TRIP TO THE MOON.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 78, 2 April 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

TRIP TO THE MOON.

Having received an invitation to accompany a famous professor in England upon hi* 'light, I left my native laud and journeyed to Britain. The professor wished to reach the moon—an ambition which had never been realised before. A large rocket 'plane was constructed under his supervision, and all necessary preparations made for the departure. Shortly after my arrival in England, I interviewed the professor wl/"* would pilot this wonderful 'plane, and deceived full instructions for the fight. On the memorable day of our departure, I found myself struggling through the greatly crowded aerodrome in which the 'plane was stationed. I grasped the metal ladder, mounted it, and clambered aboard. The room which I entered was the control cabin. I walked across the floor and stood peer, ing through one of the windows. Suddenly there was a laud explosion, followed instantly by the roar of machinery. Then, before I realised it, the aerodrome was a speck in the distance. Our journey had begun. On reaching the altitude of 100 miles the atmospheric friction ceased. Freed from this retarding agency, the machine's speed increased. Our velocity was terrific—no speedometer could calculate it. , Small star clusters appeared and disappeared. Meteors and comets frequently passed us on our rush to the moon. • On the tenth day after leaving the earth, the 'plane gave a sudden and unaccountable lurch to one side. For a considerable time I could not understand this change in direction, but later I was informed that we had entered the moon's zone. One day later the professoT brought the machine safely down—on the moon! We had at last reached our destination. We clambered out of the 'plane and proceeded to examine the surrounding country. The ground was composed of cold lava. The surface of the moon was extremely mountainous, rising sometimes to over one thousand feet. Many of these mountains were volcanic, and the dark smoke which rose in irregular clouds from the summits showed that they had recently erupted. As we gazed, lost in wonder, at this desolate world and thinking about those who had failed before us, a loud rumbling noise struck our ears. We rushed towards the machine. Arriving at it, we clambered aboard and took off amidst a shower of gravel from a small volcano.

Twelve days later we reached the earth. The news soon spread. People flocked to the aerodrome. The ambition which had for so long evaded the continuous efforts »f scientists had eventually become an accomplished fact. We had reached the moon! And then I awoke just as my coat was being plastered with medals!