A LAND OF ICE
"The south pole?" exclaimed Mark.
"Way down dat way!" cried Washington.
"Can you do it?" asked Jack.
"That remains to be seen," replied the professor, answering them all at
once. "I'm going to try, at any rate."
"Hurrah!" yelled Mark. "It will be better than going to the north pole,
for we will be in no danger of freezing to death."
"Don't be so sure of that," interrupted the professor. "There is more
ice at the south pole than at the north, according to all accounts. It
is a place of great icebergs, immense floes and cold fogs. But there is
land beyond the ice, I believe, and I am going to try to find it."
"It will be a longer voyage than to the north pole," said Jack.
"Jest de same," argued Washington, "de poles am at each end ob de
world."
"Yes, but we're quite a way north of the equator now, and we'll have to
cross that before we will be half way to the south pole," explained
Jack. "But I guess the _Porpoise_ can make good time."
"If the engine behaves under water as well as it did just now, we'll
skim along," said the professor.
"And so you figure there's land down there to the south, do you?" asked
old Andy.
"I do," replied the inventor. "I can't prove it, but I'm sure there is.
I have read all the accounts of other explorers and from the signs they
mention I am positive we shall find land if we ever get there. Land and
an open sea."
"And other things as well," muttered Andy, yet neither he nor any of
them dreamed of the terrible and strange adventures they were to have.
The next few days were busy ones. Many little details remained to
perfect in connection with the ship, and a lot of supplies and
provisions had to be purchased, for the professor was determined to get
all in readiness for the trip under the water. He believed firmly that
his ship would work, though some of the others were not so positive.
"We'll put her into the water to-morrow," announced the inventor after
supper one night. "Everything is complete as far as I can make it, and
the only thing remaining is to see if she will float, sink when I want
her to, and, what is most important, rise to the surface again. For,"
he added with a twinkle in his eye, "anybody can make a ship that will
sink, but it isn't every one who can make one that will come to the
surface again."
"Golly! I hope dis chile ain't goin' to git in no subicecream ship
what'll stay down under de water so de fishes gits him!" exclaimed
Washington, opening his eyes wide. "Dat's worser dan freezin!"
"Can't you swim?" asked Mark with a wink at Jack.
"Co'se I can swim, boy. I can swim like a starfish, but I can't wif ten
thousand tons of a subicecream ship on my back."
"A sub-ice-cream ship is a new one," commented the professor with a
smile. "It's a submarine, Washington."
"I can't see no difference," persisted the colored man. "Subicecream am
good enough for me."
That night Mark and Jack were thinking so much of the proposed test of
the ship the next day that they each dreamed they were sailing beneath
the waves, and Jack woke Mark up by grabbing him about the neck during a
particularly vivid part of the vision.
"What's the matter?" inquired Mark, sleepily.
"I thought the ship turned over and spilled me out and I was drowning,"
explained Jack. "I grabbed the first thing I got hold of and it happened
to be you."
"Well, as long as you're safe you can go to sleep again," said Mark. "I
dreamed I was chasing a whale with the _Porpoise_."
The boys were up early the next morning, and found the professor and
Washington before them. The inventor was inspecting the track which had
been built from the shed down to the water's edge to enable the
_Porpoise_ to slide into the ocean.
With him were the two machinists, Henry Watson and James Penson. They
had been busy since daylight making the ways secure.
"She goes in after breakfast," announced the professor, "and I'm going
to let you christen her, Washington."
"Me? I neber christened a ship," objected the colored man.
"Nothing like learning," remarked Mr. Henderson.
"Has you got the bottle ob wine?" asked Washington.
"I guess soda water will do," said the inventor. "Now look sharp, boys.
Get your breakfasts and we'll see if the ship will come up to our
expectations."
No one lingered over the meal. When it was finished the professor gave
Washington a few instructions about breaking the bottle over the nose of
the _Porpoise_ as she slid down to the water, for there was no bow to
such a queerly shaped vessel as the submarine.
At last all was in readiness. The two machinists knocked away the last
of the retaining blocks and eased the ship slightly down the
well-greased timbers of the ways.
"There she goes!" cried the professor. "Break the bottle, Washington!"
