The Washington times., 1912-03-11
CHAPTER XII.-(Continued.)

TN Germany the balloon idea took
full possession OF the public mind. |
Germany had long developed the
greatest fleet of dirigible balloons
In existence, preferring tnem to every
other type of flying apparatus 1t was
reported that the Kaiser was of the
opinion that If worst came to worst |
the best manner of meeting the emer- |
gency would be by the multiplication
of dirigibles and the increase of their |
capacity.
The result was that a considerable |
number of wealthy Germans began the
construction of such vessels. But when
interviewed they denied that they were |
preparing for a flood. They said that
they simply wished to enlarge and in
crease the number OF pleasure cratt;
after the example of the Kaiser. All
this was in Contemptuous defiance OF
the warning which Cosmo Versal had
been careful to insert in his circulars
that balloons and aeros of all KINDS
will be of no use whatever; the only
safety will be found in arks, and they
must be proVisioned for at least five
years"
'The most remarkable thing of all hap
pened in France: 1t might naturalla
have been expected that Frenchman
who thought it worth his while to take
any precautions against the extinction
of the human race would, when 1t be,
to the aero, for from the commence
ment of aerial navigation French en-
gineers had maintained an unquesuon,
able superiority in the construction ana
perfection of that kind of machine
Their aeros could usually fly longer
and carry more dead weight than those
of any other nation. In the trans
oceanic aero races whlch occasl9llahtS o9 tt
took place the French furnished the
most daring and the most frequently
successful competitors.
Then, too, the French mind is mas,
terly in appreciation of details, and
Cosmo VersaTs reasons for condemning
the aero and the balloon as means Oh
escaping the flood were promptly
OWNED In the first place, 1T was
seen that no kind of aiTship could be
successfully provisioned for flight OF
Indefinite length, and in the second
place the probable strength OF the
winds, or the crushing weight OF me
descending water, in case as Cosnlo
predicted a nebula should condehse
upon the earth. would either swep an
aero or a balloon to swift destruction
or carry it down into the waves ike
a water-soaked butterfly
Accordingly, when a few FrenChmen
began seriously TO, consider the question
of providing a way or escape from ON, me af
argument, that there would be a HOOD
they got together, under the leadership
of an engineer officer named Yves de
BeauChamps. and discussed the matter
in all its aspects. They were not long
in arriving at the conclusion that the
best thing that could possibly be done
would be to construct a submarine.
In fact, this was almost an inevitable
conclusion for them, because before the
abandonment of submarines in war on
account of their too great powers of OF
destruction-a circumstance which had
also led to the prohibition of the use or
explosive bombs in the aerial naVies-
the French had held the lead in the
construction and management of sub
mersible vessels, even more deCisively
than in the case of aeros.
"A large submarine" said De Beau
champs, Into whose construction a GER
tain amount of levium entered, would
possess manifest advantage over YER
sails ark. 1t could be provisioned to any
extent desired; it would escape the dis
comforts of the waves, winds and food
ing rain, and it could easily rise to the
surface whenever that might be de-
sirable for change of air 1t would have
all the amphibious advantages of a
The others were decidedly of De Beau
champs opinion, and it was enthusi-
astCally resolved that a vessel of this
KIND should be begun at once
'If we don't need 1t for a food" said
De Beauchamps, I'VE can employ it for
the deep. We viii then make a reality
of that marvellous dream of our country
man of old, that prince of dreamers,
Jules Verne"
Let's name it for him" cried one
"Admirable! Charming" they all cx-
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,,iaIi nrLoii w W uan 81 guy "itnGuI ne
hloMleuSG W uiie PuolIC, me keel OF the
We shall hear of that remarkable craft
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