THE MOTOR BOYS UNDER THE SEA

Or

From Airship to Submarine

BY

CLARENCE YOUNG

AUTHOR OF “THE MOTOR BOYS,” “THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE BORDER,” “THE RACER BOYS SERIES,” “THE JACK RANGER SERIES,” ETC.

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY

BOOKS BY CLARENCE YOUNG

THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES

12mo. Illustrated.

THE JACK RANGER SERIES

12mo. Finely Illustrated.

THE RACER BOYS SERIES

12mo. Illustrated.

Copyright, 1914, by Cupples & Leon Company

The Motor Boys Under the Sea

Printed in U. S. A.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

[1]

THE MOTOR BOYS UNDER THE SEA

CHAPTER I A STRANGE SIGHT

“Look down there! What do you suppose that is?”

“Must be a whale. See how it’s plowing along through the waves!”

“And right on top of the water, too. But if it’s a whale why doesn’t it spout?”

Three boys, who were sailing over the waters of Massachusetts Bay in a large air craft, had seen a strange sight as they looked down through the glass floor of the cabin of their motorship, and their comments and questions followed rapidly. So engrossed were they with the appearance of what seemed to be some marine monster that, for a few moments, they paid no attention to the course of their boat, which was carrying them along just below the clouds.

It was not until Jerry Hopkins, the oldest of the three lads, called the attention of his companions[2] to the need of giving heed to their craft, that the other two—Ned Slade and Bob Baker—turned their eyes from the strange creature below them—if creature it was.

“I say there, Ned!” exclaimed Jerry, “just throw in a little more gas, will you? or we ourselves will be down in those same waves in a little while. We’re sinking!”

“That’s so!” agreed Bob. “But still we wouldn’t be in much danger, for the automatic air planes would set when we began to fall too fast.”

“Even at that,” went on Jerry, who was steering the Comet, as the motorship was named, “even then I think it’s just as well not to take too many chances. Turn on a little more gas, Ned.”

“Aye, aye, sir!” exclaimed the one addressed, and with a quick motion of one of many shining levers and wheels in the pilot house he sent some of the compressed gas into the lifting-bags of the Comet, thus making her more buoyant.

“There it is again!” cried Bob, once more pointing below. They all looked, Jerry turning his attention away from the wheel that guided the craft. First, however, he looked ahead to make sure there was no danger of a collision, for the boys had come to Boston to attend an aviation meet, and at times there had been so many of the “birdmen” in the sky-space that a collision was really not so unlikely as at first it would seem.

[3]

“Yes, it’s there yet,” agreed Ned. “I’m sure it’s a whale!”

“But why doesn’t it spout?” demanded Bob, who had asked that question before. “Then we’d be sure of it. I thought whales had to spout every ten minutes or so, and that one’s been in sight about that time.”

“You’re off on your natural history, Bob,” said Jerry, with a smile. “Whales don’t have to spout oftener than a half-hour. And besides, that’s only when they’ve been swimming under water. This one is on the surface, running awash, you might say, and so doesn’t have to send out a long breath that it’s been holding in a long while. It can breathe naturally.”

“That’s it! I’m never right,” grumbled Bob, whose stout form and good-natured face did not fit well with the scowl with which he regarded his chum. “I guess I know as much about whales as you do, Jerry Hopkins!”

“That isn’t much,” admitted Jerry, frankly. “I don’t claim to be an authority, but I’m sure a whale on the surface doesn’t have to spout—at least, not very often.”

“Are you sure it is a whale?” asked Ned quietly, and there was something in the tone of his voice that caused his companions to look quickly at him. “Why don’t we go lower down so we can[4] have a better look at it. Then we could make certain.”

“I guess that would be the best plan,” admitted Jerry. “We can drop to within a few feet of the surface and——”

“Don’t go too close!” interrupted Bob. “It looks to me like a storm. We may get a squall any minute, and if we go too low down we may not be able to rise quickly enough. I don’t want to see the good old Comet come to grief.”

“Neither do I,” responded Jerry. “But I guess we’ve done harder stunts than that. Get ready to let her down, Ned. See if the rudder planes are all clear.”

