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OF ADv BY GARRflTT P. oERVI5o COPYRIGHT 1393. BY CARRtTT P. SEFWISS CHAPTER V. And now. whiDDed on by the lash of alternate bone and fear, the earth sprang to its work of preparation. It ia not necessary for . me to describe the manner in which Mr. Edison per formed bis tremendous task. He was as " crood as his word, and witbin six months from the first stroke of the ham mer 100 electrical ships, each provided with a full battery of disintegrators, were floating in the air above the bar borand tba partially rebuilt city of New York. It was a wonderful scene. The pol ished sides of the hnge floating cars sparkled in the sunlight, and as they slowly rose and fell and swung this way and that upon the tides of the air as if held by invisible cables the bril liant pennons streaming from their peaks waved tip and down like . the - wings of an assemblage of gigantic bumming birds. Not knowing whether the atmosphere of Mars would prove suitable to be breathed by inhabitants of the earth, Mr. Edison had made provision by means of an abundance of glass protect . fid onenincs. to nermit the inmates of the electrical ships to survey their sur roundings without quitting the interior, It was possible by properly selecting the rate of undulation to pass thevibra tory impulse from the disintegrators through the glass windows of a car Without damage to the glass itself. The windows were so arranged that the dis integrators oouid sweep around tne car In every direotion. To overcome the destructive forces employed by the Martians no satisfac tory plan had yet been devised, because there was no means to experiment with them. The production of those f oroes was still the secret of our enemies. But Sir. Edison had no doubt that if we could not resist their effects we might at least be able to avoid them by the rapidity of our motions. As he pointed out, the war machines which the Mar- . tians had employed in their invasion of the earth were really very awkward and unmanageable affairs. . Mr. Edison's electrical ships, on the other hand, were marvels of speed and of manageability. They could dart about, turn, reverse - UIDU UUIUJID, 41 BO, iltlX WllJJ llitj JU10& ness and ease of a fish in the water. Mr. ; Edison calculated that even if mysteri - otis bolts should fall upon our ships we oould diminish their power to cause in jury by our rapid evolutions. . .. We might be deceived in our expeo tations and might have overestimated our powers, but at any rate we must take our chances and try. A multitude exceeding even that which had assembled during the great . congress at Washington now i thronged ' New York and its neighborhood to wit ness the mustering and the departure of the ships' bound for Mars. Nothing fur ther had been heard of. the mysterious phenomenon reported from the observa- ' toriea six months before and whioh at the time was believed to indicate the departure f another 'expedition from Mars for the invasion of the earth. If the Martians had set out to attack us, they had evidently gone astray, or per haps it was some other world that they were aiming at this time. . ane expedition had, or course, pro foundly stirred the interest of the scien tific world, and representatives of every branch of science from all the civilized nations urged their claims to, places in the ships. Mr. Edison was compelled, from lack of room, toVef use transporta tion to more than one in a thousand of those who now, on the plea that they might be able to bring back something ox advantage to scienoe, wished to em bark for Mars. On the model of the celebrated corps of literaryapd scientific men whioh Na poleon carried with him in his invasion ct Egypt, Mir. Edison selected a com pany of the foremost astronomers, ar chaeologists, anthropologists, botanists, bacteriologists, chemists,! physicists, mathematicians, mechanicians, meteor ologists and experts in mining, metal lurgy and evsry),tber branch of prac tical' science, 'as weU as artists and pho tographers. It was but reasonable to be lieve that in another world rad a world so much cider than the earth as Mars Was, these men would be able to gather rz&turiald la coih pari son with whfcb tlTe discoveries raada Among the ruins of an cient empires fa Egypt, and Babylonia would be inpijaiScapt indeed. It was a wonderful ursderjtaiing and a etrabge fertacla. There was a feeling cf uncertainty vvhita awed the vast of multitude Whose eyes were upturned to the ships. The expedition was not large, considering the gigantio oharaoter the undertaking. Each of the electrica ships carried about 20 men, together with an abundant supply of compressed provisions, compressed air, scientific ap paratu8 and so on. in ail, there were about 2.000 men, who were going to conquer, if they could, another world 1 But though few in numbers they rep resented the flower, of the earth, the cul mination of the genius of the planet The greatest leaders in science, both theoretioal and practical, were there was the