In mid-air
Date: 2025-11-04T00:00:00+00:00

The Project Gutenberg eBook of In mid-air

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: In mid-air

Author: R. J. McSwiney

Release date: November 4, 2025 [eBook #77176]

Language: English

Original publication: New York: Street & Smith Corporation, 1929

Credits: Roger Frank and Sue Clark

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN MID-AIR ***

In Mid-Air

By R. J. McSwiney

A War-time Flyer, Unable to Land Without Killing Himself, Decides to Die Gloriously

Six thousand feet the aneroid registered, and the objective was already beginning to take definite form in the blurred landscape below.

A cluster of drab, canvas buildings, whose weirdly painted forms were hard to discern against the sea of mud constituting their background, was all that could, as yet, be seen of the airdrome that had been picked out for that morning’s bombing raid into the enemy’s lines.

It was a chill winter morning, with swiftly moving, low-lying clouds scurrying ceaselessly across the gray sky--ideal for such an expedition.

The squadron, flying high, changed course whenever the fleeting clouds interposed themselves between it and the crews manning the anti-aircraft guns below. These, having to estimate where each change of course would carry their targets, were firing largely at random and their shooting was correspondingly poor. The smoke from their bursting shells, appearing sullenly among the clouds like sinister wads of black cotton wool, dotted the sky everywhere but in the direct path of the raiding machines.

In the rearmost plane, forming the left tip of the wedge formation, Charley Reid was straining his eyes to obtain a correct mental impression of his target and to ascertain the relation of his altitude and speed to the objective on the ground. This would enable him to determine the crucial moment at which to operate the release gear and send hurtling earthward the three hundred pounds of concentrated destructive force, which he carried slung from the undercarriage of his machine.

He was flying an old type of tractor biplane, which, having gone out of date for fighting purposes, had been assigned to raiding duties. Not being equipped for regular bombing, these converted planes carried but a single heavy torpedo, slung from the undercarriage in such a way that it could be released at will by the pilot from his seat, by means of a simple lever. The nose of the bomb is released first and, as the heavy fore end falls away from the plane, the wind catches it and drives it off the rear hook, whence it falls earthward, guided by the vanes and gradually assuming a more vertical descent as the resistance of the air overcomes its forward motion.

With his eyes now glued on the indistinct blur that represented his target, Reid made a rapid mental calculation to determine the horizontal distance from his objective at which to release his missile so that it should strike the ground at the desired point. A glance at the map pinned down in front of him showed that, when vertically above a certain road crossing, he would be at the required distance.

The crossing showed up plainly to his view as he rode past a rift in the clouds. He modified his course slightly to bring himself, the landmark, and the objective into correct alignment, and focused his gaze on the target, whose location was, now, clearly discernible, even through the scudding mist.

There! The leading plane of the squadron had dropped its messenger of death and defiance, and the large white feather of smoke that drifted quickly away from the spot proved that the pilot, not bothered by “Accurate Archie,” the anti-aircraft gun, had been able to take careful observations and had registered a direct hit. They were evidently going to make a good job of it!

There, again! And again! In quick succession, now, the white feathers sprang up among the crowded hangars, and Reid could even hear the dull reports of the explosions. Figures, too, could be observed running wildly to the shelter of the trenches dug by the farsighted Boche in anticipation of such an eventuality.

It would soon be Reid’s turn. His hand went out to the release mechanism and he glanced downward, over the leading edge of his lower plane. No, not quite yet! A second more and--there! He was directly above his landmark and headed straight for the group of hangars. He pulled the lever smartly and, immediately, set himself firmly to meet the sudden jump of the plane on losing three hundred pounds of ballast.

Tensely, he clung to the wheel; but, to his gradually dawning surprise, no jump resulted. Instead, the plane began to behave in a most disconcerting manner. It tilted and side-slipped violently, first one way and then another, throbbing incessantly as though from the vibration of an immense spring and shaking so severely that he feared it might come to pieces at any moment.

