The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-02-06

i, was n wonderful scene. The pol
isbcd sides of tho huge floating cars
sparkled in tho sunlight, and, as they
slowly rose and fell, and swung this
way ana that upon the tices OF the air,
as II held by Invisible cables, the bril-
liant pennons streaming from their peaks
waved up and down like the wings OF an
assemhia9e OF gigantic humming birds.
Not knowing whether the atmosphere OF
Mars would prove suitable 10 De Dreatneu
by the Inhabitants q the eartn, Mr. Ed
son haid made provision, by means OF
an abundance OF glass-protected openings.
| to permit the inmates OF the electrical
! chin, IN survey their surroundings with
| out quitting the interior. 1t was %
| bv proper,y se,e.tlng me rae OF undu-
| Iation 10 pass the vibratory Impulse from
| the disintegrators through the glass WIN
| dnws Of the car without damage 10 the
glass itself. The windows were 30 arrang-
| ed that the disintegrators could sweep
around the car on all sides, and could
| also be directed above or below, as neces-
sity night dictate.
To overcome the destructive forces
employed by the Martians no satisfac-
| tory plan had yet been devised. because
there was no means to experiment with
them. The production OF those forces
was still the secret OF our enemies. But
| Mr. Edison had no doubt that II we
could not resist their effects We might
| at least be able to avoid them by the
rapidity Of our motions. As he pointed
out the war machines which the Mar
tians had employed In their invasion
OF the earth, were really very awkward
and unmanageable affairs. Mr. Edison
| electrical ships. on the other hand We're
! marvels Of speed and OF manageablllty'
tfsrf their
course. rise. fall. with the quickness and
ease Of fish in the water Mr.. Edison
calculated that even II mysterious bolts
should fall upon our ships, we could d.
, minish their mower to cause injury by
our rapid evoutions.
we might be deceived In our expscta-
tons, and might have overestimated our
powers. but at any rate we must take
our chances and try.
A multitude. exceeding even that which
had assembled during the great congress
| at Washii gton now thronged New YORK
| and its noighborhood 10 witness ,ne mus
| terng and the departure or the snlps
bound for Mars. Nothing furthsr had
been heard OF the mysterious phenomenon
! reported from the obseryatories SIX
| months before. and which at that time
was believed TO indicate the departure
| of another expedition from Mars for the
invasion OF the earth. II the Martians
had set out to attack us they had evid-
| emily gone astray or, perhaps IL "as
some other world that they were aiming
at this time.
The expedition had, OF course, pro-
foundly stirred the interest OF the scieh-
tllc world. and representatives, OF every
| branch Of science. from all the civiiizeo
| nations. urged their claims TO places IN
|
! from lack Of room, TO refuse transporla-
ton TO more than one in thousand OF
those who now, on the plea that they
might be able 10 bring back something
Of advantage to science, wished TO en-
bark for Mars.
on the model OF the celebrated corps
Of literary and scientific men which Ma
! poleon carried with him In his invasion
| Of Egypt. Mr.. Edison selected com
pany OF the foremost astronomers, arena
eologists. anthropologists, ootanists' bac-
terialogists chemists, physicists ma
thcmaticians mechanicians, meteorolo-
gists and experts in mining, metalinrgy
| and every other branch OF practical
| science. as well as artists and photo
| graphers. IL was but reasonable 10 be-
nove that in another world, and world
! 50 much older than the earth as Mars
was. these men would be able TO gather
materials In comparison with when the
discoveries made among the ruins or an
| cent empires In Egypt and BaDylohia
would be insignificant indeed.
II was a wonderful undertaking and
strange spectacle. There was feel
ing of uncertainty which awed the vast
multitude whose eyes were upturned TO
the ships. The expedition was not large
| considering the gigantic character OF the
! - no al El1nQ
carried about twenty men. together with
an abundant supply Of compressed pro-
visions. compressed air. scientific appa-
! ratus and so on. in all, there were about
700 men, who were going 10 conquer II
hey could another world!
But though few I'm numbers. they rep
resented the flower OF the earth the Gull
mination Of the genius OF the planet.
| The greatest leaders in science both
| theoretical and practical, were there
| IL was the evolution OF the earth against
the evolution Of Mars. il was planet
i'm the heydey OF its strength matched
against an aged and deoreplt world
which, nevertheless. in consequence or It's
long ages Of existence, had acquired an
| experience which made II a most dan
| gerous foe on both sides there was des-
peration The earth was desperate be-
cause Il foresaw destruction unless X
could first destroy its enemy. Mars was
| desperate because nature was gradually
depriving II of the means Of supporting
life. and its teeming population was COM
pelled to swarm like the inmates OF an
overcrowded hive of bees, and find new
homes elsewhere. In this respect the
situation on Mars, as We were well
aware, resembled what had already been
known upon the earth. where the older
nations overlooking with population had
sought new lands In which to settle, and
Off that purpose had driven out the ma
tive inhabitants whenever those natives
had proved unable 10 resist the invasion.
No man could foresee the Issue OF what
we were about TO undertake. but the
tremendous powers which the dislntegra-
tors had exhibited and the marvellous
efficiency of the electrical ships bred al
most universal confidence that We should
be successful.
The car in which Mr.. Edison travelled
was. OF course, the flagship OF the
squadron, and ! had the good fortune
to be included among it's inmates. Here,
besides the several leading men or sciencs
from our own country. were Lord KEEL
vim, Lord Rayleigh. Professor koentgen'
DR.. Molssan-the nan who flrst made ar
tidcial dlamonds-and several DINERS
whose fame had encircled the worId
Each OF these men cherished hopes OF
wonderful discoveries, along MS line o.
investigation, 10 be made In Mars.
An elaborate system Of signals had.
of course. to be devised for the control
OF the squadron. These signals con-
sisted OF brilliant electric lights displayed