evolution . of the earth against the evolution of Mars. It was a planet in the heyday of its strength matched against an aged and decrepit world which nevertheless in consequence of Its long ages of existence had acquired an expenonce which made it a' most dangerous foe. On both sides there was desperation. The earth was desperate because it foresaw destruction unless it could first destroy its enemy. Mars was desperate because nature was gradually depriving it of the means of supporting life, and its teeming population was compelled to swarm like the inmates of an overcrowded hive of bees and find new homes elsewhere. In this respeot the situation on Mars, as we were wel aware, resembled what had already been known upon the earth, where the older nations overflowing with popula tion had sought new lands in whioh to settle, and for that purpose had driven out the native inhabitants whenever those natives bad proved unable to re siBt the invasion. No man could foresee the issue of what we were about to undertake, but the tremendous powers which the disin tegrators bad exhibited and the marvel ous efficiency of the electrical ships bred almost universal confidence that we should be suooessful. The car in which Mr. Edison traveled was, or . course, tne nagsbip or tho squadron, and I had the good fortune to be included among its inmates. Here, Besides several leading men of science txm our own . country, were Iiord Kel vin, Lord Rayleigh; Professor Roentgen, Dr. Moissan the man who first made artificial diamonds and several others whose fame had encircled the world. Each of these men cherished hopes of wonderful disopveries along his line of investigation to be made in Mars. An elaborate system of signals had, of course, to be devised for the control of the squadron. These signals consist ed of brilliant eleotrio lights displayed at night and so controlled that by their means long sentences and ': directions could be easily and quickly transmitted. The day signals consisted partly of brightly colored pennants ana nags, whioh were to serve only when, shad owed by clouds or other obstructions,' the full sunlight should not fall upon the ships. This could naturally only occur near the surface of the earth or of another planet. : Once out of the shadow of the earth we should have no more clouds and no more night until we arrived at Mars. In open space the sun would be contin ually shining. V; It would be perpetual day for us, except as, ' by artificial means, we furnished ourselves with darkness for the purpose of; promoting sleep. In this region of perpetual day. then, the signals were also to be trans mitted by flashes of light from mirrors reflecting the rays of the sun. v Yet this perpetual day would be also, in one sense, a perpetual night There would be no more blue sky for us, be cause without an atmosphere the sun light could not be diffused. 1 Objects would be illuminated only on the side toward the sun.- Anything that screened off the direct rays of sunlight would produce absolute darkness There would be no gradation of shad ow. The sky would be as black; as ink on all sides. jy' : kV,,;, While it was the intention to remain as much as possible within the cars, yet since it was probable that necessity would arise for occasionally quitting the interior of the eleotrioal ships Mr Edison had provided for this emergency by inventing an airtight dress construct ed somewhat after the manner of a div er's suit, but of much lighter material. Each ship was provided with several of these suits, by wearing which one could venture outside the car even when it Was beyond the atmosphere of the earth.' 1 rrovislon had been made to meet the terriflo cold Which we knew would be encountered the moment we had passed beyond the atmospnere that awful ab solute zero which men had measured by anticipation, bat never yet experienced -rfcy a simple system of producing within tire airtight suits a temperature sufficiently elevated to counteract the effects cf the. -frigidity without. . By means of long, flexible tubes air could be continually supplied to - the wearers cf the. raits, and by an ingenious con trivance a Etore of compressed air suf3- behind-itriLvro oleni to last for severaThours was pro vided for each suit, so that in case of necessity the wearer could throw off the tubes connecting him with the air tanks in the car. Another object which had been kept in view in the preparation of these suits was the possible exploration of an airless planet, such as the moon. j The necessity of some oontrivanoe by means of whioh wq should be enabled to converse with one, another when on the outside of the cars, in open space, or when in an airless world, like the moon, where there would be no medium by which the waves of Bound could be con veyed as they are in the atmosphere of the earth, had been foreseen by our great inventor, and he had not found it difficult to contrive suitable devices for meeting the emergency. Inside the headpiece of each of the electrical suits was the mouthpiece of a telephone. This was connected with a wire whioh, when not in use, oould be conveniently coiled upon the arm of the wearer. Near the ears, similarly con nected with wires, were telephonic re ceivers, , V When two persons wearing the air tight dresses wished to converse with one another, it was : only necessary for them to connect themselves by the wires and conversation could then be easily carried on. to be continued. DR. T. H. FAULKNER, DHfiTIST, KINSTON, : - N. C. OFFICE HOURS b a. m. to is m i p. m. to 5 p. n.. 1 r ') 0 tGST Office Rooms over Harvey' a In- i vkj- a surance umce. j Atlantic & N. C. Railroad. TIME TABLE No. 5. Eaitbound. I. P0 PC febp 5 STATIONS. Westbound. P.M. 520 6 40 6 49 6 00 6131 6 21 680! 