[.Copyright, 1907, 1908, by the Macmillan Company.] PROLOGUE OF THE STORY. Germany, bating the Monroe doctrine and ambitious for world's suprem acy. secretly builds a vast fleet of airships and plaus to surprise the United States by means of a sudden attack. Her airship fleet consists of great dirigi bles of the Von Zeppelin type and small aeroplanes called Pracbentiieger. I'rince Karl Albert commands the German airships. Germany and Eng land have both been endeavoring to buy an extraordinary flying machine in vented by Alfred Butteridge, who arrives at a British seaside resort iu a runaway balloon, accompanied by a lady in whom tie is interested. Bert Smalhvays, a motorcycle dealer in bard luck, who is in love with Miss Edna Bunthorne, and his partner, Grubb, are impeVsouating a pair of "desert dervishes" at the seashore. Bert catches hold of the basket of the balloon and falls into it just as Butteridge and the lady fall out. The balloon carries Bert across the North sea He finds drawings of Hut teridge's airship in some of Butteridge's clothing and hides the plans in his chest protector. llis balloon drifts over Germany's immense aeronautic park. German soldiers shoot holes in it and capture Bert. They think he is But teridge. Soldiers carry him to the cabin of the Vaterland. flagship of the air fleet. Lieutenant Kurt guards him The vast fleet starts across the ocean to attack New York. Graf von Wintertield denounces Bert as an impostor, but offers him £SOO for Butteridge's secret. The prime agrees to take Bert alontr "as ballast." An American fleet of warships is destroyed by German warships and Germany's air fleet. A boy on the Vaterland is killed. How War Came to New York. O THICK voices at a lower, more respectful pitch replied. "I>er prinz." said a voice, J and all the men became stiller | and less natural. Down the passage appeared a group of figures, Lieuten ant Kurt walking in front carrying a packet of papers. N He stopped point blank when he saw the thing in the recess, and his ruddy face went white. "So!" said he in sur prise. 'J|he prince was following him, talk ing over his shoulder to Von Winter feid and the kapitan. "Eh?" he said to Kurt, stopping in midsentence, and following the gesture of Kurt's hand. He glared at the crumpled object iu the recess and seemed to think for a moment. He made a slight, careless gesture to ward the boy's body and turned to the kapltau. "Dispose of that," he said in Ger man, and passed on, finishing his sen tence to Von Winterfeld in the same cheerful tone in which it had been be gun. The deep impression of helplessly drowning men that Bert had brought from the actual fight in the Atlantic mixed itself up inextricably with that of the lordly figure of Prince Karl Al bert gesturing aside the dead body of the Vaterland sailor. Hitherto he had rather liked the idea of war as being a jolly, smashing, exciting. affair, something like a bank holiday rag on a large scale, and on the whole agree able and exhilarating. Now he knew It a little better. Late that afternoon Kurt came into the cabin and found Bert curled up on his locker and looking very white and miserable. Kurt had ftlso lost some thing of his pristine freshness. "Seasick?" he asked. "No!" "We ought to reach New York this evening. There's a good breeze com ing up under our tails. Then we shall see things." "Yes?" Kurt did not answer him. He was measuring their distance from New Y'ork and speculating. "Wonder what the American aeroplanes are like," he said. "Something like our drachenflie ger. We shall know by this time to morrow. 1 wonder what we shall know—l wonder. Suppose, after all, they put up a fight. Hum sort of fight!" He whistled softly and mused. Pres ently lie fretted out of the cabin, and i later Bert found him in the twilight upon the swinging platform, staring ahead and speculating about the things that might happen on the morrow. Clouds veiled the sea again, and the long, straggling wedge of airships, ris ing and falling as they flew, seemed like a flock of strange new births in a chaos that had neither earth nor water, but only mist and sky. The city of New York was In the year of tln> German attack the largest, rich est. in many respects the most splendid and in some the wickedest city the world had ever seen. She was (he su preme type of the scientific commercial age She displayed its greatness, its power, lis ruthless anarchic enterprise and its social disorganization most strikingly ami completely. She had long ousted London from her pride of place as the modern Babylon. She was the center of the world's finance, '— l world's trade and the world's