The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-08-22
4 NARROW ESCAPE.
story Of Maniac and His InvoD-
ton.

along four or Eve hours behind time.
Tlin junction where we were held UNI
willing prisoners was remote and
lonely crossing without any scenic at
fractions Of any kind. and totally limo
cent Of any means OF passing away the
time Not book or paper could be
bought and the alleged restaurant
was place In which 70 con-
tract an aggravated case Of dys-
pcpsin We read the timetables and
computed the distances between tho
stations on the various roads repro
scnied; we got hungry and~fcli 70 talk
ing Of the hotels In various cities, un-
ill, satisfied with the 1armccide feast
oar imaginations set forth. that sub
icct grew old. We criticised the rail-
way managers Of Che country and sug-
gested laws with dreadful penalties
for allowing trims 10 vary a second
from tho published time; we compared
or watches and each insisted that his
as just right and had not varied for
months, and still The train did not como
Then ~ith one accord we fell to watch
ihg Aoeli ~ pigeons that wcfs dying
ebopt One pf thcm waS ItsautifnI
iuHLler sEa would rise To y height Of
iva hundred feet and suddenly her
Wings wonid drop ns II she were dead
and she wonld come tumbling over and
ovtr until SHE wonid almost strife the
earth, when she wosld feeeyer herself
anl sweep MP into the mir only TO re-
peat her performance Among the
party there vas L rnrtiy gentleman
who was evidently delighted with the
birds action and bis ordinations Of
delight were fseqnent-
THAT mnst he d glorious sensation
III the bird. he snid, ito fall as II
hmp and lit,icss with the speed Of an
arrow, knowing that she Is in no dan
ger was reading not long ago in
son,c paper that men who have been
saved utter falling long distances in
variably claim To have experienced q
delightful sensation while dropping
through the air
= had little experience In that line
short time ago" said another Of the
party. who was dressed like priest or
an Episcopal minister, tand ! assure
yon my sensations were the reverse
Of pleasant
we were quick to avail onrselvesy OF,
and half II Ms asked the gentleman to
relate his experience. lie seemed per-
fectly willing to do so, and moment
Rfterward we had disposed ourselves
on the edge ~ the platform and the
trunks that stood around. in as COM
Portable positions as we could find.
Il am Clergyman, began the gem
tleman, "and among the members Of
the church under my care is gentle
man who Is an enthusiastic student OF
electric phenomena, and to him the
world Ii Indebted for number Of i'm.
provements in the telegraph, telephone
and incandescent light, which is cred
tied To better-known inventors Re-
Gently he has been investigating the
claims made that telephone pictures
were possible, and have become very
much Interested in his researches,
though lay no claims to being an cleo
trical expert.
My friends office Is In the twelfth
story of one Of the high buildings in
Chicago, where my home is, and from
the windows there is distance Of not
far FROM one hundred and fifty feet to
the pavement below have often
thought that there would be no shadow
of q chance for man who should fall
from one Of these windows, little think
ing what was in store for me.
II frequently call on my friend be-
cause his talk is interesting, and be-
cause his Office Is high enough to be
about as cool a place as there Is in the
city
One morning about two weeks age
dropped into his Office just as he was
preparing togo out. lie sat down, but
! insisted that he should not stay on
my account and finally he suggested
that stay till he returned, which he
said would be in the course OF an hour.
Nagreed TO this and was soon deeply
interested in new work which found
lying on the table
II had not been alone long when .
gentleman entered and saluted me, say
ing, Are you interested in electrical ap
paratns? ans wered that was to I
certain extent, and that my friend who
occupied the Office was an expert
4 j have something here that wan
70 show you. said the stranger. 1t Il
.
trical system Of the country
~ shall be glad to examine it, re
piled, as he proceeded to unlock /
small metal box he carried in one hand
From the box he took curious looking
machine that appeared to be made o
some metal resembling aluminium.
was in the shape Of box, on one sid,
Of which was funnel-shaped critic,
RESEMBLING the receiver OF telephone
The sides Of the box We're glass, an,
inside was complicated system o
heels Taking key from his poke
the stranger wound the machine u
and tie wheels began 10 run with as
tonishing rapidly Little glass tube
were inside the machine and o sub
stance which surmised was quicksilve
was in them. As soon as the machin,
began to runs this substance began i
shoot back and forth with the rap idit
Of lightning
Going to they telephone in the room
the stranger quickly detached tn
transmitter and replaced II with hi
machine Ringing up the central ST.
tlon he asked me the number Of m
telephone aud ! gave8it to him, an
\ soon the connection was made Turr
ing % me he said:
Now look inA
didso, and to my amazemenl sa,
that the interior 81 the room In N
house, in which the telephone Is sit,
ated. was in plain view. though MOI