The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-01-06
AN
AERONAUT
By FRED L YOUNG


with number Of boxes. which were
marked Machinery. He was q
pleasant spoken. haii-feIlow- we'll
sort Of person. who made acquaint-
ance rapidly with the other passengers
He bet freely ON the daily run of the
ship and if he won opened wine to eel
citrate his good luck and If he lost
opened wine to celebrate the winners
luck. In either case he opened wine.
Billy Mickleton. the gentleman re-
ferred to. soon became known as the
best fellow on the ship.
whats I'm all those boxes, Mickie-
ton. you brought aboard with your
asked 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 now?"
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 it TO be a trial trip of "A new
kind of boat. whose parts were packed
in the boxes. Others guessed that he
n s,,x- l,vI. -
managed by one person. He would
put it Ia the water when the ship was
OF Sand. Hook and. moving under
water, beat her to her dock. a third
crowd guessed that Mickleton intended
to be shot out of a mortar from the
ships deck and come down with
patent parachute.
When the ship was 500 miles from
port Mickleton secured the permission
of the captain to remove the contents
of the boxes to the upper deck. When
they had been unpacked and carried TO
the deck Micklcton sci to work aud
put together an aeroplane. The pas
sengers gathered about him to watch.
some who knew something about
cry put in. But Mickleton waited. till
they all turned in for the night to do
this work and when they came OH
deck in the morning they found the
aeroplane concealed under a canvas
cover
The captain kindly ordered the ships
carpenter to make II passage for the
machine b. taking down the stern rails
and otherwise render start possible.
When all these things We're done and
the passengers had nothing to do but
wait they crowded around the aero
naut and Piled him with questions. is
it a new power you're going to test?"
Are You going in ahead OF the ship or
going TO make transatlantic fight."
Is it to break a record for speed or
for height or for distance?.'
Mickleton said that it grieved him
not to be 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 If he let out anything he would
forfeit IA small fortune. When man
became too persistent Billy opened "a
hottie of wine.
Fire Island was sighted at 0 o'clock
in the morning. AT 10 AIickleton was
ready for his fight. The last article he
put on his machine was u small box.
lie opened it and showed provisions.
From the size of the box ii might con-
tain food and drink TO last week 1t
was evident from this that the fight
was to he a long one. and it was the
opinion Of most of the passengers that
Niekieton was intending to make
Gibraltar. IL necessary he would have
stopping points at the Azores and Ma
lleira.
Just before starting Mickleton went
to the wireless Office and sent a mes
sage in cipher &c, a New York news.
paper If any one had any doubts az
To the truthfulneSs of the aeronaut's
excuses for not telling his intention this
removed them. Leaving the wireless
office. he returned to his aeropIane,
went under the canvas. made final
inspection of the parts. then. remoyinga
the cover. got aboard. Sailors on a
run pushed him along the deck: he
caught the air hardly striking the
wafer 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. The 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
of the aeroplane flight the start of
which he had witnessed. Not single
newspaper mentioned It.
Mr.. Mickleton passed out of the
minds Of the passengers OF the ORR
noko as he lad passed out of their sight
over Montauk Point and was for
gotten. But the time came when they
read the newspaper account which