“Besides,” went on stout Bob, “we haven’t had lunch yet, and——”

“There he goes!” cried Ned with a laugh, as he left his comfortable seat and prepared to go aft to the motor room. “It wouldn’t be Chunky unless he mentioned the ‘eats’ every so often. I was just waiting to hear you come out with that, Bob.”

“Huh! Well, then, you weren’t disappointed; were you?” demanded the stout lad.

“That’s all right,” interposed Jerry, hastening to pour oil on troubled waters. “Don’t get on your ear, Chunky. Ned didn’t mean anything. Come on, we’ll take a little plane downward, and[5] settle the identity of this mysterious creature of the sea.”

“Listen to him!” exclaimed Ned. “He’s getting poetical!”

“Quit knocking,” advised Jerry. “If Professor Snodgrass were along now he might be able to settle the question for us.”

“Yes, and he’d be sure to want to capture the beast for his private collection,” said Bob, whose ill-humor had disappeared, leaving him with a smile on his round countenance.

“All ready, Ned?” asked Jerry, who was giving his attention to various gear-wheels and levers. “Shall I send her down now?”

“I guess so. Just a minute until I open the gas intake a little wider. You’re going to navigate as a dirigible; aren’t you?”

“No, I was thinking of sailing as an aeroplane,” was the answer.

“Oh, then wait until I throw in the rudder gears.”

The Comet, about which I will tell you more presently (that is, you boys who have had no previous acquaintance with her), could be navigated as a dirigible balloon by means of a powerful lifting-gas stored in reservoirs, or she could sail as a biplane, her powerful propellers sending her along on the principle of all “heavier than air” machines.

[6]

While waiting for Ned to adjust the machinery, so that the change from one form to the other could be made, Jerry glanced down toward the heaving waters above which the Comet had been sailing, and amid the waves of which had appeared the strange object that had excited the curiosity of the boys. It was still there, plowing slowly through the water, but the air craft was so high up that a good view could not be had of it.

“All ready!” called Ned from the motor room.

Jerry was about to shut off the supply of gas, sending it into the compressors where it could not exert a lifting force, and had stretched his hand toward the lever of the deflecting rudder, when Bob cried:

“Say, I’ve got an idea! Why didn’t we think of it before, fellows?”

“What is it?” asked Jerry, pausing in his intended operations.

“The telescope,” replied Bob. “We can get a view of the mysterious beast with that, and won’t have to go down at all. I’ll get it,” and he started toward a locker.

“Oh, never mind,” said Jerry. “As long as we’re ready we might as well go down anyhow. Besides, only one of us can use the glass at a time. If we get the Comet near enough we can all see. Let her go, Ned.”

“Going she is!” came from Ned.

[7]

There was a hissing as the automatic pumps began compressing the lifting-gas, and a few seconds later Jerry yanked on the lever that would tilt the big rudder to such a position that the ship would dive downward. At the same time the propellers, which had been revolving slowly, to keep the Comet from drifting, were whirled with great rapidity as more power was turned into the motor. While navigating as a dirigible balloon the propellers were not needed to keep the ship afloat, but once the lifting-gas was not used they were vitally necessary, for only by keeping in motion can a “heavier than air” machine be prevented from falling.

Bob, who was looking through the glass floor in the main cabin, tracing the course of the object that had so excited the boys, suddenly looked up at Jerry.

“Something’s wrong!” cried the fat lad, and by his tones it could easily be told that he referred to the motorship, and not to the object below him in the water.

“I should say there was!” gasped Jerry, for the Comet had plunged downward with such abruptness that the boys were fairly dizzy.

“What’s the matter?” yelled Ned, making his way from the motor room by fairly pulling himself along. He had to do this as the ship was[8] tilted at such a sharp angle. “What happened?” Ned went on.

“It’s that deflecting rudder again!” answered Jerry. “I thought we had it adjusted too fine. Now it’s jammed again.”

“Shut off the motors! Stop the propellers!” cried Bob.

“I’m doing it as fast as I can!” returned tall Jerry. He had reached over and snapped off a switch that controlled the electric current which fired the gasoline motor.

“We’re heading straight into the sea—bow down!” cried Ned, taking a hasty observation.

“Turn on the gas again!” ordered Jerry. “That’s the only thing that will stop us now! And do it quick, too! I’ll have a new rudder if we ever get out of this alive!”

