Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-04-09

lore UrdVolor VIII lSdfOS DoooOI ~o .
O'Clock in the morning will arrive in
England at 81 minutes past O'Clock
in the afternoon. Is not that rapid
Journey? On the other hand, for ez-
ample. as our trains start from Liver
pool at noon, the voyager can disem :
bark in this station at 1884 in the fore
noon that is to say, almost three
hours before he started from the En-
glish side"
I knew not what to think. Was
talking with an insane person? Should
I have faith in these fabulous theo-
ries?
"Wen,'' said I, sit may be so. L
will assume it to be true that your IL
vention can attain incredible speed,
but when you come to stop, to SUD
denly arrest this rapid motion, will
not everyt thing be shattered?"
"By no MEANS" responded the col
onel, struggling his shoulders. BE
tween our tubes, one Of which serves
to go and the other to return, ana
running in opposite currents OF ar,
communication exists upon each side.
When train approaches,wea are made
aware of tie fact by electric sparks,
and by means of electricity the force
that pushes the train is paralyzed.
Left to itself, the train continues on
it's way from the momentum already
acquired, and by means Of valve
q
speed becomes gradually slower, un-
til the train is finally checked by COM
ing in contact with huge bumper,
the shock being scarcely felt. But
what good are all these explanations?
The only way to know the actual
working is by experience"
And without waiting for me to re-
spond, Colonel Pierce drew out sud
denly a handle Of polished copper
from the side of one Of the tubes. A
panel running upon groves was
thrown open, and thro' the aperture
saw succession of narrow benches
upon each of which two persons were
seated side by side.
ssThe pneumatic carriage" explain
ed the colonel. ''Let us depart. Come"
I followed him obediently, and the
panel was Immediately closed. By
means of an Edison lamp which hung
from the center of the carriage ex-
amined curiously the place in which
found myself. Nothing could be more
simple. A long cylinder, comforta-
bly, padded, across which were fifty
armchairs bound together in pairs,
arranged in parallel rows. At each
end valve regulated the condition
of the atmosphere, that in the rear
permitting the air to penetrate the
cylinder, while that in front gave
egress that which had become impure.
Some little time passed while I was
making my examination, and becom-
ing somewhat impatient I said:
'Well, colonel, why do you start?"
''Start? We started some time ago."
replied my guide.
Was it possible? Could we be en-
route? Was it really true? I listened
attentively, trying to hear some noise
which would give evidence of motion
If we had really started, if the colonel
had not deceived me in talking about
300 miles an hour, we ought to be
far from land under the pillows Of the
ocean. Above our heads the crested
waves may be beating against each
other with fury, are perhaps at this
moment taking us for monstrous
serpent of all unknown species. The
whales are striking their monstrous
tails against our long iron prison
house.
But I heard nothing, only a sort Of
dull, scarcely perceptible buzzing, land
plunged in state Of unbounded as
constituent and not able to believe in
the reality of what was happening
became silent as the time went by.
Nearly an hour passed thus, when I
suddenly felt a dampness upon my
forehead, which awoke me from the
torpor into which l was fast falling. l
carried my hand to my face. It was
wet. Wet! What had happened!
Had the tIbe burst under the i'm
mense pressure Of the water, press
ure which must be formidable since
we we're at such an immense depth.
Should we be swallowed up by the
ocean?
A great fear took possession Of me.
and almost desperate, I
to cry out in my agony.
And I found myself in my garden
generously sprinkled by a pelting
rain, of which the large drops had in
terrupted my sleep.
had gone to sleep upon q rustic