Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-01-29

asleep or awake. The reason we had
been unable to find tho entrance was
plain. The cyclopean mass of stone
forming the Intel of the doorway had
descended bodily, thus completely
blocking up the passage, which it
fitted with mathematical accuracy. 1t
was from the gap thereby created on a
higher level that the light was shin
ing, the lower edge of the new aperture
being about eight or nine feet above
the floor of the chamber.
The opening disclosed in this won
derful manner was the commencement
of a tunnel, or shaft, extending at an
acute angle upwards into the body Of
the pyramid. 1t was rectangular in
form, and in other respects bore gem
eral resemblance to the passage by
which we had entered, save that it
seemed TO be- ioftier.
The question now was-should we
/ attempt to escape along this new road:
or should we wait where we were, and
trust to the return of the Intel to its
proper place?
The light now began to fade away in
the same gradual manner it had
arisen, and it became painfully evil
| dent that we should be again plunged
in darkness. Any fate would be prefer
able to the frightful sensation of being
Theoretically shut in amidst an in
tense and sitting blaclSness to which
the darkest night outside would be the
/ bright clearness of noon.
! To- o,, ,,,.aca - both bopdS
we resolved to make an attempt to es-
cape. l seized hold of Annette round
the waist, and swung her form up I'M
! til she was able to scramble on to the
| ledge of the opening. With her as
sistance I had then no difficulty in
! climbing up myself, and as we were
! both pretty active we contrived to ess
/ tablish ourselves in the mouth of the
gallery down which the pale green
light was now but family streaming.
The sloping floor was SO smooth and
steep that we were obliged to crawl on
our hands ard knees in order to make
any progress. In this way we clam
bered along. for fully fifty yards, with
much labor and WEAKNESS; slipping
back every now and again, and more
than once narrywly escaping glissade
into the hateful chamber. 1t was q
fearful task! but at length we reached
the top, and found that the gallery de-
bouched at a spacious hall where
everything was brilliantly illuminated
in a most peculiar manner by means of
appliances which for want Of better
term must be called refiectors.
The whole of the upper part, or cell
ing, of this marvellous room presented
q most extraordinary appearance, be-
ing honeycombed-so to speak-by
vast array of hollow cones, each cone
ending in small aperture, or sky
light, through which the beams of the
moon, or the rays of the stars, were
shining with hundredfold their nor
NAL power. The apices of these cones
must have consisted of some magnify
ing material, and the sides were lined
with kind of material that multiplied
to an enormous extent their power OF
transmitting light. The entire series
was so sllillfully arranged that the
combined pencils ,impinged on one
spot, where there was a most singular
and complicated apparatus for their
reception.
In front Of the mouth of the gallery
stood a manifold frame, almost com
pletely filling the opening, which, how
ever, was scooped out on one side, thus
enabling us, breathless as we were
from our climb, to creep through.
This frame was in truth an eXtraordi-
nary structure. 1t was fitted with an
infinite multitude of lenses and other
transparent appliances, the like of
which | had never seen before. / very
much regret that cannot give bet
ter and more detailed description Of
this piece of work, which to my mind
affords conclusive proof that the an
cicnt Egyptians were the possessors of
a long since vanished lore. The read
err will shortly be able to see why it is
that any account of these marvels is SO
vague.
Whilst was in the act of making my
way past this frame the ncvcr-to-bc
forgotten grinding sound again met my
cars, coming from below in the dircc' |
ton Of the chamber we had just quilted.
| at once turned and looked down, but |
could see nothing. The track we so
painfully had travcrccd was now as
dark as Ercbus. II was manifest that |
our retreat was cut OFF; the ponderous
Intel had risen to its original position
Had we waited patiently in the cham
Der it would no doubt have been pos
sible to make our way out in the usual
manner. but it was too late to think OF
that now. There was no course open
but to go on, so said nothing about
our terrible mistake to my wife. who
had not noticed the noise, being in
front and absorbed by the spectacle be-
fore her.
As regards the modus operandi of the
wondrous mechanism by means OF
which the passage was opened and
closed, can only offer my opinion, ar
rived at after much subsequent reflec
ton ON the subject In some incom-
prehensible way the moons rays. in
tensified or otherwise affected by the
lenses, are ably to act on some hidden
machinery - probably hydraulic - to
such an extent that the huge block of
stone is wont to fall and rise DeriOdi-