Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-09-23

ment would not be placed at R on the
desired day, so many unforeseen Difficult
ties arose to delay us.
But DR.. Murray was as energetic as he
was enthusiastic, and the night of the 21st
found us installed on the top floor of the
Hotel Irving and the instrument placed in
a temporary observatory erected Oh the
roof
DR.. 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 beF
But tomorrow became today, and slowly
the forenoon dragged itself through until
it lacked but 10 minutes of the appointed
time to begin our experiment. And what
rightp
What wonders would that great golden
orb yield to our inquisitive eyes?
Somehow felt strangely oppressed as l
paced up and down the hall outside our
rooms, as with some impending evil and
to quiet my nerves lighted another cigar.
As I did SO Murray came up to me, and l
was startled to note how strangely pale he
was, but before could speak he stopped
me with gesture.
Hoffman," he said, 1--WE are all ready
now to put my discovery to the test What
1t will prove cannot say, but feel that
something strange and terrible is about to
happen. I don't doubt that the telescope
will work, that my discovery will prove
successful, but am certain that what it
will reveal will be far beyond our i'm
agination."
"But, doctor, you cer''- interrupted.
"No, no, Hoffman, let us not talk about
it. Let us 60 and see But first promised
that on the day we made this experiment
I would reveal the formula of my discov-
cry, and will do SO now"
"Never mind that now, doc. Wait till
we see if it works. Let us go up to the OBJ
seryatory," and 1 led the way up the
stairs, Murray quickly following.
AS we stepped on the roof l glanced at
my watch. 1t lacked but five minutes, and
/ strolled over to the telescope and began
carefully examining it's adjustments for
at least the hundredth time
AS did so was startled by the loud
clang of the fire alarm and cries of Fire!
Fire'' in the street below.
I turned toward Murray but he 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 the edge of the roof, and now
turned to me with blanched face and ex
claimed:
"Good heavens, Hoffman, it is the ho-
tel, and it is one mass of flames. -
He turned again to the street, and as he
did SO cry of horror escaped my lips, for
in his excitement he leaned farther out
than he thought, and as l made wild,
foolhardy reach for him he plunged head
long into the street below.
I leaned, horror struck, over the roof
and gazed into the street, only to be con-
fronted by seething mass of flames and
great, eddying clouds of smoke, which
seemed to pour from every window in the
building, while from the opposite side of
the street could see men excitedly run
ming to spot directly beneath where l
| stood.
Then the peril of my position burst
more fully upon mo and l ran for the
stairway.
AS passed the telescope an uncontroll-
able desire to take one look at the sun.
now almost overhead, possessed me, and
turned back.
1t was but the work of an instant to ad
| just 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 FIRE and the aw
| full fate of Murray left my mind. l could
see nothing, know nothing but the scene
spread before my eye.
The scene on the glass seemed divided
into two parts, one dark, cold and forbid
ding, the other bright, sparkling, blind
| ing. AS my eye became more accustomed
to the glass could see that the two parts
| Of the picture were divided by a broad
stream of water that flowed with swift,
raging current, and the scene on the right,
which had appeared to glow with tho
brilliance of raging flames, was city of
magnificent size surrounded by a gigantic
wall, and the material of which the wall
and buildings were constructed glowed
with phosphorescent quality equal to
millions of incandescent lamps.
The scene on the left was broad and
bare, only wide, rough plains of jagged,
cumbersome rocks and dark, deep assures,
backed with mighty mountain peaks,
standing brown and ugly in the clear at
mosphere.
AS I studied the surface more closely 1
discovered an object moving rapidly to-
ward the river.
Eagerly, feverishly, T. screwed up the
adjustments until the figure of man
stood out plainly
Carefully examined him, then rubbed
my forehead in bewildernent. Was l
crazed? Had gone stark mad? Horrors!
I sprang from the instrument in terror
and fell unconscious to the floor.
They tell me lay in a wild delirium of
brain fever for weeks, but all know Is
that when came to myself was in the
R. hospital, too weak almost to speak,
with gentle, white capped nurse at my
side.
tried to speak, but she stopped me
with gesture, and dropped off to sleep.
When awoke again, l asked:
"The hotel9 Murray
"There, be quiet, Mr.. Hoffman; do not
excite yourself. The hotel was entirely
destroyed, and you were saved by a mir
aole almost" the nu ise answered.
"But Murray He-he--is deadp"
stammered.
The nurse nodded her head in assent.
| . FOr weeks dIter lhy Weah'J struggling
between life and death, but ! at last be-
gan to rally, and theh I asked how had
been saved and to see my preserver.
He was a strapping young man Of 90,
who seemed ashamed Of having been gull
ty of heroic deed.
/ When I asked about the telescope, he
looked surprised and answered:
why. you see, that is what knocked
| you silly, sir. Just as stepped on the
roof you gave cry and jumped from your
seat by the telescope and heayed over on
the roof with the old concern on top Of
you."
For minute thought, then asked: