We Start On A Very Long Voyage

: To Mars Via The Moon

"Well, I suppose it is about time to get ready for starting?"



The speaker was a smart, well-set-up man about forty-three years of age,

whose keen and alert expression, clear eyes and well-cut features were a

true index to the intellectuality and integrity of his character; whilst

his closely compressed lips and the deep vertical line down the centre

of his forehead betokened a dogged perseverance in carrying int effect

anything he might undertake.



John Yiewsley Claxton, for that was his name, was my very intimate

friend of at least twenty-five years' standing; and during the greater

portion of that time he had been my constant companion. We had passed

through many trials and troubles together, but a better friend and

companion no man could have desired.



We were just finishing a last quiet smoke and chat in my snuggery at

Norbury, near Croydon, preparatory to starting off on a very long

journey for which all arrangements had been completed, and we had risen

early that morning in order to have everything in readiness.



John took his pipe from his lips as he spoke, then, rising, stretched

out his arms and braced himself up like one ready and eager for any

emergency; the next minute he was smoking in his usual calm and

thoughtful manner. I rose when he did, then giving a few final

instructions to Mrs. Challen, my housekeeper, we bade her "good-bye" and

stepped out on to the lawn, thence crossing over to a gate at the far

end of the garden, we passed into an extensive field and walked toward a

large shed that stood near its centre.



It was a most beautiful evening near the beginning of August 1909, clear

and calm. The sun had only just passed below the horizon, the sky

immediately above it being a rippled glory of gold, merging higher up

into gold flecked with crimson, then into a placid sea of pale

apple-green. Above this were fleecy clouds of delicate rose-pink, which

reflected their splendours upon the higher parts of the surrounding

hills, the latter standing out clear and sharp, and glowing with roseate

hues, whilst their bases were seen dimly as through a thin veiling of

purple mist.



Surely nothing could be better for the commencement of our long-planned

trip. The moon would not rise until about a quarter-past nine, and

darkness would have descended by the time we were ready to start. This

was exactly what we required, because we did not wish either our

preparations or our departure to be observed.



Just as we arrived within hail of the shed the door opened, and a

rugged-featured man with sandy hair stepped out. This was Kenneth

M'Allister, our engineer and general factotum in all mechanical

matters-a typical specimen of a Scotch engineer. He had followed his

profession in its different phases on tramp-steamers, on ocean liners,

naval gunboats, and even on battle-ships, besides having served for

several years in the workshops of a great firm of electrical engineers.



Whether repairing a broken propeller-shaft two or three scores of tons

in weight, the most intricate machinery, or the most delicate electric

mechanism, he was equally at home and sure in his work; in fact nothing

seemed to come amiss to him. His machinery was always the object of his

most anxious care, and, providing that all worked satisfactorily,

nothing else troubled him much.



"Well, M'Allister," I called to him, "is everything ready for our trip

to-night?"



"Heh, mon," he replied, "everything is all ready; will you look in and

take a turn round the ship?"



"Certainly we will," I answered; so we all went into the shed, where we

gazed with equal pride and satisfaction upon the splendid shining object

which was housed therein. Here, in perfect readiness for its destined

service, was our air-ship-if it could be so called-upon which we three

had expended years of thought, experiment, and work.



Outwardly it was shaped somewhat like a fish, being constructed of a

special metal-our joint invention-which we had named "martalium." The

metal was composed of aluminium and two other rarer metals which, when

combined together, produced a substance almost as light as aluminium,

yet many times harder and tougher than case-hardened steel; whilst its

surface shone like burnished silver and could never in any circumstances

become tarnished or affected by rust.



The ship was ninety-five feet in length, and its diameter twenty feet in

the broadest part, tapering off to a point at either end.



With the exception of the steering and balancing fans, there was no

machinery whatever visible on the exterior of the vessel. Several

windows along each side, together with a few at the top and bottom of

the vessel, gave light to the interior, and would allow for observations

being made in any direction. These windows were all constructed of a

special toughened glass obtained from Vienna, very thick and warranted

to withstand the hardest blows. Along each side of the vessel there was

an observation platform or gallery on to which the exterior doors

opened, and each gallery was provided with a protecting railing.



The interior of the ship was divided into five separate compartments,

the rear one being the general living and sleeping room, having

observation windows so arranged as to command an outlook in all

directions. The next compartment was mainly a store-room, but, like all

the others, could be used for observation purposes; next to that was a

small compartment intended for a special purpose which will hereafter be

apparent; then another containing water storage, apparatus for

compressing or rarefying air, as well as machinery for producing the

latter chemically.



Lastly, right in the forepart of the vessel was M'Allister's special

sanctum, containing the driving, lighting, warming, and steering

machinery, but electric buttons and switches were also provided for

controlling these in every compartment, so that whichever one we

happened to be in we were prepared for all emergencies. Periscopes

capable of being turned in all directions also communicated with every

compartment, thus we could always see what might be around us.



All the machinery was either electric or magnetic, some of it being very

simple; other portions were extremely intricate, but nearly all was the

outcome of our joint inventions. Such parts as could not profitably be

made by ourselves had been carefully distributed between several firms

of founders and engineers, in order that none could have any means of

discovering the use to which they were intended to be put. The whole of

the shell of the vessel was double, with a packed space between the two

skins; and each door opened into a small lobby, having another door on

the farther side, to ensure that every part might be kept perfectly

air-tight when required.



