Gunnison news-champion., 1915-01-29


asatr hi- aDarssr ~ the qsssss.i-s
hosss. H. scoepsaa the hsse &c hs-
aasstser for Meade vlsh Hzs~ cwss.
asess- save fyr a fa-auay k~ss IN the
.se-. tie had snaWs n sss-t eeu4s
~ssae sas. and he had known Acsoe~
father aud iesed him.
As sor ssillusaa hisaaesf he pssnassi
fr"m the tr~s nte a asaei-sFom os cx
plaBatifE. Planning advising aud ~u
Ierv sing. whi b ksI,t him m . es.r
filsnui fever liich of active WORKING
That tr-i das at a c.n~ulsafissu with
hrs ass"ciate .n1inoerS II WIS si.-.isl.-,i
~ bald the frnnssswork ef tbc acre
ds-~troyers of vaHaslissn steel cos.sl.sa.-
ing iiahtne~s wish gresit strength. "
was here that Ssillman~ real gustlift
first began to show. EnziHeer~ were
~urpri-ea ut rhe mass os ternaical
kuowie,iee he broaah; 10 ai- task
Whatever h. might he IA NJ, iearance
aud manner. this was NJ inBeccni
dreamer from fls. woods
A month pas~"d two three.
November had eone I.sceuliss.r aud
January had conse IN asd lied swiftly.
Long before this Meade s.iiiHsaR had
surrendered large part Of the y tual
supervision of construction % his
so ociates and tran=ferred his attention
to the preparation of the radio active
gravity screens. The original cheni-ts
iat,ormtory Of the works had been ooa-
verted into the workroum where he
cunducted his efIurts toward the hft-
ing devices of the monster irShips.
whose steel bulls were now ta-ng deii
uiie shape
This was the only part of the en-
tire undertaking of which he made any
secret.
But the laboratory was as carefully
guarded as mint. Special oiiirers
aud company Of Infantry were a.
WAYS On guard about II. Even the
regular assistants whirh necessity
forced upon him approached only aft
er supervision of their pass cards
and a correct replying ~ q password
changed from day 10 day.
OF these helpers. whom he gathered
about him in the supreme work Of his
task. the chief was a man of the name
VI db 'td baAs WIN
hair and a smooth shaven chin. in
whose pale blue eyes alone remained
any apparent fire. Stoop shouleered
and slow Of speech. Belden was lin
ished technical engineer. with a thor
ough knowledge Of chemistry and elec-
trical application.
Meade himself had picked him ont ~
some dozen men suggested for the
place and found him all he could de-
sire In fact. the interest which he
manifested In the work was second
only to Stillman's own.
Between them they took the pre''ions
substance Meade had brought from
the oasis and began to fashion 1t into
the screens.
BY now another task was added to
Meade's already heavy burden. In an
other part of the city the magnetic
bombs. which were to furnish the am
munition of the destroyers. were being
prepared Each day now Stillman en-
tered speedy machine and was driven
to the ammunition factory 10 supervise
the most important Of the details at
tending their production.
Sometimes he stopped and took Rer-
nice with him that her presence. the
sound of her voice might rest him aud
give him back something of poise.
More than she knew her influence help
I'd to perfect the mighty engines Of
war.
II was the middle Of February, and
II had become evident that Japan in
tended to precipitate an engagement
from the base the orientals had estab-
Iished With somewhat anxious minds
an inquiry was sent from the strategy
board to Meade ON the 18th asking for
definite date of completion for the
aero destroyers. He replied that he
would finish by the night Of the 21st.
Beruice and Darling and he had even
adopted the names. The original ma
chine. the first laid down. was to he
called the Miracle. and Meade had been
specially commissioned to command
her. The second would be captained
by Darling. with Arkel as his heuten-
ant. and the third was to he named
the Stillman with Monsel, who had
resigned from the hoard for the pur-
pose. as her governing head.
Throughout the morning of the goth
Japan massed her fighting men along
the front Of the American position.
About 2 p. m. ON the 2oth Japan
opened her attack by a turning move
ment directed against the American
right flank. Until nightfali the battle
ragged fercely with a frishtful loss on
the American side. due mostly to the
long range work of the aerial bombs,
which burst above their positions with
telling effect
Finally the Japanese army shattered
the right wing of the Ameri an army.
and our forces were compelled to take
n new position.
The result was that the enga cement
II the 2lst was fought a good many
miles nearer the historic town ~ Get
tysburg than that Of the preceding day.