Had he bungled? Was he hit? were his first thoughts. But no! Past accidents had taught him how the plane would have acted if such had been the case. This was something different and unprecedented in his whole experience. Quickly recovering from his surprise, he steadied the jolting machine and started to climb back behind the clouds as rapidly as he could. As he rose through the enveloping mist, the peculiar antics of his machine furnished him with the explanation of their origin. Evidently, the release gear had worked smoothly, freeing the nose of the bomb, but its other end, for some reason, must have failed to become unhooked from the rear pin. He was now carrying the torpedo suspended vertically beneath him from one end, swinging crazily in the wind, and its erratic oscillations were threatening to overturn the plane, which responded to every heave with uncomfortable joltings. He smiled grimly in spite of himself; this was indeed a case of the tail wagging the dog!

Then the full significance of his position dawned on him. On the action of the release gear, the bomb had automatically become detonated, so that, now, the lightest graze on its sensitive nose cap would undoubtedly cause it to explode; he shuddered to think with what result to himself and his plane.

Realizing the extent of his danger and the necessity of freeing himself of the encumbrance, he tried to shake it off the hook, where it had caught. Nose-diving steeply, until the jerk of his machine told him that the bomb had reached the rearmost limit of its swing, he zoomed violently, trying to lift his plane at as steep an angle as practicable. But, unfortunately, the old E. 8 was not built for rapid climbing, and all his efforts resulted only in increasing the stress on his plane to such an extent that he gave up these maneuvers in fear of buckling his wings.

He steadied his plane again, and looked round him. The remainder of the squadron was nowhere to be seen; it was back at the airdrome by this time, he supposed. He looked downward to get his bearings and started off after them. They might be able to suggest something to rid him of his unpleasant appendage. Under the friendly cover of the clouds, he opened up his engine and was soon circling round his own flying field, at as low an altitude as he dared, in the hope that his comrades would see his plight and come to his assistance, though, as a matter of fact, he did not see how they could do anything to help him.

He dared not land. The shock of the bomb on the ground would certainly be sufficient to explode it, however easily he might attempt the feat. He could not stay up in the air forever, that was equally certain; and, besides, he had only enough gas to carry him for a few hours longer. Was he doomed? He realized that he was unless something was done, and done immediately.

His maneuvers had the result, first, of bringing everybody out from the hangars to watch him, and, then, of sending them hurrying off to shelter, in fear that the bomb was in danger of falling off and dropping among them.

For a few moments, he was at a loss for some means of communicating with the ground, and he cursed the parsimonious policy that had refused to equip these converted machines with wireless.

With difficulty, he extracted a notebook from his pocket and, steadying the plane to reduce the incessant jolting as much as possible, he set about the awkward task of writing a message. The control required the use of both hands and the rush of wind made the paper difficult to keep in place, but he accomplished the work eventually, writing a few letters, hastily, at a time. “Bomb stuck on rear hook,” he penciled laboriously. “Can you suggest anything?” Then, descending as low as he dared over the center of the landing field, he cast his missives over the side.

Rising again in wide spirals to a safer altitude, he watched the flimsy paper float slowly down and was relieved to see that it had been observed, for a figure darted out of the headquarters tent and stationed itself in the center of the field to receive it. Would it never reach the ground? He could see it flutter earthward, blown hither and thither by the wind, the figure of the mechanic below changing position constantly, so as to be beneath when it landed. At length, it reached the ground, was picked up, and carried into the headquarters tent.

A long wait ensued, fraught with anxiety for the impatient Reid, during which a conference was, no doubt, being held. After some time, a ground flapper was brought out and commenced flashing a message to him. “Cannot suggest anything unless you can shake it off, but do not try it here,” he spelled out. So! It was as he thought. They could not help him.

Could he not, by flying low over some treetops, brush the devilish thing off? No, he knew that the concussion would be sufficient to explode the bomb. God! If he only had an observer with him, or if he could only leave the control for a few seconds!

His utter helplessness left him dazed and numbed. An overwhelming emotion of self-pity surged up in his breast and a bitter, unreasoning feeling of resentment against his fate held him in its grip. He groaned aloud in his despair and, for a few moments, was completely oblivious to his surroundings.