By the time we had completed a thorough inspection of the vessel and its

machinery, and overhauled the stores to make sure that everything

requisite was on board, it had become nearly dark, so, moving a switch,

M'Allister swung open the great doors at the end of the shed. The vessel

was standing upon a low trolley having many wheels running on rails,

with a small electric motor beneath it, and, upon M'Allister moving the

trolley switch, the whole affair glided smoothly out into the open

field. I may as well confess that we owed this trolley and the mode of

its working to ideas gained during an inspection of the construction and

working of the conduit trams belonging to the London County Council.



When the vessel was out in the open we congratulated ourselves upon its

splendid proportions and business-like appearance.



I asked M'Allister whether "he was satisfied with the result of our

labours?"



"Mon," he replied, "she's grand, and it's fine to have the handling of

such machinery; everything works as slick as grease!" It was a pleasure

to hear him talk about his machines, for he was always so enthusiastic

where they were concerned.



"Now," I suggested, "before we start we'll give our good ship her name."



"Bravo!" said John Claxton, "and we'll drink to her success, a good

voyage and a safe return"; and he was so struck by the brilliancy of his

idea that he actually took his pipe from his lips, and, holding it in

his hand, regarded it with thoughtful contemplation for quite three

minutes.



I accordingly went to the store-room and brought out two bottles of

champagne. Directly M'Allister saw them he entered a vigorous and



emphatic protest, saying, "Heh, Professor! you're surely not going to

celebrate this most auspicious event with such poor fizzy stuff as

champagne? Let's have a wee drop of good old Scotch whisky, and do the

thing properly!"



John Claxton here interposed: "Let M'Allister have his whisky if he

prefers it, and we'll have the 'fizz'!" So I went laughing to the store

again and returned with a bottle of special Scotch, whereat

M'Allister's eye gleamed as he smiled approval.



Then, taking up a bottle of the champagne, I broke it over the prow of

the vessel, and we solemnly christened her the Areonal in honour of

the planet for which we were bound.



Raising high our glasses we gave the toast of "The Areonal; may she

and her passengers have a good voyage and a safe return home!"

M'Allister peered over the rim of his glass, and, with upturned eyes,

remarked that "his old wife in Glasgow would be looking for his safe

return in a few months' time"; then his glass slowly tipped up, and the

old Scotch whisky disappeared.



Claxton and I at once stepped on board the vessel, and having just set

the machinery slowly moving so as to raise the vessel a few feet, I put

on the neutral power so that the ship remained poised in the air.

M'Allister ran the trolley back into the shed, closed the doors, and

switched off the electric current; then climbed the extending ladder,

and came on board, John steadying the vessel by an anchor rope in the

meantime.



M'Allister took over the command of the machinery, and, setting it in

motion, the Areonal at once rose slowly and gracefully straight up

into the air.



John and I were standing outside on the platform, from whence, looking

toward the house, we could plainly see Mrs. Challen at the open door of

our sitting-room waving farewell to us-her figure silhouetted against

the bright light of the room. We waved back to her in response, but I am

very doubtful if she could see our signal, as she was looking into the

darkness.



We now rose rapidly as M'Allister switched on more power, and far away

to the northward we could see over the whole extent of the vast

metropolis, with its countless miles of lighted streets. On turning

towards the east the Crystal Palace, which was lighted up, was a very

conspicuous object against the skyline over the Sydenham hills.



John, when he saw it, remarked that "it would have been an appropriate

tribute to our enterprise if the Palace Company had provided one of

their grand firework displays as a send-off for us"; "but," he added,

"these companies will never do what is expected of them!" On the

westward side the lights all along the hill where Sutton lies were

clearly visible; farther off was Epsom, and, with the aid of a glass, we

could even faintly see the lights of Guildford in the far distance.



Nearly south of us Croydon seemed from our altitude to lie almost

beneath our vessel. We directed our course towards the south-east,

passing over the railway-station at Thornton Heath, with Croydon to the

right of us, just as the clock of the Croydon Town Hall was striking

nine. The long lines of lighted streets made a fine panorama, and we

could trace the lights of the moving tram-cars out to Anerley, South

Norwood, Purley, Wallington, and Mitcham.



Although we were fully 5000 feet, or nearly a mile, above the earth it

was surprising how clearly we could hear the sounds from below-the

rumble of the electric tram-cars, the clang of their gongs, the

toot-toot of the motor-horns, and, louder still, the whistles of the

locomotives on the London and Brighton Railway were borne to us with

almost startling distinctness through the still night air.



Our electric lights were now switched on at their full power, their

bright beams shining out through the windows all around the vessel.

Whilst we were on the ground we only used just sufficient light to see

by, as we did not wish to draw attention to our proceedings; but now we

were well up and on our way it mattered not who saw us.



With increased speed we passed over South Norwood and the village of

Shirley, rising higher and higher as we proceeded on our way. The moon,

which was just past the full, had not risen above the horizon of those

upon the earth below us; but we had now attained such an altitude that

it became visible to us, low down on the horizon and far ahead on our

left hand. Owing to our height above the earth it soon became impossible

for us to see the places over which we passed, and as we were moving

over an open part of Kent there were very few lights which we could have

seen in any case. As there was nothing of particular interest to attract

our attention which we had not already seen on our trial trips, we

entered our general room and sat down to supper.



The machinery had been set to maintain a speed of 150 miles an hour

until we passed beyond the limits of the earth's atmosphere; for though,

no doubt, we might safely have travelled faster, we did not intend

taking any risk of overheating our vessel by the friction of the

atmosphere.



Notwithstanding the speed at which we were travelling we were quite

unconscious of any movement in our vessel. The impression we received

was not that we were rushing away from the earth, but that the earth was

rapidly falling away from our position in space.



It may, perhaps, be desirable that I should now give a little

information respecting myself and my friends, together with some

explanation of our reasons for embarking upon such a very long voyage.