Dick Hamilton's Airship; Or, A Young Millionaire in the Clouds

by Howard Roger Garis

  CHAPTER XX

  IN NEW YORK.

  "Well, this is going some!"

  "I should say yes!"

  "All to the merry!"

  "And no more trouble than as if you got in a taxicab and told thechauffeur to take you around the block."

  Thus did Dick Hamilton's chums offer him their congratulations as theystarted off on the trip they hoped would bring to the young millionairethe twenty-thousand-dollar prize, and, not only do that but establish anew record in airship flights, and also give to the world the benefitof the experience in building such a unique craft.

  They were in the Abaris flying along over the town of Hamilton Corners,a most successful start having been made. As they progressed throughthe air many curious eyes were turned up to watch their flight.

  "I say! Which way are you steering?" asked Paul, as he came back froma trip to the dining-room buffet, where he had helped himself to asandwich, a little lunch having been set out by Innis, who constitutedhimself as cook. "You're heading East instead of West, Dick," for theyoung millionaire was at the steering-wheel.

  "I know it," replied the helmsman, as he noted the figures on thebarograph. "But you see, to stand a chance for the prize you've got tostart from New York, and that's where we're headed for now. We've gotto go to the big town first, and then we'll hit the Western trail asnearly in a straight line as we can."

  "That's the idea," said Lieutenant McBride. "The conditions call for astart from New York, and I have arranged for the beginning of yourflight from the grounds at Fort Wadsworth. That will give the armyofficers there a chance to inspect your machine, Mr. Hamilton."

  "And I'll be very glad to have them see it," Dick said, "and to offertheir congratulations to Mr. Vardon on his success."

  "And yours, too," added the aviator. "I couldn't have done anythinghad it not been for you."

  "Then we really aren't on the prize winning flight, yet?" asked Larry,who wanted to get all the information he could for his paper.

  "Not exactly," replied the lieutenant. "And yet the performance of theairship will count on this flight, in a measure. I have beeninstructed to watch how she behaves, and incorporate it in my report.It may be, Mr. Hamilton, though I hope not, that the prize will notcome to you. But you may stand a chance of having your airship adoptedby Uncle Sam, for all that."

  "That would be a fine feather in my cap!" cried Dick. "I don't care somuch for the money, I guess you all know that."

  "I should say not!" cried Innis, with a laugh.

  "Any fellow who's worth a million doesn't have to bother about a littlesmall change like twenty thousand dollars."

  "Not that I haven't a due regard for the prize," went on Dick. "But ifI lost it, and still could have the honor of producing an airship thatwould be thought worthy of government approval, that would be worthwhile."

  "Indeed it would!" agreed the lieutenant.

  "Are we going to have any time at all in New York?" asked Paul. "Ihave some friends there, and--"

  "I believe her name is Knox; isn't it?" interrupted Innis, with a grinat his chum. "First name Grace, lives somewhere up in Central Park,West; eh, old chap?"

  "Oh, dry up!" invited Paul. "Don't you s'pose I've got any friends butgirls?"

  "Well, Grace does live in New York," insisted Innis.

  "Yes, and so do Irene Martin and Mabel Hanford!" burst out Paul. "It'sas much on you fellows as it is on me," and he fairly glared at histormentor.

  "Easy!" laughed Dick. "I guess we may as well make a family party ofit while we're about it. Of course we'll see the girls. In fact Ihalf-promised Miss Hanford I'd call on her if I could get my airship towork."

  "Oh, you sly dog!" mocked Innis. "And you never said a word!"

  "I didn't know I could get it to work," laughed Dick, as he stood atthe wheel.

  The Abaris was cleaving through the clear air at a fast rate of speed,though she was not being sent along at her limit. The aviator wantedto test his machinery at moderate speed for some time before he turnedon full power, and this trip to New York for the start gave him thevery chance wanted.

  It was a journey of about five hundred miles from Hamilton Corners toNew York City, and, as Dick and his friends had planned it, they wouldbe in the air all night.

  They had set for themselves a rate of progress of about fifty miles anhour, and if this was kept up it would take ten hours to the metropolis.

  Of course the journey could have been made in much less time than that,for Dick's motor was calculated to give a maximum speed of one hundredmiles an hour. But this was straining it to its capacity. It would bemuch more feasible, at, least on this trial trip, to use half thatspeed. Later, if need be, they could go to the limit.

  They had started late in the afternoon, and by journeying at fiftymiles an hour they would reach the upper part of New York city in themorning; that is if nothing occurred to delay them. But the weatherpredictions were favorable, and no storms were in prospect.

  "I think I'll take her up a bit," remarked Dick, when they had passedout over the open country, lying outside of Hamilton Corners. "We mightas well get used to good heights, for when we cross the Rocky Mountainswe'll have to ascend some."

  "That's right," agreed the lieutenant. "Take her up, Dick."

  The young millionaire pulled over the lever of the vertical rudder, andas the nose of the Abaris was inclined upward, she shot aloft, her bigpropellers in the rear pushing her ahead.

  "I'm going out on the outer deck and see how it seems," said Larry. "Iwant to get some new impressions for the paper. I told the editor we'dpull off a lot of new stunts. So I guess I'll go outside."

  "No, you won't," said Lieutenant McBride, laying a detaining hand onthe arm of the reporter. "Do you see that notice?"

  He pointed to one over the door. It read:

  "No one will be allowed on the outer deck while the airship isascending or descending."

  "What's that for?" Larry wanted to know.

  "So you won't roll off into space," replied Lieutenant McBride. "Yousee the deck is much tilted, when we are going up or down, and thatmakes it dangerous. Of course the cabin floor is tilted also, butthere are walls here to save you from taking a tumble in case you slip.Outside there is only a railing."