"In de name ob de Stars an' Stripes, in de name of liberty, de home of
the free an' de land ob de brave, I names yo' _Mrs. Porpoise_!" cried
the colored man, but he was so long getting the words out, and so slow
in swinging the bottle of soda, that the ship was quite beyond his reach
when he had finished his oration. He was not to be outdone, however,
and, with a quick movement he hurled the bottle at the moving ship. It
struck the blunt nose squarely, and shivered to pieces.
"Three cheers for de south pole!" yelled Washington, and the others
joined in.
The next instant the _Porpoise_ was riding the waves of the little bay,
dancing about as lightly as a cork, though, from the nature of her
construction, she was quite low in the water, only about three feet of
freeboard showing where the platform was located.
"Well, she floats, anyhow," remarked the professor. "Row out and fasten
cables fore and aft," he went on, turning to the two machinists. In a
few minutes the _Porpoise_ was fastened to a small dock with strong
ropes the two young men had carried out to her in rowboats.
"We will go aboard in a little while," the professor said. "I am anxious
to see if she rides on an even keel and how the sinking tanks work."
Aided by the boys, he and Washington carried on board a number of tools
and appliances. Then, with the two machinists, they all descended into
the interior of the craft through the small manhole in the middle of the
deck or platform.
Inside the _Porpoise_, the greater part of which was below the surface
of the waves and consequently in darkness, the professor switched on the
electric lights and then he proceeded to get up steam.
The propelling power of the craft has already been described. In order
to make the ship sink beneath the water all that was necessary was to
incline the rudder and open certain valves in the four tanks, when the
water, rushing in, would sink her. There was a tank on either side, and
one each fore and aft. If it was desired to sink straight down all four
tanks were filled at once. If the professor wanted to descend slanting
either to the front or back, only one of the end tanks was filled,
according to the direction desired. The deflecting rudder also aided
greatly in this movement.
To cause the ship to rise the tanks were emptied of the water by means
of powerful pumps. The filling of the tanks, as well as the emptying of
them, the starting or stopping of the engine that moved the boat, as
well as the control of most of the important machinery on the craft
could be accomplished from the conning or steering tower, as well as
from the engine-room.
There were numerous gages to tell the depth to which the ship had sunk,
the steam pressure, density of the water, and other necessary details.
There were dynamos to make light, motors to run the pumps, and a great
storage battery, so that in case of a breakdown to the turbine engine
the craft could be run entirely by electricity for a time.
The cooking was all done by this useful current, and all that was
necessary to make a cup of coffee or fry a beefsteak was to turn a small
switch of the electric stove.
The professor was busy over the machine for generating gas, that
furnished the heat to create steam. Soon a hissing told that it was
working. In a few minutes the hum and throb of the engine told that it
was ready to start.
"We are only going down a little way," the professor said, "and only
going to travel a short distance under water for the first time. I think
there is no danger, but if any of you want to back out, now is your
chance."
No one seemed inclined to withdraw, though Mark said afterward he
thought Washington got as pale as it is possible for a colored man to
get.
"We will all put on life preservers," the inventor went on, "and one of
you will be stationed near the emergency exit. In case anything goes
wrong, and I cannot make the ship rise, by pulling the lever the top of
the craft will be forced off, and, we can at least save our lives. I
think we are all ready now. Mark, you clamp down the manhole cover, and
Jack, after you close the conning tower station yourself at the
emergency lever after we have donned the life preservers."
The cork jackets were adjusted and Mark clamped the manhole cover on.
The professor took one last look at the various levers and handles, and
then turned the wheel that admitted water to all four tanks. There was a
hissing sound as the sea water rushed in, and the _Porpoise_ gave a
sudden lurch.
Then they could all feel the submarine sinking. Down and down she went.
Would she ever stop? Would the professor be able to raise her again?
There were questions that troubled everyone.
Down and down the craft sunk, until by the gage it was indicated that
she was twenty feet below the surface. Then the professor shut off the
inrush of water and the _Porpoise_ floated away below the surface of the
waves.
There was a clicking sound and all the lights went out. The boys and
Washington gave a gasp of terror. What did the sudden blackness mean.
"Open the side windows," called the professor's voice, and the two
machinists obeyed. Heavy steel doors that covered plate glass windows in
either side of the craft were pulled back, and a cry of astonishment
broke from the boys.
They looked out and saw staring in at them, so close it seemed that they
could touch them, scores of fishes that looked in through the glass
bull's-eyes.
For the first time they realized that they were in the depths of the
ocean.