The tunnel thru the air

by William D. Gann

He was now in position to construct a Tunnel thru the Air from New York to Europe and sail the "Marie" in safety thru it, then rise to a height of 20 to 50 miles over any of the cities, anchor and start destruction. "Marie the Angel of Mercy" could carry enough sleeping gas to destroy or put to sleep people over thousands of miles of territory. After remaining anchored in the air for two days to test "Marie the Angel of Mercy," Supreme Commander Gordon descended to New York, anchored at the Mammouth Building to get a report of what had been happening and prepare for any attack. The Enemy were keeping quiet and making no move, evidently trying to find out what America's new inventions were before making the next great attack.

"Marie the Angel of Mercy" was now equipped with the Tunnel machine which would automatically put a Tunnel thru the Air anywhere in any direction. The Supreme Commander had enlarged and improved upon the Tunnel machine or vacuum until it could be made 25 to 50 miles wide in any direction from a large city. He had also discovered how to send ships thru the air without an aviator, directing them by radio rays, which would enable them to distribute sleeping gas among the enemy's lines and prevent loss of any of his valuable aviators. He now had confidence that every city would be safe from an attack and no destruction could take place. The Henry Motor Co. and the Major Electric Co. were ordered to manufacture more of the Tunnel machines just as fast as possible so that one might be placed in each city in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington and Savannah, Ga., to protect the Eastern Coast of the United States. It was the opinion of Supreme Commander Gordon that the Enemy would eventually concentrate their final attacks on the Eastern shores of the United States and if unsuccessful in attacking New York and Washington, the war would be over. He intended to be fully prepared so that the United States would emerge victorious without much loss of life and was especially trying to protect the women and children in the large cities.

February 15, 1932—Supreme Commander Gordon was informed by the Henry Motor Co. and Major Electric Co. that the Tunnel machines were completed, that gas-distributing machines and equipment for sending airplanes by radio ray without an aviator to distribute the sleeping gas were ready for delivery. Two more "Demon of Death" machines were ready and ordered sent to Washington and Boston. The Supreme Commander was hourly expecting that the enemy would attack the Eastern Coast, concentrating on Boston, New York and Washington. The "Tel-Talk" had recorded conferences which had been held and plans which were under way to concentrate the Enemy's combined forces on the Eastern Coast. He figured that they were trying to make improvements to overcome the defeat at Detroit because the enemy had been mystified by the new invention which had been used to capture so many of their planes. He was now ready and waiting for the attack on the Eastern shore, feeling confident that he was prepared for victory.

CHAPTER XXXI

April 1st, 1932, arrived and no attack had been made. The enemy was evidently making gigantic preparations for an attack and Supreme Commander Gordon decided to make the first move. He then sent instructions to France to begin attacking England and Germany again. France was well prepared with a large number of airplanes. The attack started and they were successful. When this news reached the enemy headquarters in the United States there was great consternation. They thought that this was the secret behind the United States refusing to accept peace terms, but felt that France could not hold out long alone. Spain and Japan ordered their reserve planes from home to England and Germany to help fight France. The "Tel-Talk" recorded that a large fleet of planes had been sent across the Atlantic to attack France. Supreme Commander Gordon ordered the French to go out and meet the attack. A great battle raged over the Atlantic for hours with the French winning. Thousands of the enemy planes went down into the ocean. The Spanish and Japanese withdrew. This stopped Germany and England from striking back at France. The news reached the enemy headquarters in the United States and they figured that in some way the United States had a large number of planes out guarding the Atlantic and realized that the time had come to strike at the Eastern Coast of the United States before France and the United States could do more damage on the other side.

In June, 1932, the enemy decided to make the attack on the Eastern part of the United States. Supreme Commander Gordon had time to make ample preparations to meet it. He had established Colonel Kennelworth in Boston with one of the sleeping-gas machines and he remained in New York in the Mammouth Building, with a "Demon of Death," awaiting the attack upon New York.

Battle of Boston

On June 6th, the enemy attacked Boston. The planes came in large numbers from every side, some from across the water, some from the North and West. Colonel Kennelworth let them approach within a reasonable distance and then turned loose the sleeping gas among all the enemy planes. The aviators immediately went to sleep and the planes all dropped slowly to the earth and some landed on the water and were not damaged. Hundreds after hundreds of planes followed up, each one sharing the same fate. Of all the planes sent out by the enemy, not one returned. Colonel Kennelworth reported to Supreme Commander Gordon that Boston was safe,—that there had not been the loss of one life and not a bomb had been dropped upon the city.

The Commanders of the Allied Enemy armies were unable to get any report of what had happened to the planes that went to attack Boston. They waited until the next day; and when not a plane returned and there was no report of any kind, decided that the same fate had befallen them as at the attack on Detroit; that the Americans certainly had something by which they were destroying every ship and plane which attacked them. This was unusual and unheard of. The fact that thousands and thousands of planes had attacked Boston and not one had escaped capture or destruction, made it plain that Yankee ingenuity had discovered something that was turning the tide of war in their favor. They now knew that they had made the greatest mistake by not pressing us hard after the fall of Chicago. They should have refused to grant the 15 days' armistice without demanding the surrender of the Eastern Coast. Another great mistake was the long delay between the attack on Detroit and the attack on Boston. This had enabled the Americans to get better prepared. There was no denying the painful truth. Something must be done and done quickly. They decided to order every plane that could possibly be spared from the Pacific Coast and from the lines extending from New Orleans to St. Louis and Chicago; to concentrate a supreme attack upon New York and Washington, making Washington the final goal. Planes were concentrated and mother ships anchored out in the Atlantic Ocean to prepare for the attack upon New York City. This was to be the greatest battle in all history.

On the night of June 7th, Supreme Commander Gordon had grown tired from his long vigil waiting for an attack upon New York. He placed Colonel Edna Kennelworth in charge of the "Demon of Death" while he went to get a few hours' sleep. While he was sleeping, the "Tel-Talk" machine and the secret radio communicator began to work. Colonel Edna Kennelworth listened in and soon had the plans of the enemy. She knew that Supreme Commander Gordon needed rest and she did not awaken him until early next morning. When he entered the headquarters on top of the Mammouth Building, she saluted him and said, "Supreme Commander Gordon, this is going to be a great birthday for you. The enemy is going to attack New York City with probably 100,000 airplanes and you and I are alone to defend it. It will be the day of all days for you." He replied: "I had forgotten all about my birthday. We have been so busy preparing for the final attacks of the enemy that I have had no time to think of myself." She reminded him that five years ago he arrived in New York just after his birthday, then of the birthday parties that they had had since and that always something unusual happened around his birthday. "You remember the birthday party we had the year Walter and I were married. Last year we had too much trouble to think of your birthday. The enemy was sweeping up the Mississippi, making complete destruction and taking every city; but there was something eventful around your birthday. About that time you discovered how to take electricity from the air and completed the machine for sending an electric discharge into the water which destroyed the battleships and hydroplanes of the enemy at Cairo. This was our greatest victory up to that time, and while the disaster at Chicago and St. Louis followed, it gave us the first ray of hope. Now, one year later, complete victory is in sight. I know that you have supreme faith in our new machines and that our recent successes will be followed by greater successes. This attack upon New York is going to be the greatest in history because the gain will be the greatest should the enemy win. Should they fail their cause is lost, and they will fail." She saw that Supreme Commander Gordon was very happy and that there was a note of confidence in his tone. While she shuddered to think of what might happen if they should fail, she knew that Supreme Commander Gordon had great confidence in the "Demon of Death" and the sleeping gas machine and knew what they would do, because he alone knew all the secrets of working these machines.