CHAPTER V
AN AIR RACE FINISH AND A CHALLENGE
All in all, Mr. Giddings expressed himself as more than pleased withthe drawings for the Sky-Bird II. At the end of the explanation, heput the papers back in the envelope, and asked:
"Have you another set of these drawings in ink, Paul?"
"Yes, sir; this is a copied set; the original drawings from which wewill make our tracings and blue-prints are at home."
"You had better leave them there in a safe place, and work from yourblue-prints in the old exhibition building at the fair-grounds, beingcareful to lock them up in your workbench every time you depart. Ithink you boys have a valuable thing here, and it is to your interestto keep others from knowing your plans or seeing the airplane until wehave full government protection in the shape of patent rights. I shallturn this set of drawings over to a patent attorney in the city and askhim to make application to the Patent Office in Washington withoutdelay."
The next morning all three boys, filled with new confidence and energy,met at the fairgrounds as soon as they had had their breakfasts. Paulcarried two rolls of fresh blue-prints, which he and John had madewhile their mother was preparing the meal. One of these sets he gaveto Bob to take home as his own special property, and the other one hespread out on the workbench for consultation as their needs required.
Up to this time no effort had been made to keep children and curiousadults out of the grounds, but as their machine was now beginning totake on real form, they determined to do this. On a piece of board,Paul printed in large letters, "Private Grounds; Keep Out," and Bobnailed this up on the outside of the high board fence at the entrance.The gate itself they closed and barred on the inside.
"Guess that will be a sufficient hint to the grown-ups," said Bob witha grin. "If the kids climb over, we'll fasten a red flag to the frontof our big hangar and paint 'Dynamite' in letters a yard long acrossthe front of the building."
"Yes, and if that doesn't keep them away we'll turn the hose on them,"laughed John.
Then they fell to work on the new airplane, applying themselves likebeavers. All three boys had had the splendid benefits of manualtraining when they were in the public schools, and knew how to handleevery machine they had set up. In addition to this, Paul and Bob werefirst-class amateur machinists, as their courses of engineering inClark Polytechnic embraced the use of metal-working appliances of thelatest design, as well as wood-working machinery, and they could haveoperated other machines had they needed them.
That evening the workers went back home tired but well satisfied withtheir progress. The next day the shavings flew again, and by thelatter part of the week they had begun to assemble portions of thefuselage, using a waterproof glue which had been especially preparedfor airplanes, and applying galvanized screws to withstand rust in dampatmospheres.
As the days went by, the boys, like almost everybody in the country,watched the newspapers eagerly for reports of the progress of thecontestants in the big Air Derby around the world. Only four of theeleven aircraft to start had succeeded in getting across thetreacherous Atlantic, two of these being dirigible balloons, one aflying-boat, and the other a Vickers-Vimy biplane. After landing onEuropean soil one of the lucky airships came to grief in Italy inmaking a stop for fuel, but the driver had obtained an Italian Caproniplane and was making his way eastward with all haste. The otherdirigible, commanded by Americans, had reached Teheran, Persia, wheregas-bag troubles had compelled her crew to continue by train. Aboutthe same time the flying-boat, piloted by a Boston man, and thebiplane, in control of two Englishmen, had reached Yokohama, Japan,within a few hours of each other. It was said that these contestantswould wait there for the first steamship going to San Francisco, asthey feared it would be impossible to fly across the great Pacificstretch of almost five thousand miles. Upon reaching San Franciscothey planned to continue the journey to New York in airplanes furnishedby California aeronautical friends.
The newspapers shortly after this announced the sailing of the rivalparties at Yokohama. Storms and fog delayed the vessel. Finally shearrived at the Golden Gate, and then came the mad race across the NorthAmerican continent in fresh airplanes. Near Cheyenne, Wyoming, theAmerican plane was forced to the ground by engine trouble, allowing hercompetitor to get ahead several hours. This lead the American couldnot overcome, and the race ended at 5:15 o'clock on the afternoon ofJuly 27th, with the English crew first and the American crew second.Three days later the belated French crew, who had met with mishap inItaly, came in, winning third prize.
The Ross brothers were at work in the hangar when Bob Giddings, who hadgone into town on his motorcycle after some more screws, came backwaving the copy of the _Daily Independent_ containing this last account.
"Cartier and his bunch have arrived," he cried, springing from hismachine. "Here it is on the first page. That accounts for all theprize-winners, and the excitement is practically over. The others willjust lob in now--and they might as well." He tossed the paper to John."Here, read it, you fellows," he said. "You can quit on the Sky-Birdlong enough for that, I guess. I'll work while you lay off a fewminutes."
Bob rolled up his sleeves, and John and Paul spread out the newspaperon the bench and interestedly read the article in question. As theyfinished, and were turning around to resume work, Bob observed:
"Dad's got a rattling good editorial on this Air Derby, if I do say it.Take a look at page 5 and see how he rips 'em up the back."
Shoulder to shoulder, the two brothers leaned over the bench and readas follows:
"AROUND-THE-WORLD" RECORDS
The world has just witnessed the finish of another effort on the partof mankind to circle the globe in record-breaking time. And once morethe newspapers of the universe, and the sporting chroniclers, areregistering a new record in this class of human endeavor. When, threedays ago, the English team, headed by Chester Hodge, dropped out of aCurtis plane into Mineola Field, it was just 23 days, 6 hours and 15minutes after the same crew had left that field in their Vickers-Vimy.This beats the former record of 36 days and some odd hours, made in1913 by John Henry Mears, by the substantial margin of approximately 12days. It is a big gain--a startlingly short time for encompassing theworld as compared with the efforts of the past.
All of the three contesting crews to finish have broken Mears's record,and deserve great credit for their praise-worthy performance. Thesponsors for this first great Air Derby around the world, the prominentaero clubs of this country and the Eastern Hemisphere, also deservemuch praise for conceiving and promoting such a successful contest, andin posting such magnificent prizes.
But, in the interests of other similar tours likely to follow, thisnewspaper thinks it high time to declare itself opposed most vigorouslyto two fundamental features governing the competition just closed.
First, why was this contest called by its promoters an "Air Derby"? Inour opinion, with rules allowing the use of other modes of travel aswell as aircraft, the title is a decided misnomer. It should have beentermed a "Go-As-You-Please Derby." Not a single one of thesecontestants accomplished the girdle by airplane alone; every winnertook a steamship across the Pacific. Here's hoping that when another'round-the-world contest is pulled off it will be tagged with a titlewhich fits.
Second, when a specific record trip around the world is promulgated, isit scientifically correct to take a route which is approximately 30 percent shorter than the actual circumference of the universe on which welive? In a foot race around a circular track judges do not letsprinters pick out their own course and "cut across lots" whenever theychoose. Nor is it allowed in horse races, auto races, or any form ofsport where time records are registered on curving courses.
The _Daily Independent_ contends that beginning with Jules Verne'smythical hero Phileas Fogg, who in the story negotiated the journey inthe improbable time of 80 days, back in 1872, every record-maker in theflesh and blood has followed northerly routes averaging the 30thparallel, thus trav
ersing only about 16,000 miles of the world's actualcircumference of 24,899 miles; and these records have gone down as trueand complete accomplishments! But, because a wrongful practice, onemisrepresentative of its purpose, has been carried on for almost acentury, is it any reason for arguing that the process should continuein this advanced and enlightened day?
We say NO! It is time for this practice of around-the-world humbug andcheatery to stop right now. If it takes our fastest modernglobe-trotters a whole year to go around the world by a route equal toor approximating the equatorial girth, then let it take them a year;for the sake of our pride and all that is good and sincere let us doour stunts on the square.
There are no records of an equatorial trip around the world. Who willbe the first to establish one? Let us run a pen through all theseshort-cut records of the past, and turn a clean page for the entry ofthe first real journey around the fat old world's belt.
As Paul finished the editorial his heart was beating very fast. He wasa true sportsman, and he realized the truth in the bold stand taken bythe _Daily Independent_. His brother John was no less favorablyaffected by it.
"Bang me, if that isn't a good article!" said John enthusiastically."Mr. Giddings may get a lot of criticism for this from a certain classof people, but he's taking the right course."
"He certainly is," approved Paul. "I had never thought of it before,but he points the error out so clearly that almost anybody ought torealize the need of a fairer route after reading his statements. Justas he says, it's never too late to correct matters which have beengoing wrong, no matter how long."
"I'd give anything I've got if I could be the first fellow to go aroundthe world's belt," declared John, his brown cheeks glowing with deepercolor at the thought; "I wouldn't care so much about beating theseother chaps in the matter of time, just so long as I made a fair trail."
"Oh, John, wouldn't that be a great trip!" cried Paul.
"Say, look at here," broke in Bob Giddings, who had been near enough tooverhear all of this conversation. His face was glowing, too, as heturned toward the brothers. "When we get the Sky-Bird II done, whycouldn't the three of us pick out a new course around the globe in her?If she's as good as we think she will be, we could travel over any kindof land or water with her, and I think we could pick out islands in thePacific so that we could cross that and make the entire journey by air."
"I believe this old ship could do it all right," said John, full ofconfidence and thrilled at the idea, as he stepped back and looked atthe partly-assembled fuselage with a loving eye. "But, Bob, a triplike that would cost a lot of money just for gas, and you know Paul andI could hardly afford it."
"I'm going to speak to dad about it, anyhow," decided Bob; "he has beentalking airplanes and world routes at home to mother and me for thelast three months, and maybe he will be interested enough to back usup. He never stops at anything when he once sets his mind on it."
It was several days after this that Bob Giddings came to work withanother newspaper in his hands.
"Things seem to be coming our way as fast as they can," he said, with amysterious smile. "Take in what Mr. Wrenn, the editor of this paper,says in this framed insert on the front page."
John and Paul did as directed. The article was prominently displayed,and was to the effect that the _Clarion_ disagreed very strongly withthe attitude adopted by its contemporary, the _Daily Independent_, inregard to around-the-world routes. It declared that it was physicallyimpossible by any mode of modern travel to follow a route along, oreven within twenty degrees of, the equatorial line, and said it was ashame to assail the creditable records made in the past. In conclusionit stated:
If our esteemed sheet, the _Daily Independent_, feels so cock-sure ofits position, why does it not do a little demonstrating? Why does itnot organize an expedition, and prove its claim? This is all bunk! Weare so sure of it, that we right now challenge our misguided friend torun us a race around the world on a course of his own selection, at anytime, by any mode of travel he may choose. There! we have knocked thechip off of the _Daily Independent's_ shoulder. Now let's see if ourfriend is really a bluffer or a fighter.
"You know the _Clarion_ is a powerful evening newspaper, too," saidBob, when the Ross boys looked up from their reading. "It has alwaysbeen a hot rival of dad's paper, but it never got quite so sarcastic asthis before. Dad was good and mad when he read this last night. 'I'llshow both the _Clarion_ and the public whether I'm a bluffer or not,'he said to mother. 'If it takes the last cent I've got I'll organizean expedition to meet their challenge and prove my theory to be thecorrect one.' Then I woke up to our opportunity. I suggested to dadthat if the Sky-Bird turned out as we hoped, she would be the verything to pioneer such a route and give the _Clarion_ people a race tomake their eyes stick out; and I said John Ross was willing to head acrew including Paul and myself."
"What did he say?" asked John and Paul, almost in the same breath.
"Well, he gave a little gasp; his eyes snapped, and he quit walking thefloor and sat down on the davenport. 'Robert,' he said, 'I'll thinkthis matter over.' Then he lit a cigar and went to smoking. Dadseldom smokes except when he's got something heavy on his mind."
John and Paul now joined Bob in putting a knee-brace in the newairplane body. Somehow they had a feeling that the parts they wereassembling with such care would one of these days go on a very long andarduous journey.