Air Wonder Stories, August 1929 — page 26: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

mW oo «» boc hs Yee “You always seemed too interested in aero-dynamics and physics to pay any attention to me after we out- grew our childhood bitternesses.”’ “But I always had an indelible picture of you stamped in my mind, Joan. I avers hoped that per- haps: someday——well, that we might meet again in a more pleasant manner.” ; “Why, Robert ts “Oh, I’ve always loved you, Joan!” Joan was searching his eyes intently. I had @ guilty feeling as I watched, unobserved. Bob’s face was flushed but his eyes were on Joan, glowing with ad- miration. -Dinner was ready and waiting on the table yet I hesitated to interrupt them. A feeling of content surged through me. What. could be better than a match between the son of my dearest friend and my own wild, impulsive Joan? I turned away: and sat down infront of my television: for the news of the day, leaving the two in the living’ room to their own thoughts and aspirations, although I wanted Bob to explain to me the-principles: of the great Annihilator. At the touch of my fingers on the tiny button switch, the television screen glowed before me. I moved the single dial control gently and as has been my habit, I tunedin on-the government weather bureau in Wash- ington. Softly the features of the official announcer appeared on the screen. He peenn his usual: droning report. I throttled down the volume of his voice. “All aircraft flying lanes over the Divide are advised to shift 43 kilometers to the south of the Denver summits to avoid a terrific up-draft of air sweeping upward from latitude 17 today,” the announcer was ~ saying. “This upward pressure, P/Po density of 0-375 velocity, is lifting from 50 feet, to an elevation beyond the surface of the earth’s atmosphere. All craft are warned against the up-draft, for-its upward suction is reported by the Rocky Mountain weather observer to be more rapid and pronounced than it has been for many years. A powerful electrical storm is reported taging in that vicinity at-an elevation of 80,000 feet, 0.90 to 1.4 kilograms per centimeter of width. Stay clear! All craft pulled into the draft will be drawn up into the outer atmospheres with no hope of return- ing to earth, D.M. announcing. Please stand by for further storm warnings!” ; Allison Boasts : 6¢ ORD,” I whistled, “I’d hate to get caught in that up-draft! It’s a wonder that science has not found some way of breaking the force of it. That pressure forming a down-draft on one side of the Divide over the ridge and an up-suction on the other with a wide ratio, causes more serious accidents than all. the air-pockets over the Pacific between San 120 AIR WONDER STORIES the ae ncaa ed a new satellite.” oi our imagination is running away from you! Nothing like that could happen,” Joan said, with a shudder. “Have you got dinner ready? We've just time to eat and inspect the Annihilator.” “Nevertheless, my dear,” I said, “you are not going into the air tonight! No telling just what direction that up-draft will shift. I’m not taking any chances of you attempting to explore the outer atmosphere of the earth!” “That’s tight, Mr. Holdon,” Bob said, holding a chair for Joan at the table. ‘Such explorations should be confined to the Annihilator.” “You don’t mean, Bob,” I inquired, “that the Annihilator could navigate that powerful Divide pressure?” “The Annihilator can conquer anything but inter- planetary. travel, Mr. Holdon,” he answered, proudly; “She's not quite strong enough for that.” “But you wouldn't attempt to fly through the pres- sure of a high-velocity up-draft, would you, Robert?” Joan asked, nibbling daintily at a wafer, plainly alarmed. “I wouldn’t, of course, Joan,” Bob said, smiling affably, “but if our orders were to fly a straight course from Denver to New York we could hardly escape the draft. I’m sure: the Annihilator can pass through it under the force of her powerful driving exhausts.” “You have a lot of faith in that ship, Bob,” I said. “Aircraft have been destroyed in Divide drafts for years.” “That’s true too. But no craft as powerful as the Annihilator has ever been drawn into them,” he smiled, enthusiastically. “Just the sate I am, proverbially, a Missourian. I’ve still got to be shown,” I said with an uneasy laugh. Following the very pleasant dinner, we donned our ee and helmets and were lifted up to the port of ding on. top-of the towering Wright obelisk. The sky to the east was murky with a heavy mist. Black clouds hovered high overhead and the ominous roar of distant thunder could be heard frequently, The sun had set in a horizon of blood-colored clouds and the™ very atmosphere seemed foreboding. Yet in spite of ~ @ pending storm, commercial craft dotted the sky— hurrying to reach their destinations and discharge their’ ~ cargoes and passengers. From the murk high over= > head came the periodical hooting of some huge craft's.” right-of-way horn. Ordinarily, the usual storms and uncertainty of the elements would not prevent craft from keeping aloft, for air. vessels were constructed to) withstand them. But the ominous warning from the Washington Weather Bureau had obtained results in — i Francisco and Hawaii. Oh, ‘well, that warning will 0 far as pleasure flight was concerned. a. @ keep planes away from the draft. They’d be fools to Presently, Lieutenant Allison obtained the necessary ~ fly into it!” passports _perini Joan and me to enter the © “What’s the matter, daddy, your face is the color Aunthilator, He ushered us into a receiving elevator — of chalk?” that had been dropped from the interior of the craft Joan was standing beside the set dining table with to the floor of the landing and we were lifted into a a hand looped through Bob’s arm. They were smiling Spacious and luxurious reception room. Joan paused happily, to greet_an acquaintance while Bob handed our passes “The Washington bureau just announced that a to the Officer of the Day sitting at a little desk near high-velocity up-draft is sweeping upward over the 2 tigid, metallic door that opened into the central 5 Divide. I was thinking what a terrible thing it would chambers of the ship. : ; | be to be drawn up into the outer reaches of the earth’s Pardon me, Joan.” Bob smiled, taking her by the 3 atmosphere with no hope of getting back to earth, atm. “We've got to hurry. The ship leaves on 5 That means any ship caught in it would be shot out of Schedule. : the earth’s orbit where the absence of gravity would I trailed along behind them as they entered the ship’s pull the craft into the infinite, probably to spin around huge interior. 2 . Comicbooks; com