pleasure, and men likened her to the apocalyptic cities of the ancient proph ets. She sat drinking up the wealth of a continent, as Rome once drank the wealth of the Mediterranean and Babylon the wealth of the east. In hei streets one found the extremes of magnificence and misery, of civiliza tion and disorder. For many generations New York bad taken 110 heed of war suve as a k thing that happened far away, that af fected prices and supplied the news papers with exciting headlines and pictures. The New Yorkers felt per haps even more certainly than the Eug'i.sh had done that war in their own land was an impossible thing, in that they shared the delusion of all North America. They felt as secure as spectators at a bull tight: they risked their money perhaps on the result, but that was all. And such ideas of war as the common Americans possessed were derived from the limited, picturesque, adventurous war of the past. They saw war as they saw history, through an iridescent mist, deodorized, scent ed indeed, with all its essential cruel ties tactfully hidden away. They were inclined to regret it as something ennobling, to sigh that it could no longer come into their own private ex perience. They read with interest, If not with avidity, of their new Runs, of their Immense and still more immense Iron clads, of their incredible and still more incredible explosives, but Just what these tremendous engines of destruc tion might mean for their personal lives never entered their heads. And then suddenly into a world peacefully busied for the most part Crowds Assembled to Listen to and Cheer Patriotic Speeches. upon armaments and the perfection of explosives war came—came the shock of realizing that the guns were going off; that the masses of inflammable material all over the world weiv at last ablaze. The immediate effect upon New York of the sudden onset of war was mere ly to intensify her normal vehemence. The newspapers and magazines that fed tiie American mind—for books upon this impatient continent had be come simply material for die energy of collectors were iustantly a corusca tion of war pictures and of headlines that rose like rockets and burst like shells. To the normal high strung en ergy of New York streets was added a touch of war fever. (Jreat crowds as sembled. more especially in the dinner hour, in Madison square about the rarragut monument to listen to and cheer patriotic speeches. Critli-s of the American character are disposed to consider that up to the actual impact of the German attack the people of New York dealt alto gether too much with tne us jf was a political demonstration. I.ittle or no damage, they urged, wLj doue to either the German or Japanese force* by the wearing of buttons, the wavin: of small flags or the songs. War wit* a matter of apparatus, of special trail ing and skill of the most intricate kind, it had become undemocratic And whatever the value of the popular excitement, there can be no denyin; that the small regular establishment o' the United States government, con fronted by this totally unexpected emergency of an armed invasion fron Europe, acted with vigor, science anc imagination. They were taken by surprise so far as the diplomatic situation was con eerned. and their equipment for build ing either navigables or aeroplanes was contemptible in comparison with the huge German parks. Still they set to work at once to prove to the world that the spirit that had created the Monitor and the southern submarines of 1S(!4 was not dead. The chief of the aeronautic establishment, near West Point, was Cabot Sinclair, and he allowed himself but one single mo ment of the posturing that was so uni versal In that democratic time. "We have chosen our epitaphs." he said to a reporter, "and we are g'>ing to have 'They did all they could.' Now run away!" The curious thing is that they did do all they could. There is no exception known. Their only defect. Indeed, was a defect of style. One of the most striking facts his torically about this war and the one that makes the complete separation that had arisen between the methods of warfare and the necessity of demo cratic support is the effectual secrecy of the Washington authorities about their airships. They did not bother to confide a single fact of their prepara tions to the public. They did not even condescend to talk to congress. They burked and suppressed every inquiry. The war was fought by the president and the secretaries of state In an en tirely autocratic manner. Such pub licity as they sought was merely to anticipate and prevent inconvenient agitation to defend particular points. They realized that