“STRATOSPHERE EXPRESS’’

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 April 1940, Page 10

“STRATOSPHERE EXPRESS’’

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

BY

ALROY WEST.

(Author of “Messengers of Death,” etc.)

CHAPTER XXI. (Continued). “There she is!" cried a hundred voices, and there was a great surge which nearly broke through the barrier. The police were hard at work trying to keep order. But the crowd couldn tbe bothered about police! This was the girl who was flying in the new air monster. She was young, good looking, and had a brave, flashing smile. What more could a crowd want? lhey yelled themselves hoarse as Manda waved to them. Storm wanter to run. He didn’t like this. “I wish we could get on the job, ’ he muttered. Bessiter came to meet them. There were more cheers, calls for a speech But the big man smiled and shook his head. He raised his arm and there wa( a sudden hush. “Actions —not words, my friends!” he shouted. Pandemonium broke loose! There were more cheers, more surging, mon arms being waved. Bessiter laugher and glanced at Storm. “You needn't look sour," he snapped. "I deserve it!” Manda tucked her arm in his and held Storm's arm with her free hand. Then they walked on together followed by the continual shouting of the crowd. More cars arriving. One or two planes droning overhead. More hustle and running about. Larkin came up to them. “All’s ready," he announced. "Right,” said Bessiter. He turned to Storm. “Nervous?” he asked. But Storm was not listening. The crowd fascinated him. There was a sudden hush. A lull. It was like the silence between the flash of lightning, and the crash of the thunder. One was tensed —waiting. A whistle blew. The great metal gates of the long shed were opened. A man waved’his arm, high above his head. There was the splutter of an engine, and slowly a small tractor moved into the light. There was a suppressed murmur from the vast crowd. There were chains stretched out behind the tractor. These tightened as it moved slowly forward. Storm couldn’t take his eyes away from the shed. It was coming. It was coming. There was a sudden inarticulate roar behind him. The nose of the stratoplane became visible. Very slowly, like a great creature which was shy about coming into the light, the machine came into view. First the tapering nose, then the curiously shaped engine, with two great windows in the fuselage above. Then the unusual wings, followed by the second engine, with other windows over it. Then the weird tubes and. lastly, the steering apparatus. The crowd was cheering. Slowly the new monster of the skies was towed from the shed where it had been created. Storm was reminded of some great, prehistoric creature, staggering the imagination of man. But this was more graceful, a ship of the skies, cunningly fashioned from glistening metal. Every line was suggestive of speed, from the stabilising ridge which ran along thq entire back from nose to stern to torpedo-like engines which were set close to the vast fuselage. The tractor hauled the magnificent stratoplane into the wind, then the chains were cast off, and it made its way back to the lorries on the tarmac. There were gasps from the crowd. Gasps, cheers, and excited talking, all mingled in a medley of sound. And in every mind was the great question: "Will she fly?” CHAPTER XXII. “Come on.” said Bessiter. They hurried forward, pausing on the way for the cameramen. Near to the stratoplane Bessiter was asked to speak into the microphone in order that the thousands of listeners in different parts of the country could hear his voice. He complied willingly enough, but his message was brief “We’re just about to take off,” he announced. "It's a great adventure and great fun. We’re not nervous because we know that we shall succeed. That's all. I hope the day will soon come when you will all be able to travel by stratosphere express!” "Best of luck—and a happy landing." said the one-armed commentator. Bessiter shook hands with him. "Thanks. I wish we had you with us.”

The man’s eyes sparkled. “With one arm?" he asked, smiling a trifle twistcdly. “Arms aren't as important, as stout hearts," Bessiter told him, and the man's eyes became suspiciously moist, Storm forgot about the vast crowd. He was staring at the stratoplane. He could make out the slight curve on the underside, where the great floats were retracted. The strong undercarriage with large rubber-tyred wheels would also bo drawn up once the machine was clear of the ground. There was a metal ladder lowered, and Larkin, right ahead of them, had’ already entered. Bessiter stood aside and pushed Manda forward. "First time I ever saw you stand aside for a lady," Storm declared. Bessiter scowled at him. "I'm standing aside for you as well,” he snapped. “The most important come last this time." Storm clapped a hand on his broad shoulders, grinned at him. and hurried after Manda. Once inside he looked about him with interest. There were two main cabins and the actual entrance was in a passage between them. Beyond ihe forward cab-

