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

direction by forces which seemed o.
some remote period to have labored at
tearing this little world In pieces.
1t was a fearful spectacle-a dead
and inangled world too dreadful to look
upon. The idea of the death of the
moon was, of course, not a new one to
many of us. We had long been aware
that the earth's satellite was a body
which bad passed beyond the stage of
life, if indeed it had ever been a life
supporting globe; but none of us was
prepared for the terrible spectacle which
now smote our eyes.
At each end of the semicircular ridge
that incloses the bay of Rainbows there
is a lofty promontory. That at the north
western extremity had long been known
to astronomers under the name of Cape
Laplace. The other p~rom0ntory, at the
southeastern termination, is called Cape
Heraclidcs. 1t was toward the latter
that we were approaching, and by in.
terchange of signals all the members Of
the squadron had been informed that
Cape Heraclides was to be our rendez-
vous upon the moon.
/ may say that l had been somewhat
familiar with the scenery of this part Of
the lunar world, for l had often studied
1t from the earth with n telescope, and
l had thought that if there was any
part Of tho moon where one might with
fair expectation of success look for In
habitants, or If not for Inhabitants at
least for relics of life no longer existent
there, this would surely be the place.
Ii was, therefore, with no small degree
of curiosity. Notwithstanding the unex.
pectedly frightful and repulsive appear
ance that tho surface of the moon pre-
sented, that l now saw myself rapidly
approaching the region concerning
whose secrets my imagination had so
often busted itself. When dir. Edison
and l had paid our previous visit to the
moon OH the first experimental trip Of
the electrical ship, we had landed at a
point on its surface remote i,Om this,
and, as | have before explained, we then
made no effort to investigate its secrets.
But now it was to be different, and we
were at length TO see something of the
wonders of the moon.
L Hhu Ol(tu Ou inc cirtn uraWn u
smile from my friends by showing them
Cape Heraclides with q Telescope and
calling their attention to the fact that
the OUTLINE of the peak terminating the
cape was such as to present u remark
able resemblance to a human tacc, un-
~mistakably a feminine countenance,
sean in profile and possessing no -r,all
degree Of beauty. 70 my "'t. nishment
this curious human semblance still re-
manned when we had approached so
close to the moon that the mountains
forming the cape filled nearly the whole
field of view of the window from which
| was watching it. The resemblance
indeed was most startling.
Can this indeed be Diana herself:"
| said half aloud, but instantly after
ward l was laughing at my fancy. for
Mr.. Edison had overheard me and ex-
claimed, where is she."
"Who:"
Diana"
why, there" / said, pointing to
the moon But, 10, the appearance was
gone even while l spoke. \ swift
change mad taken place in the line of
sight by which we were viewing it, and
the likeness had disappeared in conse-
guence.
A few moments later my astonish-
ment was revived, but the cause this
time was a very different one. We had