Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-11-24

But we were not to got tho victory
quite so easily. There was another OF
the war engines in the car, and before
we could concentrate our fire upon it it,
awful flash shot forth, and dozen OF
our comrades persisted before our eyes.
Quick Quick !" shouted Mr.. Edison
/ to one of his electrical experts standing
near. There is something tho matter
with this disintegrator, and l cannot
make it work. Aim at the knob and
don't miss it, "
But the aim was not we'll taken, and
the vibratory force fell upon portion
OF the car at considerable distance
from the knob, making great breach,
but leaving the engine uninjured.
section of the side of the car had
been destroyed, and tho vibratory ener.
gy had spread no farther. To have at.
tempted to sweep the car from end &c
end would have been futile, because
the period of action of the disintegrator,
during each discharge did not exceed
one second, and distributing tho energy
over so great space would have seri.
ously weakened its power to shatter
apart the atoms of the resisting sub.
stance. The disintogrators were like
firearms in that after each disch" rge
they must be readjusted before ley
could 10 used again.
Through the breach we saw the Mar
tians inside making desperate efforts to
train their engine upon us. for after
their first disastrous stroke we had rap.
idly shifted our position. Swiftly the
polished knob, which cleaned like an
evil eye, moved round to sweep over us.
lnstinctively. though iucautopsly, we
bad collected in "A group.
A single discharge would sweep us
all into eternity.
Twill no one fire upon them?" ex-
claimed Mr.. Edison, struggling with
the disintegrator in his hands, which
still refused to work.
At this fearful moment | glanced
around upon our company and was as
tonished at the spectacle. In tho pres.
ence of the danger many of them had
lost all self command. A half dozen had
dropped their disintegrators upon the
ground. Others stood as it frozen fast
i'll their tracks. The expert electrician
whose poor aim had had such disastrous
results held in his hand an instrumo mt
which was in perfect condition, yet
with mouth agapo he stood trembling
like captured bird.
III was disgraceful exhibition. Mr..
Edison, however, had not lost his head.
Again and again he sighted at the dread
full knob with his disntegrator, but the
vibratory force refused to respond.
The means of safety were in our
hands, and yot through combination
OF i'll luck and paralyzing terror we
seemed unable to uso them
In second more it would be all over
with us.
The suspense in reality lasted only
during tho twinkling of an eye, though
1t seemed ages long.
Unable to endure it, l sharply struck
the shoulder of the paralyZed olectri-
clan, 70 have attempted to seiza the
disintegrator from his hands would
havo been fatal waste of time. Luck
lily the blow either reused him from his
stupor or caused an instructive move
ment OF his hand that set tina little en-
CINE in operation.
am sure he took no aim, but prov
identially the vihratory forca fell upon
tho desired point end the knob disap-
peared
We wero saved!
Instantly half dozen rushed toward
the car OF the .Martians. We bitterly re-