Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 103, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 September 1908 — THE VANISHING FLEETS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE VANISHING FLEETS

By ROY NORTON

ILLUSTRATED BY A. WEIL

OwVriSbl. I*OT, Th. UMUwd S ul> 4*y Again from a vessel closer at hand came a series of sharp reports. The radloplane felt a shivering impact, and careened slightly in answer to its force. The admiral was hurled against her metal side, and one of the engineers seized a rail to prevent being thrown headlong against the machinery. , . “They're trying four-inch shells on us! are they?” shouted Bevins. “Well, we’ll put .anend to that right now!” He sprang to the signal box, and Norma,, reading his intention, hurried lo her post In the , He ordered the other craft tp Increase speed and traverse circles till he should notify them which War vessels of the fleet beneath were to be their individual prey. Now the small shells (wore fairly rending the air around them. Tbe sharp clang of metal against metal and quick explosion told that hits were being made, and through the ports the radloplanes which suffered could be seen to rock convulsively when struck. The air 'seemed whining with death which was clamoring for admission to Its prey. Shot and shell swept through space; but higher and higher soared

the radioplaneff, while the old war dog studied the formation of the fleet below. “My God! Seventeen Is hit! Seventeen is hit!” screamed the lookout, and the admiral and Nonna stared through a side port. In long, weird, dizzy circles, like a ' wounded man striving to recover his balance, a radloplane was dropping slowly down toward the waters, Ineffectually fighting to regain Its balance. The tour-inch shells had done no damage; but the far outlying cruiser had made an accidental hit with a heavy gun. Zigzagging here and there In erratic swoops the radioplane continued to plunge. From the . waters below came the sounds of exultant cheering. The enemy were gaining heart. They had found what they believed to be a chance for hope and an Invulnerable spot In the American’s armor. Norma started back to her levers; but the admiral called excitedly: "Look, look! Good boy, Nineteen! Good boy!” Again she looked through the port, and was transfixed with the daring attempt of another radloplane. Nineteen, with Its big white letters blazing In’ the light, had taken a swift downward shoot. •It’s Jenkins! It’s JenklnsT” Norma called In excitement, knowing that the little scientist was manning the hood of that craft. Then before she could say more, Nineteen’s object was made plain. The great radloplane phot to a lower altitude than that of its crippled fellow, dove here and there like a bat, caught a simultaneous speed, and rounding upward In. a deft swoop poised itself firmly beneath the lower plate of Seventeen. For an Instant the two, locked together and overweighted; slid slowly downward through the air, and then Nineteen seemed to gather itself, came to a stop, hesitated for a moment, and began a. steady upward movement. As If divining its purpose, two other .radioplanes swooped down toward the stricken monster till their sides touched, and then, like a group of warriors carrying a wounded comrade from the field, assisted the ascent into the upper void. Focusing their fire on the group, the Japanese made It a target, and the scream qf shot and shell broke into'a pandemonium until the air around was churned as by a demon's wrath. Up—up they went till they were mere specks against the dome of the heavens, where they beyond range and in the profound silence of solitude. The others of the fleet, led by the, Norma, hastened to soar toward them; but before they could get within speaking distance the wireless ! brought to all radioplanes this mas- j •age: “Seventeen was struck by a ten-inch shell directly below her dynamos. The jar caused a temporary break which cut off the current for a short time. This Is nearly repaired. No damage of consequence has been done, and she will report for duty within two minutes.”. - Bevins and Norma looked at each other with a great relief. "Thank God for that!” the admiral said, and It was echoed by his subordinate. They turned again to the port, and as they did so they saw the specks i above disintegrate, and in a few mo-. ments Seventeen, repaired, and again i capable, was in line of battle. The cheering below ceased; but from the doomed battle ships and cruisers a ; continuous hall of ineffectual shots > was flrad, while the admiral of the aerial fleet, his plans formed, was calmly sending orders. ( "Number One will, engage the cralg or on the extreme right Two win at tack the battle ship on the port bow of the flagship. Three will take the battleship on the extreme left.” and SO on, ending with the declaration that

tne norma would open the engageI ment by striking the Ito at the head Fighting Bevins turned away from his Signal box when the last conflnnar tlon of his Instructions had been received and looked-at the girl In the hood. At that high altitude the early rays of the sun were shivering the gloom of the Ulterior through the glass ports in the <}ome. As if in a glory of silver she stood before him, outwardly calm and emotionless; but fa the splendid poise of her body, the expectant waiting of her hands, and the steady scrutiny ot the dials before her, she was the embodiment of sufficiency. Feeling his look and waiting Tor his command, she moved her head till her face was turned full upon him, and in her eyes shone the fire which through all the ages has led valiant warriors to fields of victory. The glory of youth, the Inspiration of patriotism, And the determination of fearlessness were blended in their light and exultantly waiting the battle call. 7 Accustomed as he was to the terrible intoxication of fierce conflict, the gray old admiral felt himself enthused by this slip of a girl. He was a man making the last fight of his life with the,incarnation of the Goddess of War at his qlbow and mutely cheering him on to the charge. Every nerve within him strung Itself In tensity, the muscles of his body seemed to contract until his head fairly shrank between his massive shoulders, his resolute jaw set with a snap, and his short hair seemed to bristle as he leaped toward her, gave way to his excitement and fairly shouted: “Now? Go to them! Quick, hard and fast! At thtem!” '5 He jumped back to his point of observation, and even as he did so the great radioplane shivered with a surcharge of energy, reeled drunkenly through every fiber for the fraction of a second, gathered itself, and in one terrific plunge shot downward at such an awful rate of speed that the en-