His brain cleared, however, and, gritting his teeth desperately, he struggled to regain the mastery over himself--to think clearly. There was no use giving in. No, he must die! Then let him choose a man’s death and die in a fashion that would turn his fatal accident to some good account in his country’s service.

A hazy plan was forming itself in his brain. Still circling over the home airdrome, he looked at his map, on which all targets were clearly recorded, and picked out a German headquarters that was marked for early destruction. Yes, that was it. He would land on this, and the explosion that sent him into eternity should send with him a number of the hated enemy. There would be no question, this time, of his bungling or missing. He would save his squadron a trip.

His mind once made up, he was not slow to act. He raised his elevators and soared up to a sufficiently high altitude to bring him above the shelter of the clouds and steered directly for his new objective. A few minutes were sufficient to bring him to its vicinity unobserved and, dropping slowly, he began searching the country for his new target. By frequent comparison of the ground with his map, it was not long before he recognized the commandeered chateau, where the German general and his staff had established themselves. He saw the broad ribbon of the route nationale, bordered with high trees and telegraph poles, and the building he was intent on destroying some twenty yards on the far side of it. He pointed his plane at the road in front of the house, where he planned to flatten out his dive, so as to crash into the center of its facade at a height that would allow the torpedo to strike over the entrance.

He began his steep dive, and as he felt the chill air rush and roar past his ears, his emotions underwent a great change. Now he experienced a wonderful exhilaration. Yes, he would die, but willingly and usefully! And, by God, he would wipe out of existence this Huns’ nest of mischief in his passing! He could have shouted with the exaltation he felt at the moment--he was inspired in the performance of a great deed.

Below, he saw the fields widen out smoothly to his view, as his dizzy descent shortened his perspective, like a picture slide being focused on a giant screen; he saw the broadening white band of the road and the gables of the chateau beyond, rocking and swaying, come leaping and bounding up to meet him. He saw figures rushing madly about and was conscious of machine guns rattling somewhere on the ground, but his descent from behind the clouds had been so sudden and so swift that he was but a poor target for the gunners.

In a few moments he would be on the place.

As he flashed over the road between two giant elms, he flattened his dive and started his engine. A defiant yell was torn from his lips and he closed his eyes, waiting to be dashed to his glorious, if terrible, death against the graystone front of the building.

His eyes were barely closed when a violent jerk on its tail raised the nose of his plane in the air. Mechanically, like a pilot taught to act instinctively on the least untoward movement of his plane, he righted the machine, but the sudden rise had sent him clear, in that short distance even, of the slate roof of his objective.

This happened so quickly that the jerk of his machine caused him to open his eyes with the thought that he had missed again. The last of the peaked roofs was still streaming back beneath him, when a deafening explosion rent the air, and he was enveloped in smoke and dust.

His plane rocked violently, but he steadied it and instinctively turned toward his own lines, commencing to climb as rapidly as he could without interfering with the speed of his machine. Escape was his one thought, now; the rattle of machine guns and the bursting of anti-aircraft shells occupied the whole of his attention. He zigzagged, climbed, dived and climbed again; he resorted to every maneuver he had ever been taught and that his old craft was capable of performing, until, at length, his exhaust roaring and his engine at its highest speed, he crossed his own lines safely.

Once across No Man’s Land, he toned his engine down and proceeded more leisurely toward his airdrome, allowing his thoughts to return to his miraculous escape.

Evidently, as he had swept across the road and flattened his dive, he had unintentionally swung the bomb against the telephone cables between two adjacent poles, and they had possessed sufficient resiliency and resistance to sweep it off the hook where it had become stuck. Its own momentum had carried the bulky torpedo the rest of the way and, as he passed over the far end of the chateau, the bomb was dashed against its front at the very place where he had intended it to strike. The jerk caused by the bomb striking the wires had tilted the machine sufficiently to cause it to clear the roof.

There was a happy smile on the face of the limp body that the mechanics lifted out of the nacelle of the old converted bombing plane when it made its clumsy landing at the airdrome shortly afterward.

Transcriber’s Note: This story appeared in the Second January number, 1930, of The Popular Magazine.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN MID-AIR ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

Table of Contents

- In Mid-Air

- THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE