Doctor Jones' Picnic Part 3

She gave a hand to each of her coadjutors, and turning to Dr. Jones, said: "Don't you see what a splendid lobbyist I am, Doctor? You will need me when you get to Was.h.i.+ngton."

The Doctor's face was a study. At length he said: "Woman is the most unaccountable creature in the universe. I expected to-night to have made the plea of my life, and I declare for it, if she hasn't turned the tables completely upon me, and actually stands there imploring to go with us, instead of going into hysterics and making no end of opposition. Well, honey," putting his arm about her waist, "I took you for better or worse, but I did not expect to take you to the North Pole.

I yield to the inevitable, gentlemen. Allow me to introduce you to No.

4, North Pole Aluminum Globe Co."

CHAPTER V.

The Government Joins the Picnickers.

Not many days later found our friends comfortably located in a hotel in the national capital. The Doctor was quite well acquainted with the representative from his congressional district, and was supplied with letters of introduction from influential parties to members of both houses. By a judicious use of these, they managed to obtain a hearing before the scientific and geographical departments of the Smithsonian Inst.i.tute. So thoroughly had Dr. Jones and Mr. Marsh mastered the details of the subject that they immediately made a favorable impression upon that learned body. After some weeks spent in investigation, they unanimously voted in favor of the project, and recommended that Congress grant appropriations for that purpose.

After a certain amount of lobbying (in which, I am glad to say, No. 4's services were not required), an amount in accordance with the architect's estimates was pa.s.sed by both houses, and duly signed by the President. Nothing could exceed the joy and satisfaction of the four friends. They now hurried to their homes and made arrangements for permanently moving to Was.h.i.+ngton. A few weeks later, we find them settled in a pleasant home in the capital, "a busy lot of happy cranks,"

as Mrs. Jones expressed it.

The building contract was awarded a Was.h.i.+ngton company, whose foundries and shops are located upon the Potomac, adjacent to the city. The work is being done under the general supervision of Marsh and the three friends. It is not long before the vast scaffolding that is built up as the long, slender, silver-like ribs of the aluminum framework are put in place, begins to attract the attention of the surrounding populace. And well it might, for as the beautiful globe began to a.s.sume shape, certainly nothing so colossal of the kind had ever been seen before upon earth. And as one stepped inside the mighty ball and looked up through the vast network of aluminum rods and braces that ran in every conceivable direction, looking like silken threads in the great distances above, the feeling inspired was one of awe and unbounded admiration.

The work was pushed forward with all possible expedition. The summer pa.s.sed rapidly away. As winter drew near, a vast roof was built over the globe, and all was securely shut in from the inclemencies of that inhospitable season. All winter the hundreds of hammers, busily riveted the sheets of aluminum and zinc into place, and by spring the globe, the splendid creation that had existed in the brain of Dr. Jones, was an actuality. Language is inadequate to describe the sensations of the little company of promoters. They said but little, but would often stand in a group, gaze upon it, then into each other's eyes, and smile and wag their delighted heads.

The newspapers were not slow, meantime, in keeping the public informed of all that could be learned of the unique enterprise. Reporters besieged the projectors, in season and out. Our friends freely gave them all possible information, and no little interest was excited all over our great land. People came from every quarter of the Union, many from Europe to see the mighty, glistening sphere. The crowds were so vast that work was impeded, and it became necessary to restrict admission. A nominal entrance fee was charged, but that only seemed to stimulate the eager sightseers. So the public were, of necessity, finally entirely excluded.

Then the roof of the building was removed, and the whole structure gradually, except so much of it as was absolutely necessary to maintain the globe in position.

The cabin was attached to the bottom of the globe, forty feet square, with ten feet between the floor and ceiling. It was divided off into several bedrooms, sitting and dining-rooms, kitchen, smoking-room, store-rooms, oil tanks, etc. In the center was a room, fifteen feet square, that was called the engine-room. Everything that could be thought of that could add to comfort had been supplied, always with reference to compactness and weight. Not an ounce of superfluous weight would the architect allow. He had calculated very carefully and knew to a pound, almost, just what his great s.h.i.+p would carry, and how much fuel would keep her afloat a certain number of hours. But the thing that aroused the admiration of the public was the aluminum shaft that pa.s.sed from the floor of the cabin straight up through the center of the globe, and extended on above it full ninety feet. And from this dizzy height, floated "Old Glory," constructed of fine wire of that same beautiful, evers.h.i.+ning metal, aluminum. Round and round this splendid shaft, up through the globe, wound a delicate stairway. From its top stair, one stepped out into a small observatory, well supplied with windows upon its four sides. The stairway was protected from the hot air of the interior of the globe by a zinc coating, so that the mast and stairway really pa.s.sed up through the center of a zinc tube standing on end, and about six feet in diameter.

Already it is an inspiring sight to stand in the observatory, situated exactly upon the top of the sphere, and look away into the surrounding country, up and down the Potomac, and over the lovely capital city. But what will it be when suspended in the air, thousands of feet above terra firma?

"Do you feel no fear, Maggie?" asked the Doctor, as they stood with Marsh and Denison and looked from this great height.

"Not the slightest tremor," she replied, and she looked so brightly and bravely into their faces that Denison said: "I really believe, Doctor, that she will prove to be the best sailor of the lot."

"I wish we had a female companion for you, Maggie. I have a great mind to advertise for one," said Dr. Jones.

"I beg you to do no such thing. She will be sure to be finical, cowardly, or disagreeable in some way. And then such a host of all sorts of creatures as would reply to your advertis.e.m.e.nt. We shall do very well without her," replied Mrs. Jones.

"But I am sure it would be much pleasanter for you, Maggie. Don't you know of a female acquaintance that you would like to have accompany you?" persisted Dr. Jones.

"Well, let me think. If Mattie Bronson could go, it would afford me the greatest pleasure."

"The very thing!" declared the Doctor in his usual emphatic way. "Mattie is a lovely, brave, all-around nice girl. Let it be Mattie, by all means."

Denison and Marsh expressed their entire satisfaction with this arrangement.

"I will write her immediately to come and visit us, and then I am sure that we can prevail upon her to go with us," said Mrs. Jones.

They then descended the long, slender stairway, and returned to their home.

CHAPTER VI.

Off on a Sh.o.r.eless Sea.

About the middle of April appeared the following in one of the leading papers:

"Last night our citizens, and a tremendous overflow of visitors were treated to the most magnificent sight their eyes ever beheld. The great aluminum globe, about which all the world has been agog for so long, arose and stood for three hours above the city, some two hundred and fifty feet. The whole mighty sphere was ablaze with myriads of electric lights, from the ball of the tapering flagstaff to the beautiful cabin below. As it hung suspended above the city, connected with the earth by but a slender aluminum chain that looked like a thread of silver piercing the skies, a great hush fell upon the hundreds of thousands of gazers below. All Nature seemed auspicious to the occasion. Scarcely a zephyr was stirring, and the stars shone brightly down upon the scene from cloudless skies. One hundred people, consisting of the President and cabinet, senators, congressmen, editors, scientific and literary men and women, were the favored party who occupied the gigantic s.h.i.+p.

"Suddenly there fell upon the ears of the waiting mult.i.tude the glorious soprano voice of Mrs. Jones. So far above, yet so thrillingly sweet and distinct, one could scarcely refrain from imagining that the Pearly Gates had opened, and we were listening to the voice of one of the Redeemed. But that illusion was soon dispelled, and we recognized the familiar strains of "Star Spangled Banner." And when the whole hundred voices swelled the splendid chorus, a great shout arose from the mult.i.tude like the sound of many waters, beginning directly beneath the globe, and spreading away in every direction like billows from a great rock, dropped into the center of a quiet lake.

"And so, under the direction of Professor Marsh, brother of the architect of the globe, a beautiful and appropriate musical program was rendered, lasting nearly an hour.

"We venture the a.s.sertion that no performance was ever rendered to so great an audience, and certainly not to one more appreciative. And we predict that there will be a great demand for liniments and plasters for some weeks to come. For standing two hours or more with the back of one's head resting upon the cervical portion of one's spinal column, and screaming at the top of one's lungs a good portion of the time, with eyes unblinkingly and unwinkingly set upon the inconceivably splendid globe, all this we a.s.sert to be highly conducive to stiff neck and sore throat. And it is a question whether many of that innumerable, entranced audience will be able to keep their hearts and minds upon things terrestrial for a considerable time to come. From the bottom of our hearts, we commiserate every member of the race who missed the sights and sounds of last evening.