642 6 64 7 00 7 85 760 7 53 8 05 ' 8 18 824 829 ,842 80 PJi. A.M. 710 743 806 826 814 928 1015 1040 11 15 1181 180 812 220 243 812 825 831 851 401 P.M P.M 8401 400 409! 4 201 482 441 450 502 514 5201 545 610 613 6 638 644 649 702 710 P.M. A .,'Qoldsboro,. ......Beat's,... ...LaQrantre. Faluns' Creek,. ....Kinston,.. .. caswell, . .... Dover,.... ., -Core Creek, .. ruBcarora ....Clarke,... .... Newborn,,.. ... Biverdale,., . ,.Croaian,.., .,,.Havelockp,. ....Newport,.., ...Wlldwood,.. . . ..Atlantic... . MoreheadCityv Morenead City. f if M A.M. P.M. A.M. J1105 818 7 00 11043 783 688 1082 7 C3 6 27 .1022 633 017 1012 613 607 ,10 00 6 It 555 952 420 647 940 400 535 930 888 525 922 820 517 867 1041 4 67 883 1010 483 829 1006 4 29 820 940 420 606 9 Of 406 759 847 869 766 8K 855 7 42 816 3 42 725 760 825 AMa A.M. AM vTs. tDaily except Sunday. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. ITuesday, Thursday and Saturday. 8. L. DILL, Superintendent. WILMIHGTOH AHP WELDOH RAILROAD CONDBNSED SCHEDULE. TRAINS QOIXQ SOUTH. DATED May 15tb, 1898. Leave weldon... Ar. Rocky MU... Leave Tarboro... Lv.BockyMt.... Leave Wilson..,. Leave Selena Lv. Fayettevllle. Ar. Florence.... Ar. Goldsboro... Oldsboro... Lv. Magnolia.... Ar. Wilmington. A. M 1150 1255 1229 ico 168 f4 25 '725 P. M. P: M 943 10 361 1036 1113 1158 1P7I S IB A. M. o"3 o 3 63 Pt M. A. M. P. M. ',6 00 ..;:.. ....i, ' 6 45 540 1867 7 19 622 J 20 8 00 ...... ...... 701 806 ...... 806 41? ...... . 980 5 40 P. M. A. M. P. M. Fill! TRAINS GOINQ NORTH. Lv. Florence .... Lv. FayettevUle. Leave Baima..... ArrlTB Wilson... Lv. Wilming-toi Lv. Macnolia.. Lv. Goldsboro. Leave Wilson.... Ar. Rocky Mt... Arrive Ttrboro. . Leave Tarboro... Lv. Rocky Mti.. Ar. Weldon...... SI a a A. M 8461 11 101 1235 1 I'M P.M. 117 912 1229 212 825 P. M.I $7i a A.M 5 00 6 6 151 646 2 S5Q P. M. 8 85 1035 1144 131ij A. IS 12 m 12571 U67 18 A. M. p'3 S5Q P. M. 715 8 65 1010 P. M. 11 151 1167! P. M.I A. M. 985 11 01 1203 P. M. 13 49 180 of Baltimore, Md., is accepted by the U. S. Government as surety on the bonds of Distillers, Store Keepers and Gaug ers, and all revenue offi cers. Rates reasonable. L. HARVEY & SON, AGENTS, KINSTON, N. c. Have You Seen the $35Mord It's on Exhibition at v 6UY WEBB'S. "THE BIKEMAN." Seven Springs UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. The Finest of all Mineral Waters. Endorsed by prominent physi cians and all who have used it. A Positive cure for Indigestion, Dyspepsia, Insomnia, and Ner vous Prostration. Infallable cure for Gravel and Stone in the Blad der. A peerless climate, right in the midst of pines and oaks and towering hills. The Buildings and Grounds Have Been Put in Thorough Repair. Good music on piano and stringed instruments. A first-class barber. Reduced rates on railroads (A. & N. C and W, & W.) Hacks meet all trains. Pat Oflist: R. 3. Opot: Train on the Slnston Brancn Eoafl leaves Weldon 4:15 p. m., Halifax 4:' p. m.-arrfree Scotland Hectc at 630 p. m., Oraenvilre 6:f7 p. Ea.,Kinston 7:55p.m. Keturnir j leaves King ton 7:fx) a. m., Greenville 8:52 a. m., arriving Halifax at 11:18 a. m., Weldon ll3 a. m., da.ly except Punrtay. R. KKNLY, ten'l Msnatrer. , , T. M. tilEXiaON.Traao Manager Seven Springs. IiaCfange. Phones From Hotel to LaGrange. Board pet day $1.50 ; per week $7.00 ; per month $35. Special rates given to families for the season. Livery stables furnish the best teatn9 for driving. O. p, SvlITH Pfopiietoi. Address all correspondence to W. M. UZZELL, Manager. . The War :is 0rI 1 I T And we are in the thickest of the fight; Not amid the crash of shot and shell, I Nor where Spanish bullets fly like well, As would-be competitors are put to flight : WUE CONFRONTED WITH OUR- Low Prices and Fine Work v . i : . " , - - ' , "- '" v :-" - .-.:..,-., ; - . v- - the Job rmlirvg Lirve. Wkh Power Presses, New and Latest Styles Type, plenty of papef stock of various kinds, and competent workmen, we are prepared to do . , Better Printing At Lower Prices . Than Can Be Obtained Elsewhere. 9 1 t 1 1 Bring or send all your orders for Job Printing to ; j I Kinston, N, O. II 1 rrrJ m-i .
The Kinston Free Press (Kinston, N.C.)
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July 19, 1898, edition 1
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