Ned, with desperate haste, was opening the gas valves. With an angry hiss the vapor rushed from the condensers it had so recently entered, and began filling the lifting-bags. Still the Comet plunged down toward the ocean, in which could still be seen that strange creature. It was circling about now, as though waiting for the destruction of the motorship.

[9]

CHAPTER II A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE

“Jerry, we’ve got to do something!” cried Ned.

“And do it quick!” added Bob.

“We’re doing all we can,” responded the tall youth in tense tones. In all the excitement he remained calmer than did his chums, and calmness was a necessary virtue in this emergency. Jerry Hopkins had that one happy faculty of seldom “losing his head.”

Now he was striving desperately, however, in spite of his seeming calm, to prevent the accident which seemed so imminent. And his companions, catching something of his cool self-control, restrained their own excitement and came to Jerry’s aid.

And while strenuous efforts are thus being made to save the Comet from plunging into the sea, I will beg the indulgence of my old readers for a few moments while I describe, for the benefit of my new ones, something about the three[10] chums and their various activities as set forth in the previous books of this series.

As might be guessed the lads were called the “Motor Boys” for obvious reasons. They were always seen on some form of motor, beginning with a bicycle (which in a way is a motor vehicle) and ending with an airship. No, not ending, for the activities of the motor boys are far from ended, I hope.

To describe the boys themselves I will say that Bob Baker was the son of a wealthy banker, while Ned’s father, Aaron Slade, kept a large department store in which Mr. Baker was also interested. The father of Jerry Hopkins was dead, but his mother had been left comfortably off, and by means of wise investments, recommended by Mr. Baker, had managed to accumulate a small fortune. It will thus be seen that my three heroes were well supplied with money to carry out their ideas of sport in motor vehicles. And they did not depend on their parents for all their funds. The boys were part owners of a valuable gold mine, and they received profits from it.

They lived in the New England town of Cresville, not far from Boston, and were well known in the country roundabout, for they made trips far and near. Often on these trips they had unpleasant experiences with Noddy Nixon, a sort of town[11] bully, and his crony, Bill Berry, as well as with Jack Pender, with whom Noddy chummed.

The first book of this series is entitled “The Motor Boys,” and in it is described how our heroes took part in some bicycle races, and eventually obtained motorcycles for themselves, on which they had a number of adventures.

In a later race they won an auto as a prize, and one of their activities was to take a trip overland. Their companion on this, as well as on other journeys, was a certain Professor Uriah Snodgrass, who was an enthusiastic collector of rare specimens of the animal kingdom, from black fleas to luminous snakes. The professor was an odd character, as you will doubtless soon discover.

After an exciting tour the boys went to Mexico, and, coming back from there, they were instrumental in locating the hermit of Lost Lake.

In the fifth book of the series, entitled “The Motor Boys Afloat,” I related what happened when Jerry, Ned and Bob got a motor boat. They had surprising adventures in their voyage on the Atlantic, later in the strange waters of the Florida Everglades, and then on the Pacific.

Naturally, with the gradual perfecting of air craft, the boys turned their thoughts to them, and in the volume called “The Motor Boys in the Clouds,” I had the pleasure of telling you of their adventures above the earth. They had a long trip[12] which ended in both fame and fortune, and in going over the Rockies they solved a mystery of the air, later effecting a rescue near the clouds, over the ocean.

Again they were on the wing, and learning of a strange treasure they went in search of it. In the book that immediately preceded this one, called “The Motor Boys on the Border,” I told how the boys, returning from the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, found new opportunities awaiting them. This was to undertake a search for sixty nuggets of gold that had been secreted by an old prospector when he had to flee from his enemies. He had hidden them in a deep valley, near the border between Montana and Canada, and sought the aid of the boys and their airship to recover them.

How the sixty nuggets were found, how the enemies were outwitted, and how Professor Snodgrass located his luminous snakes—all this you will find set down in the book.

After these adventures the boys returned home, and to while away the time they had again put in commission their motorship Comet and gone to the Boston aviation meet. They had taken some part in it, winning two prizes for all-around efficiency.

Perhaps my new readers will like a brief description of the Comet. It was a craft built for[13] comfort, and for long trips rather than for speed, though it could skim along very fast when necessary. The motorship was, as its name indicates, a veritable ship, and the addition of hydroplanes enabled it to navigate on the water as well as in the air. Wheels could be attached, if desired, so that it could also move along on smooth ground, but this was seldom done, and no great speed was attained that way.