"All arrangements are now completed, and day after to-morrow, weather favorable, Dr. Jones and party expect to sail at the hour of noon, away for the North Pole. Nothing has been omitted that could insure the success of the expedition, and we feel confident of all that could be hoped for, or desired by the enterprising Doctor and friends."

The hour set for sailing had arrived. The day was beautiful, and a moderate breeze was blowing toward northwest. With proud, happy hearts the party of navigators stood upon the balcony that ran about the four sides of the cabin. This balcony was one of the chief embellishments and conveniences of the cabin. It was five feet wide, and extended, as before said, about the four sides of the cabin. A bal.u.s.trade four feet high was built along its outer edge. A more exhilarating promenade could not be conceived, and right well did our friends enjoy it during the notable voyage which we are about to record.

The party consisted of Professor J.Q. Gray, the scientific representative of the Smithsonian Inst.i.tute; Miss Mattie Bronson; Professor Fred Marsh; our four friends with whom the reader is acquainted; and last, but not least, so far as bodily comforts were concerned, Ah Sing, the cook.

As the globe arose slowly to the length of its cable, five hundred feet, it seemed to the little company upon the balcony as if the universe had a.s.sembled to see them off. On the streets, public squares, housetops, decks of all s.h.i.+ps upon the river, were crowds on crowds of people; people anywhere, everywhere; far as the eye could reach was one vast, countless host. What wonder that the heart of the Doctor swelled and quickened as he looked upon the ocean of upturned faces below, and realized that from his fertile brain had sprung the mighty object of all this attention. How it pulled and surged at its silver-like cable, as if it were a thing of life, and desired to be away toward its destination, the North Pole!

The hour of noon was announced by hundreds of bells and whistles. The Doctor waved a flag over the bal.u.s.trade, the anchor was cut loose from its fastenings, and away bounded the colossal sphere toward the ethereal blue. Upward and still up it arose to the height of three thousand feet, trending slowly toward the northwest.

The voices of the mult.i.tude sounded like the roar of the sea, and as it grew fainter and fainter, the stout-hearted little party realized that they were effectually cut off from the world--off on a limitless sea, alone with G.o.d.

CHAPTER VII.

A Gunpowder Tea-party.

Nothing could be completer nor daintier than the cabin and its furnis.h.i.+ngs, divisions, and subdivisions. The rooms of necessity were small, but sufficiently large for convenience and comfort. A choice selection of best authors had been added by the Doctor. Mr. Will Marsh, the architect, had not forgotten a painting, sketching, and photographing outfit. Professor Fred Marsh had brought a good supply of vocal and instrumental music, and a small aluminum organ of exquisite tone and splendid volume. Professor Gray, as a matter of course, was abundantly supplied with books, charts, instruments, etc. The ladies did not forget to bring knitting, crochet, and sewing work with them. "For we cannot be continually craning our necks out of our little nest, sightseeing," said Mrs. Jones.

"And then I suppose that we shall be above the clouds a good share of the time, with nothing but a fog bank to look at," added Mattie.

Dr. Jones carried a plentiful supply of drugs and instruments. "I have not given up practice," said he. "There is no telling how many patients I may encounter outside of our little crowd, before we return."

But we cannot stop to enumerate all the conveniences and appurtenances of the wonderful sky-s.h.i.+p, now hastening toward its destination. More of that later on.

Was.h.i.+ngton and its crowds of excited people were fast disappearing in the distance. To say that no fear was experienced upon the part of any of the company would not be strictly true. The ladies were pale and silent, and stood with their arms about each other. Very little was said by any one, for the sensation of skimming through the air at the rate of more than twenty miles an hour at this elevation was too novel and thrilling to admit of conversation. All experienced more or less of vertigo and nausea, but the Doctor promptly controlled these disagreeable symptoms with medicines from his case. All stood at their post for something near an hour, Sing excepted. He was rattling about among his pots, pans, and kettles as unconcernedly as if in the best appointed kitchen in Was.h.i.+ngton. Finally a general conversation was entered into as the first qualms of fear and sickness began to wear off.

"I am delighted with the performance of our s.h.i.+p," said Will. (We shall take the liberty of using the given names of the two brothers hereafter, Will and Fred.)