The tunnel thru the air

by William D. Gann

Battle of Washington

The enemy was losing confidence and decided to risk 50,000 planes, the best that they had, on a concerted attack upon Washington. They figured that if they could take the Capitol, it would be a telling blow and help them on to further victory. This was to be a supreme test and they decided to make the attack in broad daylight because they thought it would be a surprise and there would be more people on the street, and the attack would have a greater demoralizing effect on the people thruout the country. July 4th, Independence Day, was the time selected for the attack. The plan was to send one fleet up the Potomac, have another fleet come down the Potomac from the North and Northwest and the third wing come across by Baltimore. Colonel Edna Kennelworth was on duty when the Tel-Talk buzzed and a scouting plane reported to her that the enemy were approaching in large numbers up the Potomac. She had never operated the sleeping gas machine in daylight before, but knew that it would work just as effectively. Having seen the attack upon New York and knowing how swiftly one attack followed the other, she realized that she must work fast. She adjusted the gas machine toward the enemy approaching down the Potomac and set it for a certain range, about 75 miles. She looked thru her telescope and saw the enemy when they were about 50 miles away and decided to let go the sleeping gas. She swept it quickly right and left and in the glistening sunshine saw hundreds of planes going down. In fifteen minutes the entire fleet was safely asleep in the Tunnel thru the Air. By this time report came that another fleet was making from Baltimore in a direct line for Washington. She set the machine again, looked thru her powerful glass and saw the enemy approaching. She started discharging the gas, and in twelve minutes the entire fleet had been plunged into the Tunnel.

She had a few minutes to wait and immediately picked up the radiophone and told Supreme Commander Gordon in New York that the sleeping gas machine had worked wonderfully and that the Tunnel thru the Air held in captivity thousands of the enemy's airships and planes. Almost before she had finished making her report, the Tel-Talk buzzed. She ran to it and was informed by the scouting planes that the largest fleet of planes ever seen was approaching from the West and Northwest. Knowing that this was a combined fleet from the enemy's Western lines, from the same direction as the final one that attacked New York City. This was to be the supreme test. The first formation approached with about 1000 planes. Swiftly and silently, the gas machine did its work and they went down into the Tunnel. Then came the second, third, and fourth formation and so on. More than 50,000 planes had gone down and not more than one hour's time had elapsed. When it was over with, Edna realized that she had not been a human being during this ordeal, that she had worked just like the machine, forgotten everything but the responsibility for the protection of her country. When she knew that the Capitol of her beloved country was safe and that more than 50,000 of the enemy's airships were safely suspended in the Tunnel thru the Air and that the aviators had entered upon their seven days' sleep, she was supremely happy because not one life was required to save the Capitol. It was the greatest victory of all history thus far and she knew what it meant to Supreme Commander Gordon and how this victory would be hailed with rejoicing all over the United States. It would relieve the tension which had existed for two years when every hamlet, town and city had feared every night that they might be attacked and destroyed by bombs from the enemy's planes.

The news had been flashed to all the Departments and Army Headquarters. When the scouting planes reported that more than 50,000 planes had been captured in this attack and not one of them escaped, the President and Army officers breathed a great sigh of relief and knew that this meant certain victory for the United States because the enemy had concentrated their attack on New York and Washington with their best planes, and had very few large bombing planes left, and if this was not the end of the war, it was the beginning of the end.

The President and his Cabinet rushed to the Capitol Building to congratulate Colonel Edna Kennelworth. They found her carefully powdering her nose. By this time she was calm and collected and prepared for the unexpected reception, but was overwhelmed with the suddenness of the arrival of high officials. She had met the President before when he had come to New York after the great battle. He was the first to grasp her hand and, after kissing it, told her of the great debt of gratitude her country owed her. The President said, "Your great service demonstrates that woman is the equal of man and I hope to live to see the day when a woman will be President of the United States. This country owes to you and Supreme Commander Gordon and your good husband, Colonel Kennelworth, its liberty and freedom. There is nothing too good for you. You have performed the greatest act of any woman in history. I speak for the American people and extend their heartfelt gratitude. We can never repay you."

Colonel Edna Kennelworth thanked the President, told him that she had only done her duty and that she felt any other good woman in the United States would be glad to do the same under the same conditions. The President and members of his Cabinet were greatly impressed with her modesty and expressed their pride that one so young in years possessed such skill and daring. She told them that this was imperative and that there was no one else who know how to handle the sleeping gas machine except Supreme Commander Gordon and Colonel Kennelworth and that she had been placed there for that purpose and had only done her duty. Supreme Commander Gordon in New York sent a simple message congratulating Colonel Edna Kennelworth: "You're a real woman—a thorobred. I knew you could do it."

The President and the War Council met and voted that a message of congratulation and appreciation be sent to Supreme Commander Gordon telling him that everything would be left in his hands and to proceed as he had in the past. The President and other Government officials asked him if he would not give his consent to permit all of the newspapers in the United States to publish the details of the attack upon New York and how it had been successfully defended and to give details of the great victory at Washington. They felt that the people had so long been in a state of fear and anxiety, this would bring great relief and give them a chance to get some peaceful sleep because it would remove from their minds the fear of their cities and towns being destroyed; give them confidence that the United States had proved equal to the occasion; help the general business situation and bring comfort to thousands of people who were suffering. Supreme Commander Gordon replied that there was no question but that the war was won and that need for secrecy was no longer necessary.

On the afternoon of July 4th the President of the United States issued a proclamation to the people, telling them of the wonderful victory in Washington and assuring them that the country was safe, and set aside the following three days as holidays to celebrate and commemorate the victory of Independence Day. In his message he said that God had blessed the Stars and Stripes and given to America a lone man who had made inventions which had saved the country, and that a lone woman, Edna Kennelworth, with these inventions had protected Washington from destruction and captured over 50,000 of the enemy's airships without causing the loss of a single soul.

The President's Proclamation was given to the newspapers and every paper in the United States carried big headlines:

GREAT ATTACK ON NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON FAILS. MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND OF THE ENEMY'S AIRSHIPS HAVE BEEN CAPTURED. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS HAVE BEEN TAKEN PRISONERS. EDNA KENNELWORTH, A LONE WOMAN, SAVED WASHINGTON WITH SLEEPING GAS BAGGED OVER FIFTY THOUSAND AIRPLANES WHICH ARE NOW SAFELY HELD IN THE TUNNEL THRU THE AIR MADE BY SUPREME COMMANDER GORDON'S GREAT INVENTION. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE ENEMY WILL MAKE A PLEA FOR PEACE ANY DAY.