CHAPTER V.
The Government Joins the Picnickers.
Not many days later found our friends comfortably located in a hotel inthe national capital. The Doctor was quite well acquainted with therepresentative from his congressional district, and was supplied withletters of introduction from influential parties to members of bothhouses. By a judicious use of these, they managed to obtain a hearingbefore the scientific and geographical departments of the SmithsonianInstitute. So thoroughly had Dr. Jones and Mr. Marsh mastered thedetails of the subject that they immediately made a favorable impressionupon that learned body. After some weeks spent in investigation, theyunanimously voted in favor of the project, and recommended that Congressgrant appropriations for that purpose.
After a certain amount of lobbying (in which, I am glad to say, No. 4'sservices were not required), an amount in accordance with thearchitect's estimates was passed by both houses, and duly signed by thePresident. Nothing could exceed the joy and satisfaction of the fourfriends. They now hurried to their homes and made arrangements forpermanently moving to Washington. A few weeks later, we find themsettled in a pleasant home in the capital, "a busy lot of happy cranks,"as Mrs. Jones expressed it.
The building contract was awarded a Washington company, whose foundriesand shops are located upon the Potomac, adjacent to the city. The workis being done under the general supervision of Marsh and the threefriends. It is not long before the vast scaffolding that is built up asthe long, slender, silver-like ribs of the aluminum framework are put inplace, begins to attract the attention of the surrounding populace. Andwell it might, for as the beautiful globe began to assume shape,certainly nothing so colossal of the kind had ever been seen beforeupon earth. And as one stepped inside the mighty ball and looked upthrough the vast network of aluminum rods and braces that ran in everyconceivable direction, looking like silken threads in the greatdistances above, the feeling inspired was one of awe and unboundedadmiration.
The work was pushed forward with all possible expedition. The summerpassed rapidly away. As winter drew near, a vast roof was built over theglobe, and all was securely shut in from the inclemencies of thatinhospitable season. All winter the hundreds of hammers, busily rivetedthe sheets of aluminum and zinc into place, and by spring the globe, thesplendid creation that had existed in the brain of Dr. Jones, was anactuality. Language is inadequate to describe the sensations of thelittle company of promoters. They said but little, but would often standin a group, gaze upon it, then into each other's eyes, and smile and wagtheir delighted heads.
The newspapers were not slow, meantime, in keeping the public informedof all that could be learned of the unique enterprise. Reportersbesieged the projectors, in season and out. Our friends freely gave themall possible information, and no little interest was excited all overour great land. People came from every quarter of the Union, many fromEurope to see the mighty, glistening sphere. The crowds were so vastthat work was impeded, and it became necessary to restrict admission. Anominal entrance fee was charged, but that only seemed to stimulate theeager sightseers. So the public were, of necessity, finally entirelyexcluded.
Then the roof of the building was removed, and the whole structuregradually, except so much of it as was absolutely necessary to maintainthe 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 intoseveral bedrooms, sitting and dining-rooms, kitchen, smoking-room,store-rooms, oil tanks, etc. In the center was a room, fifteen feetsquare, that was called the engine-room. Everything that could bethought of that could add to comfort had been supplied, always withreference to compactness and weight. Not an ounce of superfluous weightwould the architect allow. He had calculated very carefully and knew toa pound, almost, just what his great ship would carry, and how muchfuel would keep her afloat a certain number of hours. But the thing thataroused the admiration of the public was the aluminum shaft that passedfrom 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,evershining metal, aluminum. Round and round this splendid shaft, upthrough the globe, wound a delicate stairway. From its top stair, onestepped out into a small observatory, well supplied with windows uponits four sides. The stairway was protected from the hot air of theinterior of the globe by a zinc coating, so that the mast and stairwayreally passed up through the center of a zinc tube standing on end, andabout six feet in diameter.
Already it is an inspiring sight to stand in the observatory, situatedexactly upon the top of the sphere, and look away into the surroundingcountry, up and down the Potomac, and over the lovely capital city. Butwhat will it be when suspended in the air, thousands of feet above terrafirma?
"Do you feel no fear, Maggie?" asked the Doctor, as they stood withMarsh and Denison and looked from this great height.
"Not the slightest tremor," she replied, and she looked so brightly andbravely 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 mindto 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 sortsof creatures as would reply to your advertisement. We shall do very wellwithout her," replied Mrs. Jones.
"But I am sure it would be much pleasanter for you, Maggie. Don't youknow of a female acquaintance that you would like to have accompanyyou?" persisted Dr. Jones.
"Well, let me think. If Mattie Bronson could go, it would afford me thegreatest pleasure."
"The very thing!" declared the Doctor in his usual emphatic way. "Mattieis a lovely, brave, all-around nice girl. Let it be Mattie, by allmeans."
Denison and Marsh expressed their entire satisfaction with thisarrangement.
"I will write her immediately to come and visit us, and then I am surethat we can prevail upon her to go with us," said Mrs. Jones.
They then descended the long, slender stairway, and returned to theirhome.
Doctor Jones' Picnic Page 7
