BLOWING UP OF THE TIEN-TSIN.
The Secretary of the Navy was as good as his word. He was on hand five minutes before five, and Oscar arrived ten minutes earlier, accompanied by Andy Greggs, who had had the model shipped on by express, in a stout coffin-like box.
The government experiment station boasted of a large pond of water, where all sorts of models were tried and experiments made.
In the presence of the secretary and two of his assistants the model was produced.
At this moment the President of the United States, Jefferson McKinley Adams, a descendant of John Adams, the second President, came in to see what was going on, having heard that something unusual was in the air.
"We need such a boat, if it will work, now the Hollands are no more," he murmured to the Secretary of the Navy.
"Wait—we will see if this is all right or a humbug," answered Secretary Short.
The model was placed on a stand and Oscar gave a little lecture concerning the working parts and what the craft was designed to do.
The model went to the bottom of the basin and arose without an effort. Then it went down as far as desired, ran forward, backward, and then turned in circles right and left. The screws were next shifted slightly and the model went forward in saw-tooth fashion, first up and then down, but all under water.
"Wonderful!" murmured the President. "The old Hollands could not do that."