The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-10
Y THE ABYSS.
BY H. G.. WELLS.
Copyright, 1886 by the Bacheller Syndicate

were towing him along the sea bottom.
And then he saw something faint ana
remote across the undulations of the
submarine plain. a broad horizon or
pale luminosity that extended this way
and that way as far as the range of
his little window permitted him to see.
To this he was being towed. as a bal
loon might be towed by men out of the
open country into Il town. He APP
preached 1t very slowly, and very slow
ly the dim irradiation was gathered
together into more definite shapes.
1t was nearly five o'clock before he
came over this luminous area and by
that time he could make ont an ar
rangement suggestive of streets ana
houses grouped about vast roofiess
erection that was grotesquely susges-
tive of a ruined abbey. 1t was spread
out like Il map below him. The houses
We're all rooiless Enclosures of walls.
and their substance being, as he after
wards saw. Of phoSphoreScent bones,
gave the place an appearance as II II
We're built of drowned moonshine.
Among the inner caves of the place
waving trees of orinoids stretched their
sponges shot like shining minarets and
lilies Of filmy light out of the general
glow of the city. In the open spaces
of the place he could see stirring
movement as of crowds of people, but
he was too many fathoms above them
to distinguish the individuals In those
crowds.
Then slowly they pulled him down
and as they did Soy the details of the
place crept slowly upon his apprehen-
sion. He saw that the courses of the
cloudy buildings We're marked out with
beaded lines of round objects, and then
he perceived that at several points be-
low him in broad open spaces We're
forms like the encrusted shapes OF
ships. Slowly and surely he was drawn
down, and the forms below him be-
came brighter clearer and more dis
tinct. He was being pulled down. he
perceived. towards the large building
In the center of the town. and he could
catch u glimpse ever and again of the
multitudinous forms that We're Juggling
at his cord. He was astonished to see
that the rigging of one of the ships
which formed such a prominent fea-
ture of the place, was crowded with
host Of gesticulating figures regard
Ing him. and then the walls Of the great
building rose about him silently and
hid the city from his eyes.
And such walls they We're, of water
logged wood, and twisted wire rope and
iron spars, and copper, and the bones
and skulls of dead men. The skulls ran
tastic curves over the building and In
and out of their eye sockets and over
the whole surface Of the place lurked
and played a multitude of silvery little
fishes. Suddenly his ears were filled
with a low shouting and u noise like the
violent blowing of horns. and this gave
place to a fantastic chant. Down the
sphere sank past the huge pointed win
dows through which he saw vaguely a
great number of these strange ghost
like people regarding him, and at last
he came to rest. as ii seemed. ON kind
of altar that stood In the center of the
place.
And now he was at such u level that
he could SEE those strange people of
the abyss plainly once more. TO his
We're prostrating themselves before him.
all save one dressed as it seemed in u
robe of placoid scales. and crowned with
u luminous diadem. who stood with his
reptilian mouth opening and shutting
as though he led the chanting of the
worshippers. A curious impulse made
Elstead turn on his small glow lamp
again. so that he became visible to those
creatures Of the abyss. albeit the glare
made them disappear forthwith into the
night. At this sudden sight Of him, the
| chanting gave place to a tmult of ex-
ultant shouts. and Elstead. being anx-
ious to watch them, turned his light off
| again and vanished from before their
| eyes. But for time he was too blind
to make out what they were doing, and
when at last he could distinguish them
they were kneeling again. And then
they continued worshiping him, without
rest or intermission, for the space of
three hours.
Most circumstantial was E,lsteads
account of this astounding city and its
people. these people of perpetual night.
who have never seen sun or moon or
stars. green vegetation, nor any living
I air-breathing creatures. who know
nothing of fire nor any light but the
phOsphorescent light of living things.
Startling as is his story, il Is yet more
T startling to find that scientific men of
such eminence as Adams and Jenkins
| find nothing incredible in it. They tell
me they see no reason why Intelligent
water-breathing vertebrated creatures
| Injured to u low temperature and enOr-