As I have said the Comet could be used either as a biplane, or as a dirigible balloon. There was considerable machinery aboard it—motors, dynamos, gas-producing apparatus; and on board the boys and their friends could live comfortably for many days without descending.

There was a main cabin, sleeping berths, the motor room, where most of the machinery was installed, and a pilot house that contained the guiding levers and wheels. The bottom of part of the craft contained heavy plate glass, so observations of the earth could be made through it.

And I must not forget the kitchen and dining room. These places were the especial delight of Bob Baker, for I think I have already indicated that “Chunky,” as Bob was often called, because of his short and plump conformation, was very fond of eating. His chums joked him about it, but he seldom minded that.

And it was in the Comet that our heroes now[14] were, having decided to navigate for a while over the sea after witnessing some sensational flights at the aviation grounds outside of Boston. And it was also in the Comet that danger had now come to the boys as they sought to descend to get a nearer view of what they thought might be a great whale, but which did not act as a whale should.

“How about it, Jerry? Are we gaining any?” cried Ned, as he stood beside the gas machine, trying to hasten the filling of the lifting-bags.

“I think so,” was the answer. Jerry never took his eyes from the pressure gage that told how much gas was being forced out from the containers.

“But we’re still going down!” cried Bob, who was looking at the height-indicator. “And going down fast, too! We’re only five hundred feet up now!”

“I know it, Chunky,” said Jerry, still quietly. “We are doing all we can. Even if we do hit the water you know we still have the hydroplanes.”

“Oh, it isn’t a question of actually sinking,” called Ned, as he opened the gas valve to the limit. “We’d probably float safely enough, but we’re going down so fast that if we hit at this speed, we’ll be sure to rip the planes off, and do no end of other damage to our boat!”

“That’s the point,” agreed Jerry. “It’s only[15] the speed at which we are falling that I’m afraid of. Ordinarily we could volplane down and take the water easily enough, but the jamming of that deflecting rudder came so suddenly that we couldn’t get in position to make a good descent.”

“We’re on a more even keel now,” observed Ned, as he looked at the indicating pendulum.

“Yes,” agreed Bob, “and we’re going slower, too. We’ve got three hundred feet more, Jerry.”

“Then we can do it, fellows! I guess we’re all right now. Is all the gas out, Ned?”

“About all, yes.”

“And just in time,” murmured the stout lad, his eyes again seeking the height indicator. “Two hundred feet is a pretty close call, as fast as we were falling. We’ve almost stopped now, Jerry.”

“That’s good. We won’t lose any time putting on a new kind of rudder, either. I’ve had it in mind a good while to change ours. I wish I hadn’t delayed so long.”

A moment later the motorship ceased her descent, and was floating on an even keel, a short distance above the rolling waves, blown gently along by the wind, for her propellers were not revolving.

“Well, we may as well start again, and make for shore as a dirigible balloon,” said Jerry, after a little pause, in which they all breathed more freely. It had been an exciting time for them, but[16] they had met the emergency bravely, and with the grit and spunk of true American youths.

“I wonder what has become of the cause of all our trouble?” ventured Ned. “I haven’t thought to look for that whale. Let’s take a peep, fellows.”

Before starting the propellers the boys went out on the partially enclosed deck and looked about them. At first they did not see the strange object that had attracted their attention. Then, as he gazed to the North, Bob cried:

“There she is—and, fellows, as I’m alive it isn’t a whale at all! Look! It’s a submarine! See the men on her decks! They’re looking at us!”

With gasps of astonishment, Ned and Jerry turned toward where Bob pointed.

There, lazily rolling with the action of the waves, was indeed a large submarine boat, of the latest type, as the boys could see, for they were well up on naval matters. The half-rounded deck, the sides and blunt stern and bow of the strange craft glistened from the water that had splashed over her, or perhaps it was wet from just having dived, and come to the surface again.

And, as Bob had said, there were several men on the low deck, that was almost awash. They looked curiously at our heroes. The men appeared to be mechanics, for their clothes were[17] rough and grease-covered. But then, in a submarine, even the officers get that way, for the quarters are very cramped.

“That’s a foreign submarine!” exclaimed Ned, suddenly.