the chief danger in aerial warfare from an excitable and Intelligent public would be a clamor for local airships and aeroplanes to defend local Interests. Tills, with such resources as they possessed, might lead to a fatal division and distribu tion of the national forces. Particu larly they feared that they might lie forced into a premature action to de fend New York. They realized with prophetic insight that this would be the particular ad vantage the Germans would seek. So they took great pains to direct the popular mind toward defensive artil lery and to divert it from any thought of aerial battle. Their real prepara tions they masked beneath ostensible ones. There was at Washington a large reserve of naval guns, and these were distributed rapidly, conspicuous ly and with much press attention among the eastern cities. They were mounted for the most part upon hills and prominent crests round tlie threat ened centers of population. They were mounted upou rough adaptations of tlie Ooan swivel, which at that lime gave I lie maximum vertical range 10 a heavy gun. Much of this artillery was stui unmounted, and nearly all of it was unprotected when the German air fleet reached New York. And down In the crowded streets, when that oc curred, the readers of the New York papers were regaling themselves with wonderful and wonderfully illustrated accounts of such matters as: THE SECRET OF THE THUNDERBOLT AGED SCIENTIST PERFECTB ELECTRIC GUN TO ELECTROCUTE AIRSHIP CREWS BY UPWARD I.IGHTNINO WASHINGTON ORDERS FIVE HUNDRED WAR SECRETARY LODGE DELIGHT ED SATS THEY WILL SUIT THE GERMANS DOWN TO THE GROUND PRESIDENT PUBLICLY APPLAUDS THIS MERRY QUIP The German fleet reached New York in advance of tITe news of rlie Ameri can naval disaster, it readied New- York in the late afternoon and was first seen by watchers at Ocean Grove and Long Branch coming swiftly out of the southward sea and going away to the northwest. The flagship passed almost vertically over the Sandy Hook observation station, rising rapidly as It did so, and In a few minutes all New \ork was vibrating to the Staten Island guns. fTo be continued.] A GLANCE AT WORLD AFFAIRS THE expedition into Abyssinia led by Chiids Friek. sou of Henry C. Friek, to make natural his- Tory collections for the Smith sonian Institution is of particular in- | terest because Mr. Friek followed close ] on the trail of Colonel Iloosevelt when the latter was bringing down big game in Africa, and his party was said to have bagged as much as did the for mer president and his party. Mr. Friek plans to return with a great variety of specimens of the ani mals in the Abyssinian region. These will be prepared for the national mu seum by Lieutenant Colonel Edgar A. Mearns, U. S. A., retired, associate zo ologist of the museum, who accompa nies Mr. Friek on the trip. The region of F.ake Itudolf, discover ed as late as ISSS by Count Telek and one of the wildest and most dangerous sections of the dark continent, is to be covered by the expedition. It is in habited by the liamatic people, wholly uncivilized, yet intellectually superior to the average tribes of Africa. The Samali, Callas and Boranna tribes will also he encountered. The actual work of the expedition is scheduled to cover about seven months. Presidential Politics. The presidential campaign is warm ing up, the battle fur delegates in both parties now being well tinder way. A meeting of northwestern Democrats held at Fargo, N. I was attended by leaders from all this section. Several Copyright by American Press Association. Governor John Burke of North Dakota, Who Was Boomed by Friends. Democratic governors were present and spoke As there has been a move ment to give North Dakota's delega tion to her governor, John Hurke. this love feast was regarded in some quar ters as an effort to promote ills presi dential boom. Throughout the nation it may be said, in the time honored langiuige of the correspondents, that "the political pot is simmering." Another Trust Faces Fire. Detroit is the scene tills time of the United States government's tight to break up a so called trust, the alleged illegal combination of bathtub manu facturers. In that city are assembled an impressive array of counsel for both sides, who are ready for the battle, which takes place in the federal court. An important point involved in the case is the debated right of the de fendants to control tlie manufacture and sale of enameled ware with pat ent tools. Taft Again on the Move. President Taft, following his attend ance at the Ohio society dinner and the dinner of tlie Aero Club of Ameri ca in New York city, hurries to Cleve land. 