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

beyond the atmosphere or the eortns
Provisions had been made 10 meet tne
terrible cold which we knew would pe
encountered the moment we had passe"
beyond the atmosphsre-that awful aD-
soiute zero which men had measured py
anticipation but never yet experienced
bv n simple system OF producing wi'nln
the air-tlght suits temperature sum-
GENTLY elevated TO counteract the anects
of the frigidlty withou. BY means OF
long. flexible tubes. air coulh be con-
tinuallv supplied ito the wearers OF the
suits. and by an Ingenious contrlvahce
store OF compressed air suffcient 10
last for several hours was PROVIDED lor
each suit. so that in case Of necessity
the wearer could throw of the tunes
connecting him with the air tanks IN
the car. Another object which he'd been
kept In view In the preparation OF these
suits was the possible exploration OF an
alrless planet, such as the moon.
The necessity Of some contrivance by
means OF which we should be enabled
to converse with one another when on
the outside OF the cars In open space,
or when in an airless world, Ike the
moon. where there would be no medium
by which the waves OF sound could be
| conveyed as they are In the atmosphere
Of the earth, had been foreseen by our
great inventor, ana TIC Hd' it'N A'"'N -
difficult TO contrive suitable devices for
meeting the emergency.
Inside the headplece Of each OF tho
| electrical suits was the mouthpiece or
a telephone. This was connected with
n wire which, when not In use, could
be conveniently coiled upon the arm OF
the wearer Near the ears. similarly
connected with wires, were telephone
| receivers.
When two persons wearing the air
| TIGHT dresses wished TO converse with
one another II was only necessary for
them TO connect themselves by the
| wires and conversation could then be
easily carried on.
| Careful calculations Of the precise
distance OF Mars from the earth at the
| time when the expedition was 20 start.
had been made by a large number or
experts in mathematical astronomy
! But II was not Mr.. Edison's intention
to go direct TO Mars. With the excep-
ton of the first electrical ship, which
| he had completed, none had yet been
| tried in a long voyage. IL was desir-
able. that the qualities OF each OF the
| ships should be carefully tested, and
for this reason the leader Of the expe-
dition determined that the moon should
be the first port OF space at which the
squadron would call.
1t CHANGED that the moon was so sit
uated al this time as 70 be nearly IN
a line between the earth and Mars
/ which latter was I'm opposition 10 the
sun, and consequently as favorably SIT
uatsd as possible for the purposes OF
| the voyage What would be, then, Tor
! ninety OF the hundred ships OF the
squadron, a trial trip would az the same
/ ~ ar ~
OF miles gained I'm the direction or our
| Journey, and so no time would be vast
ed.
The departure from the earth was ar
ranged TO oc u- precisely az midnight.
| Tho moon near the full was hanging
high over head, and a marvellous spec
tacle was presented to the eyes OF those
below az the great squadron Of floating
ships. with their signal lights ablaze.
cast loose and began slowly 10 move
} away on their adventurous and UMPIRE
cedented expedition into the great UNI
known. A tremendous cheer, blllowing
no from the Threats OF millions or ex-
| cited men and women. seemed 20 reno
the curtain Of the night, and made the
air-ships trembe with the atmospheric
| vibrations that were set In motion.
| Instantly magnificent fireworks were
4
Rockets by hundreds OF thousands shot
heavenward. and then burst in constslla-
lions OF fiery drops. The sudden lllu-
mination thus produced, overspreading
! hundreds OF square miles of the surface
| II the earth with q light almost Ike
/ that OF day. must certainly have been
visible 20 the inhabitants OF Mars, II
they were watching us at the time.
| They might, or might not, correctly m
terpret its significance; hut, al any rate
we did not care. We were Off and were
confident that we could meet our enemy
on his own ground before he could at
tack us again.
And now. as we clowly rose higher. a
marvellous scene was disclosed ~
first the earth beneath us. buried as II
was in night, resembled the hollow OF
n vast cup OF ebony blackness, in the
! center Of which, ike the molten lava
| run together at the bottom Of volcanic
| crater. shone the light Of the illumina-
tons around New York. But when we
got beyond the atmosphere. and the earth
| stlll continued TO recede below us, its as
meet changed. The cup-shaped appear
| ance was gone. and it began to round ont
beneath our eyes IN the form Of a vast
| globe-an enormous ball mysterlously
! suspended under US, glimmerlng over
| most of its surface with the FAINT ilu-
mination OF the moon and showing to-
ward the eastern edge the oncoming light
OF the rising sun.
When we were still further away. hav-
! ing slightly varied our course so that the
sun was cree more entirely hidden behind
! the centre OF the earth. We saw its atmo-
| sphere completely illuminated all around
It with prismatic lights, like gigantic
rainbow in the form Of a ring.
Another shift I'm our course rapidly
carried ~ out OF the shadow Of the earth
and into the all pervading sunshine.
Then the great planet beneath us hung
! unspeakable in its beauty. The outlines
OF several OF the continents were clearly
dlscernible on It's surface. streaked and
spotted with the delicate shades Of vary
ing color. and the sunlight flashed and
glowed I'm long lanes across the convex
surface OF the oceans Parallel with the
Equator and along the regions Of tine
ever blowing trade winds. were vast belts
OF clouds, gorgeous with crimson and
purple as the sunlight fell upon them
Immense expansss OF snow and Ice lay
like a glittering garment upon both land
and sea around the North Pole.
AS we gazed upon this magnificent
spectacle. our hearts bounded within US
This vas our earth-thls was the planet
we were going 10 defend-our home In
the trackless wilderness OF space. And
It seemed 10 US indeed a home for which
we might gladly expend our last breath
A new determination 10 conquer or die
sprung up in our hearts. and saw Lord
Kelvin. after gazing al the beauteous
scene which the earth presented through