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

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

TT ee ewe ee ee See BA ty eC Pe 504 AIR WONDER STORIES assume that duty. i “T'll take her until. we get beyond the coast, Mad- den!” Captain Markson: said, staring at the instru- ments: “Seems as if I can’t trust anybody on this ship of late. Anyhow, the barometer indicates. low pressure over the-Pacific. I'll navigate her through it!” “Very well, sir!” Madden replied: “Shall I go through the ship to see how the passengers have come through it?” : “By all means, sir!” the captain grumbled: “Take Mr. Rodman with you and show-him the ship. Mr. Rodman, this is First Officer Madden. Tl join you later-when I feel safe enough in turning the ship over to these nincompoops!” - Madden smiled, and led me out of the cabin and down the corridor toward the reception room. “Quite a close shave, Mr. Madden,” I said, as we strode side-by side down the hall: “Let me. congratu- late you upon your prompt action in saving the ship from crashing, sir!” “All in the day’s work,” he replied quietly: “Such things are bound to happen at times. I happened to be the closest man to the reserve control; any-one of the others might have done the'same trick.” “But they. didn’t,” I replied: “We would have been killed, without a doubt, if your mind had not been working rapidly.”’ : “Thank you, sir,” he said, looking straight ahead: “Nothing about that though to warrant a hero medal. And Baker was ‘a damned good pilot-navigator! I can’t see how he overlooked the elevators!” “Seemed rather young to hold a pilot’s rating?” I tit in. e “Thirty-five is the best age for a pilot. Baker was thirty. Been with:the company just a short time, how- ever,” Madden:said. “Married ?” I asked. “Don’t: know,- sir,” the officer replied, shaking his head: “From what I could see he wasn’t much of a mixer; that is, he didn’t confide much in his mess, The Old Man never did take much fancy to him; he didn’t hop fast enough for Captain Markson. The captain is-a flyer of the old school, who flew ships when aircraft still had struts to hold ’em together. Now that we have-all-cantilever ships, he thinks the men need the struts to keep ’em up on their feet.” Panic had reigned, temporarily, among the pas- sengers of the Hastert Star when her—convolutions threw them about, in spite of the customary starting precautions. But, when Madden and myself had com- pleted:the tour of inspection, we were elated to discover that they. had: quieted down after: the first:scare, and most of them-had retired-to their cabins. Several had suffered slight bruises and abrasions from the tumblings they had received... But, on the: whole, things were in much better condition than Madden had anticipated. “Well, Mr. Rodman,’ Madden: said presently : “There will be afew more minutes: before your dinner time. If you ate free, I’d like to: show-you the mechanical workings of the Eastern Star. I presume-you are in- terested to know just how she is propelled?” “Five. wondered about its mechanical’ embodiments; Mr. Madden,” I replied- “I’ve always felt.an interest in mechanics, physics and aero-dynamics; although I understand but little of any of ‘the sciences. If you don’t mind showing me around———” We went down a short companionway to the engine rooms where powerful units of machinery hummed, as the great craft swung swiftly through the heavens toward the northwest. I was awestruck by the com- pactness of the units, For such a large craft, I rather expected to find the Eastern Stars machinery spread all over.an engine deck, Just inside the door, behind a screen, and extending across the breadth of a room, were immense batteries of electrical units, that fairly sputtered under a bombard- ment of rapid-fire electrical charges which seemed to fly from.one post to another, sizzling and crackling not un- pleasantly. They. seemed alive: with power. Thick cables ran from each unit to a central manifold, that virtually glowed: undercover of a green phosphores- cence. From the manifold. extended another. series of cables, heavily-covered with a lead-hke metal. They disappeared behind an unattended panel. It was on the tip of my tongue to inquire about them; but Mad- den; sensing my curiosity, volunteered the information. “These ‘bats’ distribute high-frequency current to ignite. the driving explosives,” he said simply: “The cables run from here to another chamber in which are housed the compression units. In internal-combustion engines; a high-voltage spark is used to explode the gases in the cylinders. The Eastern Star’s propulsion principles are along the same lines; yet, instead of gasoline, paralene or. other highly inflammable liquids, we use a combination “of fuels in the form of a powder, which is driven into combustion chambers by centrif- ugal. pressure, There the fuel is mixed with oxygen, exploded and driven through twelve separate units forming the. driving-exhaust- systems. You probably noticed the exhaust tubes extending outward from the rigid lateral platform at the tail?” “No I haven’t, Mr. Madden,” I confessed. “Frankly Et never seen the Eastern Star or even her pictures before.” An Amazing Ship H® stared at me blankly, as though questioning my ignorance of this tremendous air leviathan. “What ?” he:said incredulously. ‘You've never seen this: craft on-her inspection tour around the country, I thought everybody had.” — “T am- ashamed that I must confess my ignorance again, Mr. Madden,” I replied. “Then I will enjoy the pleasure of making you ac- quaitited with her, sir,” he said: “It is rather odd that a man-of your position has not had a chance to investi- gate such progress in aviation as this ship has de- veloped,” “Tve been too. busy in the last few months attending to my own business affairs, to look into others, Mr. Madden,” I said: “But-I welcome this opportunity to learn something.” From the “battery” room, we efitered another chamber; a half dozen perspiring men -stood beside compact, oblong cylinder— blocks, and watched the gatiges that rested on panels above them. A low hum, like the ‘almost. inaudible purr-of a new automotive engine, issued from each of: the heavy. steel tmits. There were in the<room twelve such metal blocks, arranged horizontally across it, By each stood huge metal cylinders, each individually- attached to its block by means of bright metallic: tubing. -Behindthe blocks ran. another seties of tubes that. vanished <into another chamber toward the tear of the ship. “Each one of these explosive blocks or units is cap- able of producing 10,000 horsepower,’ Madden re- marked, contintiing his interesting explanations: “These cylinders coritain-fuel for immediate discharge into the units. The powder is ignited within the blocks, With no other outlet than the tubes behind them, the SI ee ee — EOmICBOOKS.COm= : ce