The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1913-10-17
AN
AERONAUT
BY FRED L. YOUNG

marked MACHINERY" He was q
pleasant spoken, hail-fellow-well-mct
sort of person. who made acquaint-
ance rapidly with the other passengers.
He bet freely on the daily run Of the
ship and IL he won opened wine to eel
citrate his good luck and IL he lost
opened wine to celebrate the winners
luck. I'm either case he opened wine.
Billy Middleton. the gentleman re-
ferred to. soon became known as the
best fellow on the ship.
whats in all those boxes. Mickie
ton, you brought aboard with your
asked a passenger.
"When we approach the Atlantic
coast you'll all know. I'm going to
make an experiment that will attract
the attention Of the world"
"Why not tell us nowY
I'm under contract with a New
York newspaper to keep the secret till
the last. moment. The paper is to have
the exclusive rights OF publication"
Nothing SO absorbs people as curios-
ity. and the OrinokO had not long
passed Madeira before everybody was
talking about Mickleton and the expert
ment he was going to make. Some be-
lieved 1t to he a trial trip of Il new
kind of boat, whose parts were packed
In the boxes. Others guessed that he
had invented light submarine to be
managed by one person. lie would
put it in the water when the ship was
off Sandy Hook and, moving under
water, beat her to her dock. A third
crowd guessed that Mickleton intended
to be shot out of moytar from the
ships deck and come down with a
patent parachute.
When the ship was 500 miles from
port Mickleton secured the permission
Of the captain to remove the contents
they had been unpacked and carried to
the deck Mickleton set TO work and
put together an aerOplane. The pas
sengers gathered about him to watch,
some who knew something about
aerOplanes curious to see the machin-
cry put in. But Mlckleton waited till
they all turned In for the night to do
this work. and when they came on
deck In the morning they found the
aeroplane concealed under canvas
cover
The captain kindly ordered the ships
carpenter to make passage for the
machine by taking down the stern rails
and otherwise render a start possible.
When all these things were done and
the passengers had nothing to do but
wait they crowded around the aero
naut and piled him with questions. rs
It new power you're going to test?"
Are you going in ahead of the ship ar
going to make transatlantic fight:"
rs 1t to break record for speed or
for height or for distanceY'
Mickleton said that II grieved him
not to he able to satisfy them, but that
he was dependent on the newspaper
with which he had made his contract
for funds to carry out his experiment
and II he let ont anything he would
forfeit small fortune. When a man
became too persistent Billy opened II
bottle Of wine.
Fire island was sighted at 0 O'Clock
in the morning. At 10 Mickleton was
ready for his fight. The last article he
put on his machine was a small box
He opened it and showed provisions.
From the size of the box 1t might con-
tain food and drink to last week. II
was evident from this that the Digit
was to be a long one, and it was the
opinion Of most Of the passengers that
Mickleton was intending to make
straight across the Atlantic back 70
Gibraltar. II necessary he would have
stopping points at the Azores and Ma
dsira.
Just before starting Mickleton went
to the wireless office and sent mes
sage IN cipher to New York news
paper. III any one had any doubts as
to the truthfulness Of the. acronaut's
excuses for not telling his intention this
removed them. Leaving the wireless
office. he returned to his acceptance.
went under the canvas, made final
inspection Of the parts, then. removing
the cover. got aboard, Sailors on a
run pushed him along the deck; he
caught the air. hardly striking the
water surface, then rose gradually.
The ship was steaming westward
along the Long Island coast. The aero
plane. rising. turned toward the land.
passed over the eastern end OF the
island and gradually passed out OF
sight. Tho Orinoko reached Sandy
Hook about noon. but. being delayed
at quarantine. was not docked till the
next morning, Every passenger was
on deck and eager 10 read the account
VI the aoroplane hight. the start OF
which he had witnessed. Not single
newspaper mentioned II.
Mr.. Micklcton passed out of the
minds OF the passengers Of the ORR
noeo as he had passed out of their sight
over Montank Point and WAS for
gotten. But the time came when they
roai tho uawspapur ucCnupt which