately
where Hoboken should be, with rela.
ton to our own position, If We are
straight up from Hoboken"
Certainly" said the aeronaut. i'm
pressed; take 1t, and look in at the
little end"
"Ah!" said the professor. after a
scrutinizing glance; 1T is as l antlcl
pated Owing to the rotation of the
earth we have passed Hoboken back.
ward We shall have to wait till she
turns over again, when we can deliver
the mail as well at its original desti
nation"
At that moment Kabhau placed his
hand to his forehead, while beatifC
expression stole over his countenance
81 have just thought of little ex
pedlent,' he said. I'VE have been I'M
able to control our elevation because
we have forgotten which way to TURF
the little lever that pulls altitude "
or down; but as the lever is so devised
as to move in only one direction Il
now occurs to me to try that way fol
luck"
/ III "a.