0., for the banquet of the Tippe canoe club in celebration of President McKiniey's birthday. Political sharps said as soon as the president declared his intention of going to Ohio that the visit would mark the real opening of the Taft campaign for renoniination. Federal Aid to Good Roads. There lias long been agitation for federal aid to good roads, and the movement toward this end has grown especially strong in the present con gress. At a meeting of the federal aid committee of tlie American Associa tion l or Highway Improvement and a convention of other friends of good roads held in Washington the major ity of the thirty or more members of congress who have introduced bills on the subject were present. Other speak ers were Charles A. Barrett, president of the Farmers' union, and represent atives of tlie American Federation of Labor and of the national commission of prison labor. One session was de voted to a discussion of convict labor on the roads. The meeting also indors ed tlie plan for a Lincoln memorial highway from Washington to Gettys burg. Has Most Per Capita Wealth. Kansas has the largest per capita wealth based upon the assessed valua tion of any Male In the Union, accord ing to figures computed by Mark Tuily. state treasurer. The per capita assessment valuation is Enough Ammunition For Year*. There is now enough ammunition on hand to supply the United States army and navy and state militia for three and a half years. Brigadier General Crozler, chief of ordnance of the army, told the house committee on military affairs when It was drafting the army bill for 1013. General Crozler explain ed that of late the government had been contracting for enough ammuni tion from private companies to keep them running as an "insurance" j against war. "1 am certain," said the general, "that the government arsenals and the private ammunition manufacturers can produce enough ammunition to supply our army as fast as it can be recruited." The Treaty Split With Russia. The abrogation of the treaty between the United States and Russia does not go into effect until Jan. I, 1913, and ef forts will be made to frame n new treaty before that time. At any rate, there is hardly a possibility that peace between the two nations will be dis turbed. Prober Stanley. Representative Augustus Owsley Stanley of Kentucky, chairman of the special committee to inquire into the ! affairs of the United States Steel cor poration. was the author of the house resolution to make tlie investigation. The special aims of the inquiry were to find out how the restriction or de struction of competition, the capital ization and bonding of the various sub sidiary concerns of the corporation and the combination between the offi cers and agents of one corporation and those of others had been effected. The committee was especially author ized to ascertain if financial panics had been influenced by the steel trust's operations. Mr. Stanley is a native of Kentucky and is forty-four years of age. He was educated at Center college. Danville, Ky.. and began the practice of law in 1804. in 10*10 he was a presidential elector, which is the only public otHce he ever held prior to his election to congress. International Ski Tournament. The Norge Ski club of Chicago has beeu hard at work to make the inter national skiing tournament. Jan. 27, 28 and 20, at Cary. 111., the biggest ski meet in the west. The tournament opens with exhibitions by the best pro fessional and amateur jumpers in the world. The Northwest. Dr. Charles A. Eastman, a full blood ed Sioux Indian, author of"The Soul of the Indian" and other books, be lieves that the climate of the north west Is so fine that living there makes a man big. "Colonel Koosevelt would never have become president If he had not spent years out In that country," solemnly declared Dr. Eastman at the annual dinner of the Northwestern so ciety In New York city. Dr. Eastman pointed out that tlie northwest was a part of the country that had produced such great men of his own race as Ited Cloud and Sitting Hull. The Northwestern society is compos ed of New York men who have mi grated from the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, lowa, North Da kota, South Dakota and Idaho. State Life Insurance. A system of state life Insurance is officially approved for Wisconsin. Insurance Commissioner 11. L. likern has been at work on forms for policies und blanks for the proposed plan. Wis consin will be the first state to at tempt to write life insurance. The leg islature of 1911 passed a bill providing for beginning the system. The state treasurer will be custodian of all mon eys. and