The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-07-08
CRUISE OF THE
''ALICE WALL"

mutual night from SnOhOmISh TO HO-
boken, bearing the mails. a mighty
cheer assembled with her. There were
no passengers except two super
numeraries shipped to fill the places
of any sailors who should inadvert-
emily desert while leaning over the
rail. kabhau. the Noted aeronaut, was
in command, but Prof Thayer had
been commissioned by a western uni
versity To observe, in the interest of
science. the psychological effect of
high attitudes upon sea urchins-or
the glass vessel containing them
As the ship rapidly gained elevation,
though il seemed not to make much
horizontal prOsre S. the crew became
alarmed at a rumOr that Kabhau had
forgotten which way 10 turn the things
that kept her from going too high She
was said to be manageable. and in
that case would go 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 mosquito net.
ting, became spider web, cut decollete,
cut peek-a-boo, dwinded 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
Tis ptiful 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 Ills
no more than three ions of rarefied
radio-activity energetically diluted wild
pint of rectified ether; but Id give a
quarter for it, Why didn't they tie
stirring 10 ii, so whin we wanted it we
could trawl it up?"
Il was thinking of me Preside" said
Tim, and | want to go home. I've got
cold feet, 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 niver
had wan. What is life, anyhow? A
mere misstep into rrap-shooting ma
chine, and up We 90 down to Absolute
Zero, Sure, this trip makes me wish
I'd met wild fatal illness when me
grandmother was a baby"
"Yis," walled Tim; Il 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 I'll
write farewell letther."
"Ah," 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. It's working back
ward" said Mike; we're falling up"
kabhau and the mail clerk brought
out the pouches. and the former
1n4LaI nd
binoculars. The clerk held a pouch
over the rail, prepared to drop it at a
word. Tim sazed wistfully at the
"cinder," far. far below.
"'Tis foine shot if they hit it." he
murmured.
Before you drop the mails" sug-
gested Prof. Thayer, Il should like to
look through the glass. Mr.. Kabhau
My technical training may enable me
to tell you exactly or approximately
where Hobokeu should be, with reIa-
ton TO our own position. if We are
straight up from Hoboken."
Certainly said the aeronaut. i'm
pressed take it, and look in at the
little end"
Ali said the professor. after
scrutinizing glance; 1T is as | antici-
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 al it's original desti-
nation
At that moment Kabhau placed his
hand TO his forehead while a beatific
expression stole over his countenance.
Il have just thought of little ex.
pedient,' he said We have been un.
able TO control our elevation because
We have forgotten which way to turn
the little lever that pulls altitude up
or down; but as the lever is 50 devised
as to move in only one direction it
now occurs to me to try that way for
luck"
A touch, and the ship started home.
Five minutes later The hum of a CITY
was distinctly audible, and it became
obvious that Prof Thayer had erred
Tor score of newsboys were shout.
ing:
"Hoboken evening papers, Extry,
AI-about-the safeauival-packet Alice
Wall"
Mike was rather confused by the ex.