in was the large navigation one. with a great window from which one could get an amazing view. Right at the rear beyond the rear cabin was an engine room, from where the rocket appliance could be operated. There were side divisions in each cabin. Looking through the hole at the top of the stairs, it was not sufficiently large to be called a door, Storm could get a glimpse of Bessiter waving to the crowd. Then, with a sudden low murmur of power, the engines came to life. Bessiter came running to join them. The metal stairs were drawn up, and the aperture closed. Storm noticed that the door was extraordinarily thick, evidently to fall in line with the double shell principle. “Don’t gape about here!” Bessiter exploded. “Through there!” They passed through the sliding door to the forward cabin, but were hustled through far too quickly to get a good idea of what it was like. Another door led them to the navigation cabin. It was an amazing place with innumerable instruments and charts. Mackley was there, sitting at a small pedestal which contained several lovers. At the side of it was a box. which not only severed as a telephone, but had a televisor panel. Larkin's face was shown at the moment. "All set here," Larkin was saying. “Right.” Bessiter-moved to the windows. "Special stuff,” he told Storm. "Will stand any amount of pressure.” They could see the vast crowd through the side panels. The police were still struggling to control the surges which were made from time to time. "Reckon they've something to be excited about,” Bessiter grunted. Mackley was watching the dials on a board set before him. "There are duplicate sets in the engine rooms," Bessiter explained. Croft and two of the men came in. the former taking his stand by Mackley's side, while one of the men stood by some great levers, one of which was not in the normal position. The other, at a signal from Mackley. pressed a plunger down. They could hear the tinkle of the bell. Storm turned back to look at the crowd. He wondered what was being said. He expected they were all holding their breath. “All correct,” came Larkin's voice. “Checked,” said Mackley. “Testing the engines,” Bessiter explained. Mackley glanced across at him. Bessiter seemed to square his shoulders. His eyes glistened with excitement. "Go ahead!” he cried. “Go ahead!" Mackley repeated. “Go ahead!" came Larkin’s voice. The man touched the plunger again. The bell rang louder and then there was silence except for the continual throbbing of the great engines. Mackley moved a switch and the machine seemed to give a slight quiver, as though glad to be free of some shackle.

Storm glanced out again. They were moving forward! The crowd was gliding past. Faster, faster. The distant fence was growing larger, and seemed to be coming nearer. "Right!" snapped Mackley. "Right!" came Larkin's voice in prompt reply. There was a slight jerk and then the fence suddenly disappeared below them. Storm looked down. There were people far below them, dropping further and further away each second He had never known anything happen so quickly. There was excitement ,he could tell that. But the people were soon dots and then the merest pinpoints. A second or so and they had gone. The ground was a blurr beneath them. ; He turned to face Bessiter, who was I smiling. "What a take-on’!" Manda cried. “Pretty good," Bessiter said calmly. "Like it, Mackley?” “It was great. We must be taking a reading in a second or so.” “Was one of the tubes used?" Storm asked. Bessiter nodded. “Yes. And we're still using it. It should carry us as far as the stratophere. It's a special cylinder giving off the gas at a lower pressure for climbing purposes through the lower region of the atmosphere. Once we are above, we can use the ordinary cylinders. I hope to get a speed of something like 400 miles an hour. But come along. We'll leave Mackley to it." "What was that lever? The long one that was moved very soon after we left the ground?" "That retracted the landing carriage and the other one closed the lower window." They' moved into’ the forward cabin, ft as roomy and contained chairs and tables securely' fastened to the floor, which was tilted at the moment because of the angle of the climb. Manda sat down in one of the chairs. “They’re comfortable," she declared. "Of course, they are." “You should have had a few members of the Press with you." Storm said. "Wouldn't have done. After all something’ might have gone wrong. My own workers are bad enough to run risks with, but I'm not going to take outsiders into possible danger." "It doesn't seem to me there is much' that can go wrong." Storm said. “1 thought the start was the most dangerous part."