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

sprang To its work Of preparation.
1t is not necessary for me to describe
the manner in which Mr.. Edison per-
formed his tremendous task. He was as
good as his word, and within six
months from the first stroke of the ham
mer 100 electrical ships, each provided
with Il full battery of disintegrators,
were floating i'll the air above the har
Dor and the partially rebuilt city Of New
York.
1t was u wonderful scene. The pol
ished sides of tho huge floating cars
sparkled in tho sunlight, and as they
slowly rose and fell and swung this
way and that upon the tides Of the air
as if held by invisible cables the bril-
liant pennons streaming from their
peaks waved mp and down like the
wings Of an aS>cmblage Of gigantic
humming birds.
Not knowing whether the atmosphere
Of Mars would prove suitable to he
breathcd by inhabitants of the earth.
Mr.. Edison had made provision by
means If an abundance Of glass protect
ed openings, to permit the inmates of
the electrical ships to survey their SUI
~roundings without quitting the interior.
1t WAS possible Ivy properly selecting
the rate of undClation tn pass the vibra-
tory impulse from the disintegrators
through the glass windows of IA car
without damage to the glass itself. The
windows were so arranged that the dis
integrators could sweep around the car
in every direction.
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 if we
could not resist their effects we might
at least be able IL avoid them by the
rapidity of our motions. AS he pointed
ont. the wal machines which the Mar
tians had employed in their invasion If
the earth were really very awkward and
unmanarcahle affairs. Mr.. Edison's
electrical ships. on the other hand, We're
marvels Of speed and Of mG"agoahili,y,
They could dart about, turn, reverse
their course. rise, fall with the quick
ness and ease Of a FISH i'll the water. Mr..
Edison calculated that even if mysteri.
Gus bolts should fall upon u ships we
could diminish their power To cause in
jury by our rapid evolutions.
We might lie deceived III our cxpec-
tations and might have overestimated
u 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 Washington now thronged
New York and its ncighborhood To wit.
ness the mastering and the departure Of
the ships bound for Mars. Nothing fur
ther had been heard Of the mysterious
phenomenon reported from the otserva-
tories six months before and which ut
tn time was believed TO indicate the
departure of another expedition from
Mars for the invasion of the earth. II
the Martians had set ont to attack us,
they had evidently gone astray, or per
hapS ii was some other world that they
Were aiming AT this time.
The expedition had, of course, pro-
foundly stirred the interest of the scien-
tiiic world, and representatives of every
branch of science from all the civilized
nations urg d their claims TO places in
the ships. Mr., Edison was compelled,
from lack of room, To refuse transporta.
ton TO mere than one in n thousand of
those who now, on the plea that they
might be atle to bring back something
of advantage 10 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 i'll his invasion
Of Egypt, Mr.. Edison selected a COM
paEy Of the foremost astronomers, ar
ch,eologists, anthropologists, botanists,
psychologists, chemists, physicists,
mathema,icians, m~echanicians, meteor
oloSis,s and experts in mining, metal-
lurgy and every other branch of prac-
teal science, as well as artists and pi y
toeraphers. Ii was but reasonable to be-
lieve that in another world, and n world
so much older than the earth as Mars
was, these men would be able to gather
materials i'll comparison with which the
discoveries made among the ruins of an
cient empires in Egypt and Babylonia
would be insignificant indeed.
IL vas u wonderful undertaking and
a strange spectacle. There was n feeling
of uncertainty which awed the vast
multitude whose eyes We're uptprned TO
the ships. The expedition was not large,
considering the gigantic character Of
the undertaking. Zach Of the electrical
ships carried about 20 men, together
with an abundant supply of compressed
provisions, compressed air, scientific ap.
paratus and So N. In all, there were
about 1000 men. who were going TO
conquer, if they could, another world.
Bat though few in numbers they rep
resented the flower of the earth, the cul-
mination of the genius Of the planet.
The greatest leaders in science. both
theoretical and practical, were there. Ii
was the evolution of the earth against
the evolution Of Mars. 1t was a planet
in the heyday of its strength matched
against AN aged and decrepit world,
which nevertheless in consequence of
its long ages of existence had acquired
an experience which made il n most
dangerous foe. On both sides there was
desperation. The earth was desperate
because ii foresaw destruction unless it
could first destroy its enemy. Mars was
desperate because nature was gradually
depriving it Of the means of supporting
life, and its teeming population was
compelled to swarm like the inmates of