As if in answer to the thought, Bartlot spoke. “These struts—duralumin, an alloy metal, that’s what they are made of. There, laid on the floor of the runway, is a discarded girder that’s just been taken out. Lift it.”
Lee took a long breath, got a grip on the thing, gave a great tug—and almost fell backwards. Sixteen feet of girder, and it weighed next to nothing! He could almost lift it with a finger!
“And yet the weight of six men couldn’t bend it!” Bartlot remarked in answer to Lee’s questioning look.
They passed on down the catwalk, or metal promenade plank that ran the whole length of the hull. On either side were arranged the great tanks of gasoline that furnished the motive power for the dirigible, and the twenty separate balloonets or gas bags that contained helium, which was the lifting power of the ship.
“Here’s a case where a la the old rhyme, the cow will jump over the moon.” Captain Jan pointed to the gas bags. “These remarkable gas-tight containers are made of thousands upon thousands of portions of gold-beater’s skin, which is the small tough section of the intestine of a steer. More than 1,500,000 cattle from the various stockyards contributed to the making of these helium bags—so in the name of science, the cow is going to soar pretty high.”
One marvel after another aroused Lee Renaud’s admiration as his capable guide took him from end to end of the ship, and down through the ladderways that connected with the outside gondolas that housed the engines, the navigating room, the quarters for the crew. There was the great rudder to guide her through the ocean of air, the flippers for elevation, the keel corridor for storage, the laboratory, the photographic room, the instruments for recording speed, height, weather.
Wonderful equipment, on a wonderful craft. Yet Lee Renaud found his eyes straying here and there, searching for something more.
“The radio-room, eh? I’ll bet a ton of duralumin, you’re on pins to set your eyes on it. Well, I’ve saved radio for the climax—saved the best for the last, and I know that’s a truth, so far as Lee Renaud’s concerned.” Captain Jan exploded into his big laugh as he led the way forward toward a compartment in the navigating section of the ship which was built at the bow, just under the nose. This navigating section was arranged with the control-room set first, the chart-house immediately behind, and behind this again the radio-room with its complete broadcasting and receiving equipment.
As Lee Renaud got his first eyeful of the Nardak’s radio equipment, his breath seemed to cut off and his hair fairly stand on end for excitement. Here was radio—real radio!
Into wall panels, from floor to ceiling, were set elaborate mechanisms of grills and tubes and coils. In the center of the compartment was a desk and chair, as though this were some secretarial room in a skyscraper office building. But instead of housing pen and ink and paper, this desk housed the marvelous apparatus that could send word by air, instead of by ink.