Around the World in Ten Days

  E-text prepared by Al Haines

  AROUND THE WORLD IN TEN DAYS

  by

  CHELSEA CURTIS FRASER

  Author of "Work-a-Day Heroes," "Secrets of the Earth,""Boys' Book of Battles," "Boys' Book of Sea Fights,""The Young Citizens Own Book," etc.

  The World Publishing CompanyCleveland, Ohio ------ New York City

  Copyright, MCMXXII, ByThe World Syndicate Publishing CompanyPrinted in the United States of America

  PREFACE

  In the infancy of aviation, the early 1920's,no one dreamed that the close of the decadewould see it firmly and permanentlyestablished--a leader among the nation's industries.Heavier-than-air flight is perhaps the mostamazing contribution of the 20th century.

  It is easy to thrill to the seeming marvels ofour own times, but only the short-sighted thinkerbelieves in the perfection of present scientificprogress. The 300-mile-an-hour airplane whichFraser conceived in this book for the speed ofthe Sky-Bird II was little more than so manywords when he wrote it. . . . today we have400-mile-an-hour fighting planes. Today we havein this country an intricate highway system, butperhaps within your own lifetime our highways,and the automobiles which skim over them, willbe laughed at as obsolete and useless.

  Thus it is that "the seemingly impossible ofthe fiction of today becomes outdone by the factsof tomorrow," as the author aptly phrased it.

  In 1920 the idea of going around the world inten days was as preposterous as that projectedby Jules Verne in 1873 when he wrote _Aroundthe World in Eighty Days_. But time has a wayof hurling ridicule back as effectively as aboomerang. For we have seen and marvelled at theshattering not only of the mythical eighty-dayrecord but even the ten-day record, as progresswends its ceaseless, ambitious, difficult andalmost fantastic way through the years.

  And so it will be gratifying and, no doubt,amazing to many to read this book and realizethe advancement made in aviation since this storywas written by Mr. Fraser, and how many of theideas he prophesied for airplane advancementthat have materialized in less than a score of years.

  Around-the-world flyers, even the most recent,have all flown more or less northerly routes, notfollowing the equatorial belt, which is, as we allknow, the earth's greatest circumference. It isthis course that our four young heroes take inSky-Bird II, a plane designed and constructedby themselves, containing many features thataeronautics now takes for granted, and some notyet realized, which are, nevertheless, "within thescope of mechanical science," as Fraser says.

  So, it is our opinion, young readers, that inaddition to enjoying an exciting story, you willbenefit by carefully reading the technicalpassages, and in doing so, learn to observe yourpresent-day surroundings with a greaterperspective--thus adding infinitely greater interestto your view of the world today!

  THE PUBLISHERS.

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER

  I PAUL AND BOB II THE BROTHERS' INVENTION III THE SUCCESSFUL MODEL IV PLANNING A BIG AIRPLANE V AN AIR RACE FINISH AND A CHALLENGE VI THE MISSING BLUE-PRINTS VII WHO'S AT THE WINDOW? VIII THE SKY-BIRD II IX THE TEST FLIGHT X FINAL PREPARATIONS XI OFF FOR PANAMA XII FIGHTING A DEVIL-FISH XIII THE STRANGE AIRPLANE XIV A FAMILIAR FACE XV THE START XVI TRICKED BY RIVALS XVII ACROSS THE ATLANTIC XVIII AN IRRITATING DELAY XIX SAVED BY THE SEARCHLIGHT XX A JUNGLE ADVENTURE XXI THE DOUBLE LOOP XXII ABOVE THE CLOUDS XXIII BOMBED BY ROCKS XXIV RIDING AN AIRPLANE'S TAIL XXV ENGULFED IN A VOLCANO'S DUST XXVI IN AUSTRALIA XXVII PAUL VERSUS PETE XXVIII A MIX-UP IN DATES XXIX A FLYING RESCUE XXX AN ALARMING DISCOVERY XXXI THE FINISH