Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 89, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1908 — THE VANISHING FLEETS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE VANISHING FLEETS

By ROY NORTON

ILLUSTRATED BY A. WEIL Mia • Cl ■ I

w* J ..." a..a. r "New explosive?” he asked: "No, they’re harmless.” The Inventor smiled. The others looked eagerly at them ns the president held them, wondering what connection the two little strips of metal could possibly have with the defense of.a nation against a multitude of battle ships. Nothing but Rob-, ers’ known ability prevented them from looking upon him as a crank. They Inspected the objects before them in turn, passing them frortt hand to hahd with blank looks. Only the secretary of war, who in his earlier years had been a metallurgist, showed any signs of surprise or amazement. He turned excitedly away and crossed the room to a side light, against which glare he held the little plate, staring at it fixedly. The Inventor smiled, and the others renewed their interest. The secretary hurried back. “What on earth is it, Dr. Roberts?” he asked, and then without waiting for an explanation continued: ‘1 never saw a metal that looked or felt like It. What is It?” “Gentlemen,” said the inventor, recovering the slab and balancing it in his hands, “that is a new plate that can be made cheaply and quickly. If it does what the laboratory tests show, It will, when applied to cruisers which can now steam 20 knots an hour, make B 0 knots an easy gait for them.” There was a gasp of astonishment amounting almost to Incredulity i among those who crowded round, and the scientist, enjoying the effect of his words, smiled and smoked. A moment’s pause ensued while the possibilities of the discovery dawned on ; them. Those who knew him least were j again questioning his sanity, and then, . as, if all at once they could wait no longer for him to explain, they burst i into a chorus of questions, which he did not answer. He waited until no voice was heard, and then began. “That plate practically overcomes friction. My assistant, my daughter Norma, and I have made several tests before I came here With' It These were cast and tested last night. I am not going into scientific details; but this much I’ll make plain: A ship coated along certain lines with that metal, electrified only to a point where she would not sink for lack of support, can reduce her skin friction caused by the water to a point where her speed would be something hitherto unknown. It would, of course, mean lighter armaments, because the lighter the dead tonnage the greater the buoyancy. But a cruiser with a few long range, high explosive guns, that j can travel at the rate of 40 or 50 miles an hour, or a submarine that can make that speed for 24 hours at a stretch, would play havoc with any navy In the world.” The room was alive with excited men now as the full force of his statement came dn all Its clearness. If that unknown metal had that proper- i “ty, and sufficient fighting ships could be armored with It In time to meet the demands made upon them, the seas would be whipped into subjection and legions of troops transported before they could he interfered with. The president himself had lost his calm- | ness and was gripping the arms ©rhlß chair. The secretary of the navy, having the practical point of view, j came out of his trance, and snapped out a question: “How long would it take to equip a 1 cruiser with those plates?” i Roberts turned toward him. “Do- 1 pends on the plant. The plates can he cast and electrified just as rapidly as you could cast sheets of plain Iron and turn a current Into them; but I wish to experiment a little further first and try them out on some old gunboat that wouldn't amount to much If lost." 1

The room was again filled with a ! babel of sound, as the officials began an argument; but on one point they were agreed. The man before them , was so well known that the government was taking no great hazard in affording him every means within Its power to carry out hia work, and, If he could do what he believed, and of that there seemed no room for doubt, the solution of the approaching war, or any other, was in their, hands. The pffesldent alone sat buried in thought, his browa drawn Into a frown. “Gentlemen," be said, and there was that in his voice which demanded attention. ’T should like to ask Dr. Roberts a few questions. I wish to know if this work of his can be carried on so secretly that no other potver—not one, nor even the people of this eoun- ’ try—can Jbecome aware of his discovery; if he can suggest a means for 1 such concealment; If hls*w°rk can be ’ done so expeditiously, with full government support, that within three months from to-night the American navy can be so-equipped as to make it the moot powerful in the world; and whether he reailaea the importance of •neb baste.” i

The scientist thtew his half-finished stogy into the ash receiver before him and became grave. He was the dignified, thoughtful man again, Weighinghis words and speaking with deliberation. “Mr. President,” he answered, "I am not completely bejßnd the experimental stage; but I believe I can plan such secrecy as you desire, and with the aid of men and money make the United States navy invincible in less than three months. I would almost stake my life'and reputation on it But why, may I ask, do you desire to keep it from the world’s knowledge that you have such power?” The president walked up and down the rOoA with his hands behind his back as if in a dream, while the others waited for his reply. “Because we are facing war with Japan, a skillful, advanced ahd cunning enemy, and there must, be no risk of its discovering our secret. Its spies are everywhere in the land. Hostilities are to be courted in this emergency rather than declined, provided they can be rendered harmless to ourselves and humane to our adversaries. To talk of power without demonstrating it, is as idle as a braggart’s boasting. To maintain silence and then prove ability, is to make one’s action doubly impressive.” He started to say mfire, his big somber eyes glowing with some new

