Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-09-16

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Peak after peak. village after village
and occasionally big smokeless town
about the national power plants of the
Leighton reservoirs came hurrying to-
ward them, passed beneath like vi
sions and fell behind.
"See that big stratus cloud?" asked
Carson. 'Shall we go over or under
it?'
personally" replied Craighead. i've
been under cloud long enough"
The stratus was an immense vapOr
sheet half a mile above the earth. On
derneath were the gloom and dullness
Of cloudy weather. but above 1t the
sun shone with brightness augment.
ed by the brilliancy reflected from the
upper surface of the cloud as from a
great glittering plain OF snow. The
sun was past the meridian and shining
warm. but on the wing over that
great expanse Of pearl the air felt. not
cold. but caller" aud they put on
their topcoats. The shadow Of the
Virginia ran with her across the cloud
like black bat haloed In the un-
speakable glory of triple rainbow
which ringed the scudding shadow
about In concentric circles. SO bright,
so refulgent In dye, so glorious in their
mingling lines. that the voyagers.
glancing from radiance to radiance,
lowered their voices to the thrill of
beauty too intense for speech.
The immense engines were moving
more regularly than clockwork. keep
ing the pledge Of their makers that If
supplied with fuel and oil they would
run without single stop until worn
out = the perfection of the internal
combustion engine. once so untrust-
worthy.
II want to see where we are" finally
said Carson. This Is like an open
ocean. want to compare the map
with the landscape"
Obedient to the tilted rudders. the
Virginia pointed her prov downward.
Her propeller blades hurled her swift
~ forward and toward the earth. and
she plunged into the cold stream of
the stratus cloud into mist and white
scarfs of lacy fog and the snowy OBJ
scurity Of an aerial blizzard. Craig
head gasped at the chill and the blind
ness.
Ring for guide" said he. "I'm
lost"
He was not lost for long. for the Vir-
ginia Glove the heecy hoodwink and
emerged through its lower levels into
the clear shadows of the neither air
They could feel the warmth radiated
from the ground. balmy with earthly
scents. Far to the northeast lay
shining river, widening at the limit OF
vision into a broad estuary, and just
within sight could be discerned the
clustered spires and towers of city.
Carson looked the landscape over and
studied his map.
"Craighead." cried Carson. we've
made Richmond three hours quicker
than thought it possible. A stork OF
a Canada goose couldn't have covered
the distance. and both sometimes so
200 miles an hour! Why
LET us eXult over yon insufferable
plutes!" cried Craighead. Lets fly
rings around 'em! Let's sail circles
around the snobs!"
Craighead. scanning the southeast
with his feldglasses. had discovered
at distance of six or seven miles
huge silver aeronat steering north
ward. Theodore threw over the tiller
and made for the airship. Craighead
looked Mt him in wonder
"That ship looks" said Carson. ad-
vancing the spark and crowding the
engines. like the Roc"
After a few moments on straight
course to interSect that of the aerOnat
Carson threw the Virginia up into the
cloud Soon they emerged on the shin
ing upper levels of the cloud. which hid
their approach to the other craft. One
below the curtain and one above 1t,
the airship of the future and the air
ship of the past flew on converging
courses. They dropped below the
cloud into the thinner vapor. They
looked about-and saw nothing. AND
yet. above the purring of the machin-
cry, came to their ears the tremor
from powerful engines. Could the
Condor have assembled into the cloud
as they descended from it? Voices
came closer and closer.
..AIy God. Carson! shouted Craig
head. you're going foul OF her
Look down."
lust in time Carson looked. From
the depths of air below the great bup-
Bile of silver rose. swelling In her swift
approach \ collision meant ruin.
The propelling blades of the aeronef
would cut the envelope of the gas hold
er like paper, and the two ships In
huge mass of tangled wreckage would
fall to the earth in death and ruin, or
the escaping gas from the aeronet, ig-
nited from the exhaust of the Wiz
ginia's engines. might explode, hurling
the fragments Of both vessels far ana
wide. And Carson saw in the ruin the
fair form of Virginia Suarez hurled TO
earth from the Roc and crushed to
fOrmlessness below.
Quick as lightning Carson threw on
full speed forward. The Virginia obey
ed her machinery. and as she swooped
to the aeronat's starboard the latter
rose swiftly. The virginia's stern rud-
der grazed the gas bag and was all but
carried away: cord of the suspension
system of the airship snapped with
defamation that set the huge fabric IN
a tremble. There rose a cry from the
deck of the hitherto unconscious mon
ster as her people realized the fearful