Air Wonder Stories, May 1930 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

a ij AIR WONDER STORIES the ocean then in-use. Since ‘the ice that forms on salt water is practically free from salt—containing only one fifth of the original salt— we knew that melting the ice so abundant all around us would ‘not produce the brine we needed. The ice was not so. deep as I had anticipated; and at the end of the second day I had at-our disposal a limitless: supply of both salt-and water, in a pukka well, all rigged with a wind- lass for hauling up buckets and a battering ram for breaking the ice as often as it tormed-on the surface of the water. More: than. a-month was consumed in perfecting apparatus and experimenting on the production of gas; but after much toil and many discouragements we finally succeeded in con- structing a device which, although not very efficient, was capable of producing a small volume of hydrogen gas that would float improvised paper balloons, And now we were ready for the great task of separating Mr. Whale from his skin, Tt was decided to excavate the remainder of the flesh, blubber _and bones, by ajprocess of mining. Most of the blubber we intended to burn in our boilers to furnish power for the generator. | ; Fortunately we had a goodly supply of tools; and we set to work with a will, But we soon found that our muscles were soft, and we-were in poor condition for such exhausting marital labor. However, since there -were no time limits. on our operations, we could work only a few hours:a day; gradu- ally increasing the length of our forenoon: and afternoon: shifts, The method adopted was to leave a wall of several inches of the frozen blubber all around the outside, so that the sur- face would remain rigid until the major part of the material had been removed, Then to go over the entire surface again very: carefully, removing all the blubber and leaving only the thin skin; putting in struts and props the while, so that the stricture would not collapse with its own ‘weight. Before starting this last process we. spent. several weeks chopping the ice away from the carcass and introducing a layer of cinders and-ashes: beneath it, to prevent its adhering to its Support. The weeks lengthened into months while we were still en- gaged in this work. But-as our muscles hardened and the project developed, our spirits improved; and we no longer scrutinized. ourselves ‘and each other for signs of dawning insanity, It was evident-that the game was worth the candle, even though it might culminate in total failure. HEN, after what seemed an age, the skin was empty; andthe month and eye and other openings: secured -with paraffine-treated canvas. Fortunately the ship had been stocked with enough canvas for two new sets of sail, besides the ones in use. We tused a large part of this canvas for a temporary shelter. We decided:to commence filling the “blimp” with gas at once; because we knew that the production of such an enormous amount of gas with our ‘meagre facilities would be a long process; long enough no doubt to afford ample time to build our gondola, steering and propelling apparatus. After a great deal of diffictity we succeeded in improvising a movable canvas. partition with an air-inflated border, calcu- lated to move-along: the: interior of the huge creature, confining the gas on one side and expelling the air on the other. ~ Then we: put the-generator- into: operation. This plant was destined to stay in service night and day for-weeks, producing gags slowly but steadily while we worked and while we slept. We used our masts and most of .the-rope and wire on board to build a contraption to hold the great bag to earth after it was: partly inflated but not yet ready for flight, Then we constructed the lightest possible gondola; using the long strips of whalebone from the whale’s mouth for braces and struts arid canvas sails for sides and covering, Next we took the light gasoline engine out of one of the little boats and rigged-it to a hand-carved propeller made from a part of a mast. By this time the bow. ofthe whale was raised as high as its moorings would permit; and we installed the operating devices and hung the gondola beneath—all made from odds and ends from the ship. Otr steering apparatus was especially. primi- tive, It consisted simply of small wire cables running through pulleys and attached to-the whale’s fins by means of sheets of tin made from fruit:containers laced to the fins with fish cord. These lines were operated by crude wooden levers, and were capable of moving the fins only alittle way. Fortunately a whale’s flukes are-horizontal instead of vertical as fishes’ tails are, The somewhat cumbersome device that-we arranged was unable to move these a great deal, because of their lack of flexibility. But we could move them some, and we hoped suffi- ciently to enable us.to at least partially govern our horizontal course, e CHAPTER VI The Whale Takes the Air! SAY we hoped; to hope was manifestly all we could do I about the efficiency of our improvised equipment. Obviously there could be fo trial flights. When once we left our icebound whaling ship our only hope would be in good luck-and a kind Providence; for we had no landing gang to pull us to a mooring mast, and no hangar. in which to make alterations or repairs, We did indeed have a valve in the gas compartment, made from: a-pump-sucker, with which we might contrive to:let our- selves down. But we knew we would be able to carry prac- tically no ballast. If our calculations, taken from the industrial chemistry book were right, it would be enough if we could lift ourselves: and a small supply of gasoline and provisions. We were now. in high spirits;-for it was daily becoming more evident that our balloon was going to at least rise from the ground. When all the major-devices were installed, .we could see that it would still be quite-a number of days before the gas bag was” filled: ‘to capacity. So while the Captain was busy installing his compass and other navigating instruments Willard and I were occupied in painting the name of our dirigible, The Great Whale in huge letters on a great.canvas banner. This we in- tended to unfurl as soon as we were really on our way—if and when if happened. Then we declared a holiday, and held a formal christening. There remained but ‘three bottles of wine in ‘the ship's medical stores, and we emptied one of these, and ceremoniously broke the bottle over the new ship. Every one present seemed satis- fied with this arrangement. Midsummer was now approaching; and we set the 23rd of July for our departure; provided-of course that our supply of gas was then adequate, and the wind favorable, The: Captain completed his log, and we all wrote letters to friends and relatives to be left-at the ship. For we hoped that some time airmen or explorers might find the deserted hulk ‘and carry our communications back to civilization, ‘even if we our- selves. never arrived. T also prepared a report tothe museum; describing our whale, giving measurements and other scientific data that I thought would be of interest to naturalists. The morning of July 23rd-was disappointing. There was little wind; and our smoke indicated further that it was in the wrong direction, traveling toward the Pole, But_as the morning wore on, the breeze died entirely; and at about eleven o'clock a light breeze started from the oppo- site direction,