Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-11-10

INC situtttOH Ou NhtES, us we WcrN Wtli
aware, resembled what had air, ady
been Known upon the earth. where the
older nations overlooking with pnnula-
ton had sought new lands in which to
settle, and for that purpose had driven
out the native inhabitants whenever
those natives had proved unable to re-
sist the invasion.
No man could forescc the issue of
what we were about to undertake, but
the tremendous powers which the dis!n-
tegrators had exhibited and the marvel
Gus efficiency of the electrical ships
bred almost universal confidence that
we should DO successful.
The car in which Mr.. Edison Travelled
was, of course, the flagship If the
squadron, and | had the good fortune to
be included among its inmates. Here,
besides several leading men of science
from our own country, were Lord Kcl-
vim, Lord Rayleigh, Professor Roentgen.
DIR. Moissan-thc man who first made
artificial diamonds-and several others
whose fame had encircled the world.
Each of these men cherished hopes of
wonderful discoveries along his line of
investigation to be made. in Mars.
An elaborate system cf signals had.
of course, to be devised for the control
of the squadron. These signals consist.
ell Of brilliant electric lights displayed
Mt night and So controlled that by their
means long sentences and directions
could be easily and quickly transmitted.
The day signals consisted partly of
brightly cclored peunants and flags
which were to serve only when. shad-
owed by clouds or other distractions,
the full sunlight should not fall upon
the ships. This could naturally only
occur rcar the surface of the earth or of
another planet
Once out Of the shadow Of the earth
we should have no more clouds and no
more night until we arrived at Mars.
In open space the sun would be contin-
ually shining Ii would he perpetual
day for us, except as, by artificial
means. we furnished ourselves with
darkness for the purpose of promoting
sleep In this region of perpetual day,
then, the signals were also to be trans
mitted by flashes of light from mirrors
rejecting the avs OF the sun
Yet this perpetual day would be also.
in one sense, Il perpetual night There
would he no more blue sky for rs, be-
cause without IN atmosphere the sun
light could not be ditfused Objects
would be illuminated only ON the side
toward the sun. Anything that screened
oil the direct rays of sunlight would
produce absolute darkness behind IL
There would be no graduation of shnd-
ow The sky would be rs black as ink
on all sides.
While 1t was the intention to remain
as much rs possible within the cars. yet
since 1t was probable that necessity
would arise for occasionally quitting
the interior of the electrical ships MIR
Edison had provided Tor this emergency
by inventlnc an alright dress construct
ed somewhat after the manner of n div.
er's suit, but of much lighter material.
Each ship was provided with several Of
these suits, by wearing which II could
venture outside the car even when 1t
was teyond the atmosphere Of the earth
Provision had been made 10 meet the
tCEIllC CuLU NIiNu We hEtN NUIlN lS
encountered the moment we had passed
beyond the atmosphere-that awful alb
solute zero which men had measured by
anticipation, but never yet experienced
by n simple system of producing
within the alright suits a Temperature
sufficiently elevated 10 counterfeit the
effects of the friIidity without BY
means of long. flexible tubes air could
be continually supplied TO the wearcrs
OF the suits. and by an ingenious con-
trlvance a store of compressed mir sufii.
cient 10 last for several hours was pro-
vided for each suit, so that in case Of
necessity the wearer could throw of the
tubes connecting him with the air tanks
i'll the car Another object which had
been kept III view in the preparation Of
these suits was the possible exploration
of an airless planet, such as the noon.
The necessity of some contrivancr by
means of which we should lie enabled
TO converse with one another when on
the outside of the cars in open splce. or
when In an alrleSs world. like the moon.
where there would be no medium ry
which the waves of sound could ba con
veyed as they arc in the atmosphere Of
TIE earth, had been foreseon by orr
great inventor, and ne had NOT found II
difficult to contrive suitable devices for
meeting the emergency
Inside the headpiece of each of the
electrical suits was the mouthpiece Of a
telephone. This was connected with IA
wire which, when not in use, could be
conveniently coiled upOn the arm OF the
wearer Near the ears, similarly con
nected with wires, were telephone re-
celvers.
When two persons wearing the air.
tight dresses wished 10 converse with
n another, it was only necessary for
them to connect themselves by the wires
and conversation could then DO easily
carried on.
Careful calculations Of the precise
distance of Mars from the earth at the
time when the expedition WIS 20 star.
had been made by a large number of ex-
perts IN mathematical astronomy But
II was not Mr. Edison's Intention To 60
direct to Mars. With the exception Of
the first electrical ship, which he had
completed, none had yet been tiled in "A
long voyage 1t was desirable that tho
qualities of each of the ships should ba
carefully tested, and for this reason tho
leader of the expedition determined that
the moon should be the first port of
space at which the squadron would call