Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-08-12

self in the street, wondering whether l
was n chump. an ass, or both.
The time passed rapidly until the 22d,
and IL seemed once as though our instru-
ment would not be placed at R on the
desired day so many unforeseen difficult
ties arose to delay US.
But DIR. Murray was rs energetic rs he
was enthusiastic, and the night Of the 2lst
found us installed on the top floor of the
Hotel Irving and the instrument placed in
q temporary observatory erected ON the
roof
DIR. Murray and had small interest in
anything else. We were thinking with all
our energies of the experiment tomorrow
and its result What would it be:
But tomorrow became today, and slowly
the forenoon dragged itself through until
it lacked but - minutes of the appointed
time to begin our experiment. And what
would we learn il Murray 5 discuv cry were
right?
What wonders would that great golden
orb yield To our inquisitiye eyes?
Somehow felt strangely oppressed as I
paced ny and down tho hall outside our
rooms, rs with some impending evil, and
TO quiet my nerves lighted another cigar
As | did so Murray came up to me, and
was startled to note how strangely pale he
was nut before | could speak he stopped
mo with gesture.
"Hefman," be said, 1--WE are all ready
now to put my discovery to the test. What
it will provo | cannot say, but | feel that
something strange and terrible is about to
happen. don't doubt that the telescope
will work, that my discovery will prove
successful, but | am certain that what it
I. f,r
agination.
"But, doctor, you GER interrupted.
"No, no, Hoffman, let us not talk about
It, Let us goand see. But first promised
that on the day we made this experiment
I would reveal the formula Of my discov-
cry, and l Will do SO now"
Never mind that now, doc. Wait till
we see If it works Let us go up to the OBJ
servatory and l led the way up the
stairs Murray quickly following.
AS we stepped on the roof | glanced at
my watch. 1t lacked but five minutes, and
l strolled over to the telescope and began
carefully examining its adjustments for
at least the hundrcdth time.
ASH did so was startled by the loud
clang of the fire alarm and cries OF Fire.
Fire" in tho street below.
l turned toward Murray, but no was
! hurrying toward the edge OF the roof fac
ing the street, and started to follow, only
to be stopped before | could take half a
dozen steps by Murray, who had been
leaning over tho edgc Of the roof, and now
turned to me with blanched face and cx-
claimed
Good heavens, Hoffman, it IL the no.
tel, and IL is ono mass Of flames.
He turned again 70 the street, and rs he
( :
! in his excitement he loaned farther out
/ than lie thought, and AS made "a wild,
foolhardy reach fer him no plunged head
/ long into the street below.
l leaned, horror struck, over the roof
md gazed into the street, only to be con
! frontcd by "a soothing mass Of flames and
great. cddying clouds of smoke, which
| seemed to pour from every window in tho
/ building, while from the opposite side Of
/ the street could see men rXeitrdly run
ming toa spot directly beneath where
stood
Then tho Peril Of my position burst
moro fully upon mo and l ran for the
stairway.
AS | passed the telescope an uneontroll
able desire to take ono look ut tho sun,
now almost overhead possessed me, and |
turned back.
1t was but tho work Of an instant to ad
| lust the lenses and turn the instrument
on that great golden orb Then pressed
my eye to the tube only to pinch myself
to make sure l was awake.
At once all thought of fro and the aw
full fate OF Murray left my mind | could
see nothing, know nothing but the scene
spread before my eye.
Tho scene on tho glass seemed divided
ii ia
ding, the other bright, sparkling, blind
ing Asmy eye became more accustomed
to the glass | could see that the two parts
Of the picture were divided by broad
stream of water that flowed with swift,
raging current, and tho scene on the right
which had appeared to glow with the
brilliance Of raging flames was a city of