Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-25

upon us as DTaN6 agents IN lut QlsptuSluS VI
truth to say with all the candor that we can
summon that the effort of the Government to
| open communication with the vast region west
| OF what must now be known as the Meridian of
| Silence has dismally failed, aud it is the con-
| viction of the maturest judgment, based upon
| all the facts of the attempt that are obtain
able that it failed because the explorers
| themselves ceased to exist when they had
| passed a certain pretty well defined line which
| we know extends north and south from Helena
| in Montana to Yuma on the borders OF Mexico.
| The hypothesis of Prof. Winchell which we
| publish in another column and which bears all
| the marks of that distinguished savants cool
| Judgment and vast knowledge, will. we sadly
| acknowledge, weigh very little with an ex-
| cited community this morning. His theory is
| that q seismic eruption in Oregon or Utah
| might easily throw into the lower stratum OF
| the atmosphere such vast quantities of car
bonic acid gas sulphuretted hydrogen as
would be fatal to life over vast district and
this district would remain fatal until the heavy
| gases were dislodged and the atmosphere of
| the neighborhood regained its normal condi-
| tions. But we are compelled to remind DR.:
| Winchell of what he probably knows better
than any other man, that no seismic eruption
| of the magnitude that is required to fit the re-
| suits could have taken place anywhere on the
| globe without being registered on the instru-
| ments at Washington, and IN TACT at every well
| regulated observatory in the country. We
therefore turn fiom this well meant but some.
what strained explanation to the darkness and
perplexity of doubt, and await with resigna-
tion. if not with hope, the developments which
| Nature has in store for u.s."
| found myself standing by my breakfast ta-
| BILE reading this / had risen unconsciously.
| My breakfast was unheeded. To sit still with
this crushing uncertainty was impossible l
| found myself In coupe. Where 1 got IL do
not distinctly remember. But / do remember
| that it was by means of an extraordinary offer
| to the driver, who, like all his fellows, was
dashing through the streets at a headlong
| pace. And 1 also have very clear recollec-
tion OF the strange nervous effect produced
s sEe eTfSs W
q mute terror, as if the very recklessness of the
| drivers afforded them a palpable distraction
| from the unintelligibie weight of their own
| fears. I speedily noticed that the stream of
humanity on the streets was tending down
| town, and almost Immediately I under
stood that it was heading, like myself, for the
| news centers. / Icould get no further than Cham
| bers street, owing to the block of people and
vehicles, and the driver rudely refused to take
ns risk OF GUk at the city HAL
rapidly, and l knew enough of the effect of
| emotions on the cardiac system, to understand
that 1t was caused By suspense. A thousand
| perience and the sagacity of man were ignorant.
forced my way with the greatest difficulty
across the park, and got near enough to the
newspaper bulletins to read the painted lines.
| They were feverishly indicative of the cross
| currents Of excitement in the country, and
were in short decisive sentences like this: ''Tne
President asked to appoint day of humilia-
| ton and prayer Immediately. The Governor of
| Colorado crazed by the excitement, commits
suicide Mob rule in Chicago Roti1g in
| cago road. Unparalleled scenes at El Paso.
Fanaticism in New Orleans. The Christian
pastors OF this city will meet at Cooper Union
| at 10 o'clock, irrespective of sect. Panic in
| Milwaukee"
Held by a numbing sort of fascination read
these sentences over and over Across Print
| ing House Square, on another bulletin. in big
black letters, 1 saw the line: 'It battles the
| world. Has annlhilation set inf' There was
something weird in this use Of the pronoun 1T.
express mystery that was specific and yet in
comprehensive, and found that, by the COM
mon consent of ignorance, men were referring
| to the phenomenon as 1T. I looked at the
strained, anxious faces of the mob and great
fear fell upon me. With it came an awful re-
proach. I would go instantly and redeem my
word to Kate by securing passages to Europe.
had to fight my way by inches out of the
| stolid and frightened crowd to the steamship
office on lower Broadway, and there 1 found
| another lam. The street was full of private
carriages and it was impossible to get any
| where near the entrance to the office. saw a
policeman who was on the outside of the press
| and who was walking up and down in restless
and unofficial manner. "What is the matter
! heref" l asked him. He looked me all over, as
If he suspected that I had fallen out Of the
| for Europe. Where d'you come fromr' and
then after restless turn or two he added as he
passed me: But it ain't no no use, cause there
Then it was, think, that the whole terrible
truth first lit my consciousness like the sudden
upfaring of a bale fire. The inhabitants were
as had been the Brisbanes. was the only dolt
| and idiot ana liar who had no instincts of dan
ger and who had failed to rescue the woman
| loved when size had appealed to me. Under
! the new rush of violent emotions felt
earthly sickness. and, for fear that might fall
| down in the crowd and get trampled to death,
went into a well-known resort on a side street
| to get glass of brandy or any other alcoholic
| stimulent. There, among q number of people
who were drinking; kin = saw, to my astonishment. %
man of most exemplary habits He was evil
| IDENTIFY somewhat under the influence of liquor,
| for he stood with his back to the bar, leaning
| against it, and mis- hands thrust deep into his
pockets. When he saw me, he said, without
| changing his position: well. old fellow, 1
remember that made any reply. swallowed
| the brandy and was about to rush from the
place when he spoke to me again. Il saw you
| at the Cunard office" he said.
"Yes," replied, II want three passages Can
| You get them for mef"
He smiled rather sardonically, and looked
az 69e or 0tnes mt OF The Place M
| pean steamships have all pulled out into the
stream for protection and have armed their
crews. We might as well settle down to 1t.
Then plunged wildly out into the street,
with a feeling of desperation and that sinking
of the spirits that comes only in the worst
crisis, and when one begins to comprehend
| how helpless man is. I saw that in the brief
| time that had elapsed a change had taken
place in the aspect of the crowds. When got
| TO Broadway again it was with the utmost
| difficulty that / could make my way at all
| against the surging mass of people that seemed
| momeutarily to swell. 1t was utterly unlike
| any crowd in numbers and disposition that
| had ever encountered. 1t was made up of all
classes. 1t had lost that American character
| istic of good humor, which had been swallowed
| up in a dire personal and selfish instinct of
| selfpreservation. 1t was animated by a vague
| terror and disregarded every consideration but
| that of personal safety. A horrible conviction
seized me that the ordinary restraints of society
were breaking down and that speedily panic
| would mount to chaos. saw that this dread
| was adding to the terror of everybody aside
from the fear of it. Like an assemblage in a
| burning building the fear of each other was
| more subtle and operative than the fear of the
elements. BY indefatgable labor got off the
main thoroughfare and reached Hudson street,
| and here in the crowd learned the latest news
| and discovered the cause of the rapidly in
| creasing excitement. had run against an in
innate friend and associate by accident His
| first words were as he wiped the perspiration
out of his eyes, "Well, this is awful, eh?"
"Whats the latest?" asked.
| "The latest is that the death line has moved.
| The Thurbers have private wire, and l Just
| heard there that Denver is cut off nowi 1t looks
| as if it was every man for himselfP"
| so terrible was this announcement, and so
| engrossed was with the despairing thoughts
| that il gave rise to that took little heed of
| what was going on about me until reached
Canal street. The one dull conviction that it
| was useless to fight against now was that anni-
| hilation had set in; that some destroying wave
had started out to encircle the GLOBE and that
| the race was doomed. Something, God alone
knew what, had happened to our planet and
| humanity was to be swept away in one of those
| cataclysms with which souless Nature prepares
for a new order of existence. Paralyzing as this
| reflection was it did not numb me with the
sickening despair that grew out of the other re-
| hot in fha n.