Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-10-11
COPYRIGHT, 1894 ]
CHAPTER V.-CoNTINCED.


monomaniac: one of those restless and
harmless characters who conceive pro-
disstous schemes and make fabulous in
sestments with no other capital than
their disordered imaginaticns. Kent
guessed what was passing in his mind,
for he said:
Il see the suddenness and la-geness
of my schemes have disturbed your
confidence. Two or three DAYS of in
vestigation will restore it. We can
talk farther of the matter after we are
better acquainted. Before l show you
the underground laboratory. let me
explain to you the Typographical pc
culiarities of the country"
AS he said this he picked up map
and, moving his chair closer tc La
ports, spread out the paper on the
table. There" he said, indicating a
point on the map with 4 pencil, lis
about where We are. This original
map is a skctch-plan of the subter-
ranean domain as near as | have been
able to survey it. I estimate the south
western extension of the cave to be
about eighteen miles in length. There
is another hidden entrance at that ex-
waiting to be of practical use. intend
to purchase that land also and erect a
house over it. That entrance, or to
speak more correctly, that exit. is
within four miles of the great Wash
bayou on the Mississippi. The coun-
try is such that a hard road can be
easily made. The bayou is one of the
deepest and widest on the river. \
sternwheel boat can land her supplies
there entirely hidden from the river
with little difficulty. The nearest
house is eighteen miles distant. The
transportation overland is not much
of a problem, but the eighteen miles
underground needs an engineers skill.
That is where / want an electric rail-
way. You will see the necessity of
that when You examine the place, for
it is the northeastern end of the cave
that can best be fitted up for ha bita-
ton and workshops.
1.-The difficulties to be overcome, as
you will readily understand, are
physical difficulties and involve light
ing. ventilation, transit and defense.
My idea is that the subterranean do
main offers magnificent field for the
abode of an army of mechanics and
soldiers"
Laport was amazed. ''Would it be
impertinent,' ne asked, ''if I inquired
what you are going to do with the
soldiers?''
Not at ALL replied Kent. But it
would be better perhaps if you were
kept in ignorance of my ultimate plans
or at least. not made acquainted with
them until you had grown to under
stand their possibility. IN case you
did not approve of them, it would be
better not to be implicated in them.
Let me ask you one questionable you
not offer to the government a gun con-
structed on a novel plan2'
Eyes. I did," replied Laport.
''And the government rejected it?"
1.-The government laughed at it, and
I spent months and all my money try
ing to lobby through an appropriation
to get it tested
''When was that?'
sit is eight years ago"
Every good" said Kent. Il should
like to have talk with you about that
gun later on. The first thing to do is
to give YOU a sense of security and to
hidden retreat. Before we go down,
let me say that this house is ac-
cessible only by one road, and we can
see anyone approaching by that road
for two miles. Besides, l keep sentry
in the woods who can communicate by
signal with the house. If by any ac-
cident an officer or detective should
get into the other apartment, you
have ample time to disappear. Let
me show YOU"
Here Kent got up and going to the
corner OF the room, leaned with his
hands upon the wall and pushed vigor-
ously with his feet upon the floor
which instantly moved as if it were on
rollers, and as it withdrew from the cor
ner in which Kent stood, a smooth
rock showed itself about foot be-
meath. He jumped down upon the
rock and with his foot gave the flooring
a push and it receded about three feet,
exposing descent to which had been
fitted a rude wooden rail and steps.
Laport stepped to the edge of the
floor and looked over. He saw part of
a rough shaft which was apparently
ten or twelve feet in diameter, that
sank away obliquely in westerly di-
rection and was very dark and repel-
liant.
3 Come" said Kent, 81 will show you
my possessions. You had better let
me take your hand. 1 am familiar
with the steps"
Thus assisting and guiding Laport.
they descended carefully the rude but
solid stairway which for some distance
was very steep. At the end of twenty
feet they came to a rock landing and
a new opening leading downward more
gradually at right angles to the main
shaft. I.aport saw that the entire pas
sage was natural rift or chasm. He
turned at the landing and looked back
at the stairway dimly seen in the dark
ness stretching up above them.
Il know what you are thinking Of"
said Kent, lit is that by the destruc-
ton of the steps one is caught like a
rat in trap. But you forget tina.
have bored into the stratum above
with an artesiau dri'l and know where
it is thinnest. Let us go down.
4 light shone in the distance. and its
reflection enabled Laport to descend
without further difficulty. In places the
natural slant Of the rock needed no
steps. At others Kent warned kim of
a sudden rise or fall in the path. As
near as Laport could judge the second
passage was fifty feet long and only at
q few points wide enough to pass two
.llen abreast. On reaching the bottom
of the dscliv;ty, he found himself in
an enormous stone room or arena, that