  "I see," spoke Larry. "Well, I'll stay inside until we get up as highas Dick wants to take us."

  "Not very high this time," the young millionaire answered. "About sixthousand feet will be enough. We haven't gone quite a mile yet, and itwill be a good test for us."

  Steadily the aircraft climbed upward until, when he had noted from thebarograph that they were at a height of nearly six thousand feet, Dick"straightened her out," and let her glide along on a level keel.

  "You may now go outside, Larry," said the lieutenant, and the youngreporter and the others, except Dick, who remained at the wheel, tooktheir places in the open.

  It was a strange sensation standing out thus, on a comparatively frailcraft, shooting along at fifty miles an hour over a mile above theearth. The cabin broke the force of the wind, and there was reallylittle discomfort. The Abaris sailed so steadily that there wasscarcely a perceptible motion. Larry made some notes for a story onwhich he was engaged. He wrote it in his best style, and then enclosedthe "copy" in a leather case.

  "I'm going to drop this when we are passing over some city," heexplained. "Someone is sure to pick it up, and I've put a note insaying that if they will file the copy at some telegraph office, so itcan be sent to my paper, they'll get five dollars on presentation of mynote."

  "Good idea!" cried Dick.

  "Oh, I've got to get the news to the office, somehow," said Larry witha smile.

  A little later they passed over a large town, and, though they did notknow the name of it, Larry dropped his story and eventually, as helearned later, it reached the office safely, and made a hit.

  In order that all might become familiar with the workings of theairship, Dick, after a while, relinq
uished the wheel to one of hischums. Thus they took turns guiding the craft through the air, andgained valuable experience.

  They flew along easily, and without incident, until dusk began toovercast the sky, and then the electric lamps were set aglow, and inthe cosy cabin they gathered about the table on which Innis had spreada tempting lunch.

  "Say, this sure is going some!" cried Larry, as he took another helpingof chicken, prepared on the electric stove. "Think of dining a mile inthe air!"

  "As long as we don't fall down while we're dining, I shan't mind,"mumbled Paul, as he picked a wishbone.

  The night passed without incident of moment. For a time no one wantedto go to the comfortable bunks, but Dick insisted that they must getused to sleeping aboard his craft, so the watch was told off, two ofthe occupants of the Abaris to be on duty for two hours at a time, tobe relieved by others.

  On and on rushed the airship. Now and then she was speeded up for atime, as Dick and the aviator wanted to see what she could do whencalled on suddenly. She responded each time.

  "I think she'll do," said Lieutenant McBride, when it came his turn totake a little rest. "You have a fine craft, Mr. Hamilton."

  "Glad of it," responded Dick. "We'll see what she does when westraighten her out on the long run to San Francisco."

  The night wore on. Above the earth, like some gigantic meteor, flewthe airship, her propellers forcing her onward and onward. Now andthen some of the machinery needed attention, but very little. Thegyroscope stabilizer worked well, and as it was automatic, there was noneed of warping the wing tips, or of using the alerons, which wereprovided in case of emergency. The Abaris automatically kept herselfon a level keel, even as a bird does when flying.

  The gray dawn crept in through the celluloid windows of the aircraft.This material had been used instead of glass, to avoid accidents incase of a crash. The celluloid would merely bend, and injure no one.

  "It's morning!" cried Dick, as he sprang from his bunk, for he had hadthe previous watch.

  "Morning?" repeated Innis. "Well, where are we?"

  "Have to go down and take an observation," suggested the lieutenant. "Ithink we must be very near New York."

  Paul, who was in charge of the wheel looked for confirmation to Dick.The latter nodded, and the cadet pulled the lever that would send theairship on a downward slant.

  It was not long before a group of big buildings came into view. Itneeded but a glance to tell what they were sky-scrapers.

  "New York!" cried Dick. "We're over New York all right!"

  "Then I've got to get a message to my paper!" exclaimed Larry. "Is thewireless working?"

  "We'll have to make a landing to send it up," replied Mr. Vardon.

  "Well, if we're going down anyhow, a telephone will do as well," wenton the reporter. "Only it's going to be a job to land down among allthose sky-scrapers."

  "We can't do it," Mr. Vardon declared.

  "We'll have to head for an open space."

  "Central Park, or the Bronx," put in the lieutenant. "Either placewill give us room enough."

  "We'll try the Bronx," suggested Dick. "That will give us a chance tosee New York from aloft. We'll land in the Bronx."

  They had sailed over to the metropolis from a point about oppositeJersey City, and now they took a direct Northward course flyinglengthwise over Manhattan.

  As they came on down and down, they were observed by thousands of earlyworkers, who craned their necks upward, and looked with eager eyes atthe big airship over their heads.

  A few minutes of flying over the city brought the aviators within sightof the big beautiful Zoological Park which is the pride of New York.Below Dick and his chums stretched out the green expanses, the gardens,the little lakes, and the animal enclosures.

  "There's a good place!" exclaimed Dick, pointing to a green expansenear the wild-fowl pond.

  "Then you take the wheel and make it," suggested Innis, who had beensteering.

  Dick did so, but his hand accidentally touched the gasolene lever,cutting off the supply to the motor. In an instant the machine wentdead.

  "Never mind!" cried the young millionaire. "I'll go down anyhow. Nouse starting the motor again. I'll volplane and land where I can."

  And, as it happened, he came down in New York, in the midst of theBronx Park buffalo range.

  It was a perfect landing, the Abaris reaching the ground with scarcelya jar. But the big, shaggy buffaloes snorted in terror, and ran in alldirections. That is, all but one big bull, and he, with a bellow ofrage, charged straight for the airship!