glneers by the dynamos instinctively threw themselves to the floor, the man on the lookout seized the bars before him, gasping for breath, and the admiral, start’wl, whirled toward the figure In the hood, fearing that some fatal accident had occurred, There, erect, triumphant, and fierce, stood the woman glorified who was striking the first blow for her country’s honor and her father’s exaltation. She was fairly hurling the machine ' through space, her -hands grasping the I levers of descent and her eyes on the periscope which portrayed the position of their helpless victims. Bevins, In a fury of excitement, shouted bls approval with storms of oaths, completely swept out of himself by the fierceness of the assault. “Good, good!” he shouted. “That’s right! Open her up wide. They’re ours! They’re ours!" Outside the hissing air was torn by a whirlwind of small shells fired In a panic-stricken attempt to fend off this adversary which was driving downward upon the Ito. -It was their last hope at defense. They had tested their guns repeatedly at long range, land proved them Ineffectual against an enemy that could travel with a speed beside which that of the swiftest bird of pray was insignificant. They had watched those strange uncanny things lift themselves to a prodigious altitude with incomparable ease, carry away and rejuvenate a wounded com panion which had been struck by the merest chance, turn toward each other as if tn communication, whirl out in long lines betokening the perfection of control, had waited for a downpour of missiles; and then, when amassment at this marvelous demonstration had reached Its climax, they had witnessed the sudden swoop tn their direction. Now in hopeless Impotence the men on the deck of the doomed Ito lost their heads and ran frantically to and fro. Up to the very last, one or two of the gun crews elevated and flrod—elevated and fired—with methodical precision like men tn a trance and actuated by habit only. The panic-stricken swallow vainly winging his way through the air In wild endeavor to escape the talons of the darting hawk would have had more chance than they before this onslaught This gigantic embodiment of doom was leaping down upon them with such terrific velocity and at such an angle of flight as to preclude all possibility of defense. Irresistible, Implacable, and noiseless, it was plunging for the final thrust Its very method of attack waa ao surprising •nd ao unexpected that they were ■wed with fear, helpless, benumbed, despairing and conquered. They were men done to death and suffering the nannies of wounds before the blow had

.. V.- ■ ■. fallen. It wm all accomplished with such rapidity that not even the most terrified had time to rush to the rails and throw himself into the sea. When the instant of death seemed Imminent, they were paralyzed Into inaction and cowered together, waiting for the shock of annihilation. And their suspense, although of a different nature, was scarcely. more keen and heartbreaking than that of those in the radloplane which Was hurtling at them. The admiral was still crouching like a man prepared for a blow, when Norma with quick energy tilted over another lever and checked the descent. Those "Within the shell felt their hearts come back to the normal and were once more able to breathe freely. It was like the application of a powerful brake to a falling elevator, save that there was no abrupt jar, no discordant sound of steel on steel, and no shock of friction. “Look out! Look out!” they heard her call. “Hold fast! We’re going to strike!” And then, even as they sought positions of security, the great radloplane felt a sudden, sharp concussion of Impact as the top. of the fighting mast struck its bottom plate, crumpled like a match, and went crashing downward, a debris at twisted, useless steel. Even within the chamber there penetrated to them the terrified shieks and despairing cries of the men of Japan. quick smashing blow almost threw those at the dynamos from their feet, more cries were heard without, and then, for the small part of a second there was silence and immobility. Even the storm of fire from the other ships had ceased. Norma alone seemed endowed with power of movement, and sprang quickly from'lever to lever and switch to switch, issuing her battle cry. “The dynamos! The dynamos!” she called. “Full speed, and stand clear for fear of accident! I’ve thrown the magnet currents! Quick! all your power before others can train a gun on us!” Her voice was sharp and decisive, and her words snapped like lashes, driving them to action. “Steady, steady!” With almost the instantaneousness of its stop, the radioplane shivered and throbbed with increased energy. The dynamos hummed and roared, the Norma quivered like a race horse under a cruel whip, then steadied itself, seemed to gather its forces together, gave one mighty lift, and began to ascend. The frightened cries from without subsided In stupefaction. The fighting admiral with clenched fists was running the length of the radloplane, staring through the lower ports, and hoarsely voicing his exultation, his eyes flaming with the joy of victory. (To be continued.)

Scream of Shot and Shell Broke Into a Pandemonium.