Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1918-03-29
an AIssn,p.

| explosion OF smell ana one OF mOre
J twelve inch charges. perhaps the whole
magazine In the depths.
Hardly had his dazed faculties grasp
ed this fact than another was borne
In upon him Gripping tightly the hand.
hold OF the turret hatch and choked
with gas fumes, he felt that be was
whIrling through the air with the tur.
ret roof.
As It turned in air he could see for
a moment the dim, bulky outline OF
the ship below; then It faded into
darkness. and he was clinging for
dear life to that slowly canting disk
OF armored steel. until. as II assumed
"a perpendicular, be was holding his
weight with one hand, very curiously.
as he then thought. weighing very
little.
Something hard and rigid brushed
him on the shoulder, and In q moment
he was torn from his support to find
himself clutehing smooth, round rod
OF what seemed TO be steel or iron.
II was perpendicular, and soon he
made cut another and beyond anotf-
er. Looking down, he saw long plat
form. TO the edge OF which the rods
led He was clinging to the stanchion
OF an airshipl
He slid down the stanchion to the
deck and faced man In the darkness.
How'd you get aboardT'
| sr ha rfflv kunvw u1yoolP I ha rHlv
know I'm alive. My name Is FELTON,,
torpedo officer OF the battleship Argyll.
There was an explosion In tho forward
turret. and was on top. I went up
with the roof"
"Was that turret topf wondered
what they We're shooting at u.s."
(which side are you on In this mlxT'
The side OF the Lord"
The man whistled shrilly, and imme'
diately half dozen other dark forms
materialized out OF the dark. They
threw themselves upon FELTON,. choked,
pinioned and bore him down, and be.
fore he could speak his protest be
found himself bound hand and foot.
FELTON, lay on the deck Of the car.
through the slits of which he could
see lights below and the quick CLEAN.
ing of distant gunfre.
He made out the shape. size and
general construction Of the craft that
carried him. 1t was not the conven-
tional elongated gas bag, with car and
motor, rudder and screw. Nor was II
suspended In the Dir by wings OF
plane. unless the long, concave root
above. toward the edge Of which the
stanchlons led, performed some such
function. Amidships were a vertical
and horizontal steering wheel, aft q
noisily buzzing engine, and behind II
in the darkness presumably were the
screw and rudders that propelled and
guided the craft. Symmetrically dis
posed about the deck were long steel
cylinders that doubtless contained the
compressed gas or air that worked the
engine. and through and between them
all a system OF pipes, valves, levers
and indicators. as complicated as ths
fittings Of an engine room. The com
mander was at the wheel amtdships
another man at the engine, and the
rest of the crew. seven in all, were
keeping lookout.
"There she is" said one, suddenly
lifting his head. "Ahead and to port.
T see her." said the captain, peer
ing down and shifting the wheel.
@You see, young man." he said to Eel
ton, I'VE had to rise so suddenly {,
dodge that turret top that wea los
sight of her"
DO you mean to say" answeret
FELTON, cautiously. for he did not ye
understand the temper Of these men
'that you can dodge anythingT'
1--WE can dodge or outrun shell Of
anything else big enough to see. Blu
1t was dark. and We didn't see tha
turret coming. It almost hit u.s."
what Ia your lifting power, cap
tain"
'The centrifugal force of the earth
partly, inconvenient in one respect
for We rise at tangent We descent
by Its opposite and balancing force
gravitation. which is more direct"
"How do you tap this centrifugal
forcef" asked the amazed FELTON,
How do you overcome gravltationY
"Gravitation is only one phase Of
magnetism. In magnetism repulsior
equals attraction. By reversing oul
polarity We are repelled from the eartl
at the speed Of falling body, but. ol
course, at tangent"
"It's beyond me-" said FELTON,. 90
course that tangent would take yor
westward at the speed Of the SUM-"
"In succession Of jumps, yes"
"But how do you change your polar
ity?" asked FELTON,. becoming inter
ested.
"rhere is your ship down there, near
ly beneath us" And the interest was