thought, and then, as if afraid <of his own conceptions, stood expectantly before his lifelong friend yho was facing him. “Bill, Bill!” he said, brokenly, “do yon eee what depends upon you? Why, man, the nation Itself, the Dives of thousands of fathers and an aarmy of our boys; yes, more than all that, the peace ant the world! Good God, man! Try to realize what you have, and what we can do, if those two pieces of metal will do all you think they willT” His long ungainly arms reached out, and be put his hands upon the smaller man’s shoulders. Those within the room awoke to a realization of the magnitude of the power that was possible, and stood in awed silence, spectators of a tableau. Prom the broad sweep of the river without came the wailing whistle of a belated steamer, seeking Its way through the fog that had settled down. The measured tramp of a patrolman In front of the huge white building came reverberating to their ears, cast back from the empty street, and thus they stood, centering their attention on a little, wizened old man who had grasped one of Nature’s secrets and was now offering It as a nation’s salvation. In this light be loomed to gigantic proportions, and seemed possessed of Titanic power. Oblivious to the others in the room, his restless eyes gleamed and probed those of his friend. ’Paul,” he said In an oddly constrained voice, dropping back to the boyhood phrase, “1 can make good. I’m at my country’s service, and I’ve made no mistake in what I said.” He swung sharply round to the others, and his clenched hands swept the air in a sudden frenty of determination. He was the enthusiast once more, daring, dreaming, positive and Bangulne.. r “Wgmt -JM- I Bi'f two best engineers in the navy and the two best supply men to-morrow morning. I’ll tell them what we need and they can tell me how soon they can deliver It where I want It. I’ll want machinery and apparatus, supplies and assistants. Money and men! Money and men! They can’t beat us! They can’t beat us!" His hands came hack to his sides. He folded the presfous pieces of metal into their coverings, while the others stood silently by, and, as if abashed by his own outburst, bade them a curt “Good night,” and walked from the room. The others, with the bu*~ien of reticence upon them, "filed after him one by one. contemplating the strange change which might be wrought by this night’s work, and wended tbelr way to their homes. The fog settled down closer and Impartially spread itself over the river, the White House and the patrolman on his beat, but until the dawn came stealthily peering over It ail the president wrapped in thought sat at his desk and in Imagination saw invincible ships of war bound out to certain victory. And all bis hope was founded on a war ft*- peace.

CHAPTER XIV, The Birth of a City. Like criminals ‘afraid of the light, and seeking the cover of darkness, a score of the most distinguished men of the United States, occupying Its most responsible positions, and bearing the burden of government, cams to the White House. which loomed massive and apparently untenanted

They came singly, obeying the instructions given ijidm, left their conveyances at a distance, and walked unattended to the dark portals, which opened and Closed behind them. All were aware of the portentous reason for their visit, and the importance of the utmost secrecy. Observant indeed would have been the foreign spy who could have surmised that they were gathering to discuss a plan involving the defense of the nation, or the acceptance of a challenge to war. There were only two visitors who came together, the inventor and his daughter, and they were the last to enter the room, where those who preceded them were divided into .groups rouftd four officers of the navy, who were answering questions, quoting figures and volunteering details which were not written. The men at the head of the nation were preparing to plunge headlong into what under less immediate menace would have seemed a sea of folly ready to submerge them and their country. The entrance o< Norma was the signal for an abrupt halt in the conversation, and some of those who were, not entirely familiar with the part which she played in her father’s work looked at her disapprovingly. He, interpreting these glanfces, introduced her as his assistant, and concluded by saying: “I can’t do anything without her. She knows more about my work than I do myself, and as far as I know she’s the only woman living who can keep her mouth shut.” They smiled at his manner and cynicism, while the president tendered her a seat at bis side and whited for the others to resume their chairs. “All of you are familiar now with the possibilities of the invention offered by Dr. Roberts—” “And his daughter Norma,” interjected the inventor. a •, The president accepted'the alteration and continued without a halt — “and have gone over the reports of the four most expert men In the United Staates, who have passed the day with the inventor and his daughter ini their laboratory, are convinced of the merit and practicability of the dlßqprery, and have prepared statements of what supplies would be needed, the time In which they could be obtained, and their approximate cost.”

There was a look of acquiescence, and the secretary of the navy, who had been paying no heed whatever to the chief executive’s remarks, rustled the reports in his hand as he turned another page to scan its contents. The room became still again, and the speaker went on. “Dr. Roberts tells us that he dees not regard himself as beyond the experimental stage; but further experiments cannot decrease known values, and may perhaps add to them. This Invention as It stands. In the opinion of the four men who have passed the day in testing it, is sufficient to enable us within three months to combat successfully any nation which might begin hostilities.” Norma looked at her father admiringly; but he seemed oblivious to ail those round him, and sat absorbed in thought, his eyes fixed in a blank stare of concentration into space, and the thumbs of bis clasped hands revolving round each other aimlessly. reached over to a mass of papers before him, referred to some of them in quest of data, and then looked very grave and earnest as he continued in a lower voice: ‘‘Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures. We are without precedent, and are confronting an emergency of such immense import that those of us who were here last night believe it is a time when all rules, official routine and regular methods must give way In behalf of quick accomplishment. We have no time la which to seek special appropriations; but must take it upon ourselves to levy upon the various budgets which are now open for the considerable sums of money necessary to prosecute, this work.” One or two, who were evidently late I arrivals and had not heard the earlier discussions, looked at each other with 1 some hesitation. It was hard to drop! routine and dip Into the nation’s! treasury on such short consideration., The high dignity of the presiding of- { fleer, however, forbade any interrup-i tlon, and be went on unchallenged. ‘‘The absolute preservation of our. secret is recognized by all as a vital necessity, and to obviate all leakages' the members of the army and navy' board suggest that our work be carried on in 6ne of the most secluded of the Florida keys. On this they purpose to erect a plant adequate to cast and perfect this metal on which we depend, and as rapidly as possible apply It to the vessels of our navy, which will be sent there as quickly as preparations can be made for their reception.” (To be continued.)

The President Walked Up and Down the Room.