town, city and comity clerks will accept applications and forward premiums. The state does not assume any responsibility beyond paying the expense. Our Young Men of Eighty. Noted as a public and after dinner speaker, Joseph H. Choate, the prede cessor of Whitelaw Reid as United States ambassador to the court of St. James, celebrated his eightieth birth Joseph H. Choate, Who Recently Cele brated Eightieth Birthday.' day anniversary on Jan. 2-1, with no thought of giving up. He was admit ted to the liar in 1855. and flhti Com pletion of ids eightieth milestone linds him still a worker In his profession. Mr. Choate was bora In Salem, Mass. lie was one of the .committee of seventy which smashed the Tweed ring ID New York In [4 B) TALKED THROUGH ROCK. Inventor Made His Voice Penetrate Steel and Concrete. John L. Griffiths, consul general at Loudon, in the Consular Ileports wrote of experiments conducted near Chep stow for the transmission of the hu man voice over long distances with the aid alone of the natural elements. The inventor Grindel! Matthews sutv mitted his discovery to a severe test iu the presence of a number of experts. He was placed in tha strong room of a big London commercial house and locked in, with nine inches of armor steel, nine inches of fire brick and sis feet of concrete between bim aud the | outer world. By means of liis small ; portable apparatus he carried on a cou | versation with an operator in another room on the farther side of the build ing. So distinct and faithful was the transmission that the experts in at : tendance were actually able to hear the tick of his watch notwithstanding the almost impenetrable mass between the two instruments. The inventor was then encaged in long distance tests in connection with | the war office and had spoken from Beaehley, in Gloucestershire, to a point more than live and a half miles away near the Severn tunnel outlet on the opposite side of the river. The inventor named his instrument the aerophone. I THE HIGHEST RAILWAY. Tracks at an Altitude of 15,865 Feet In Peru. To the question, "Which is the high est railway in the world'.-" the answer iis the Central Hail way of Peru. In other words, the highest point reached by any railway line is touched by this road, where the altitude of the rails reaches 15,865 feet above sea level. To roach this point from sea level the line passes through fifty-seven tunnels, ovei i a dozen of principal bridges, and uti lizes thirteen switchbacks, but has no gradient up to \\ 2 per cent, uor doe* it resort to rack propulsion. A handcar started at Ticlio will run unafded to Callao, the seaport, and, as/ : a matter of fact, such a car, equipped! ! with safety brakes, runs before eacn passenger train, carrying an inspector | <m the lookout for fallen rocks or other dangers. Ticlio is the highest station in the world. The next highest line in the world is that from Antofagasta, Chile, to Oruru ! and La l'az, Bolivia. This line has | also the distinction of being the nar j rowest gauge line for such a long dis tance. The highest point js at Collu huasl, where the altitude is 15,800 feet. ; sixty-five feet lower than the Peruvian | line.—London Tit-Bits. That Well Meaning Person. ; The man wlio Insists that y6u share tils umbrella.—Browning's Magazine. Anvil Spark*. The truth is stained by the lips of gossip. | Trifling vices set the precedent for I greater ones. ! Figures do not lie, nor should figures | of speech. You can always overcome insult by overlooking it. He Is blind indeed Whose only or gan of sight is the eye. It is better to be the subject of scan dal than its dispenser. Lofty thought dues npt need to be clothed in high sounding words. The really good wan doesn't enjoy hearing folks talk too much about liis goodness. Who depends upon the inspiration of the moment Is apt to meet with many an hour that is not very inspiring.— Christian Herald. Safe and Perilous Oils. It has beeu shown that oil with a flash point of 239 degrees Fahrenheit will not ignite if fired into with a shell, and If dynamite is exploded in a reservoir of this oil it only throws up jels Of oil which do not The orly dangerous liquid fuel ~ils are those which have not parted with their volatile, inflammable gases, such as übsohif'ely crude oils. In all ordinary commercial fuel, oils these (tactions are removed, and' tfie oil is safe and contains no power of spon taneous combustion. Oil with a fire test to '4fO <j(pgrees Fahrenheit •is a»#«fc as coal. and it yvill not tßnite ; .whfsa, l ?tlrt-ed with a nylhot poker nor 'Vheb hot crtnta «r«i «i> '«'» 4-«
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers