Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-04-04
A DREAM OF SPACE.
Startling Experience of an Astron.
Omer.

One night while waiting, watch in
hand, for an occultation. and striving
hard to keep awake, for it had been
hot and exhausting summers day. /.
suddenly found myself withdrawn from
the telescope, and standing in a place
that appeared entirely strange to me.
1t was very rocky bit of ground and,
TO my surprise. there was no horizon
in sight. The surface sloped off all
around, and every way saw the sky
below me. thought must be on the
peak of a stupendous mountain, and
yet was puzzled to understand how
the face of the earth could be so far
withdrawn. Presently became aware
that there was one by me whom I
seemed to see and yet could not see.
..YOu are not on mountain" my
companion said. and as he spoke a cold
shivsr ran up my back, ''yOu are on an
-asterOid. one of those miniature plan
cts, as you astronomers call them, and
-of which you nave discovered several
hundred revolving between the orbits
of Mars and Jupiter. This is the lit
tile globe that you have glimpsed at
occasionally with your telescope, and
that you, or some of your fellows, have
been kind enough to name Menippe.
After the protean manner of the
creatures of dream. my companion.
whose address had hardly been reas-
.suring, suddenly changed aspect and
became a gigantic inhabitant of the
little planet, towering up to height
of three-quarters of mile. For mo-
ment l was highly amused, standing
10y his foot. which swelled up like a
shIn. and straining my neck backward
rt0 get look up along the precipice of
his leg, which. curiously enough. l OBJ
was clothed in rough home
spun. the woolly knots of the cloth APP
pearing of tremendous size. while it
bagged at the knee like any terrestrial
trousers leg. His great head and face
i could see far above me, as it were, in
ished.
This is all right" said to myself.
--'Of course on Menippe the people
must be as large as this, for the little
planet is only dozen miles in diam
-eter. and the force of gravity is conse-
Quently so small that a man without
loss of activity, or Inconvenience, can
grow three-quarters of a mile tall"
Suddenly an idea occurred to me.
Just to think what jump can make!
Why, only the other day was figuring
it out that a man could easily jump a
thousand feet high from the surface of
Menippe. and now hereoI actually am
on Menippe. I'll jump"
The sensation of that glorious rise
skyward was delightful beyond ex-
preston. My legs seemed to have be-
come as powerful as the engines OF a
transatlantic liner, and with one spring
i rose smoothly and swiftly, and as
straight as an arrow. surrounding the
giants foot, passing his knee and at
t;ii.iing nearly to the level of his hip.
Then felt that the momentum of my
leap was exhausted. and despite my
efforts l slowly turned head down.
ward. glancing in alright at the ground
a quarter of a mile below me, on
which l expected to be dashed to
pieces. But a moments thought con-
WINGED me that l should get no hurt.
Tor with so slight q force of gravity it
would be more like floating than fall
ing. just then the Menippean caught
Eoe with his monstrous hand and lifted
me to the level of his face.
Il should like to know" I said,
show you manage to live up here; you
are so large and your planet is so lit
fle.
''Now. you are altogether too Curl
GUS" replied the giant. You go!'
He stopped down. placed me on the
toe of his boot, and drew back his foot
to kick me off.
1t flashed into my mind that my sit
uation had now become very serious. 1
knew well what the effects of the small
attractive force of these diminutive
planets must be. for had often amused
myself with calculations about them.
I'm this moment of peril did not for
get my mathematics. 1t was clear
that if the giant propelled me with
sufficient velocity l should be shot out
into space, never to return. How
great would that velocity have to bea
My mind worked like lightning on this
problem. The diameter of Menippe /
knew did not exceed twelve miles. Its
1mean density, as near as could judge,
u.-s about the same as that OF the earth.