The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-30


vasion of the earth by the Martians
should go without record. and the circum-
stances having placed the facts at my
disposal. deem II duty, both 10 pos
terity and TO those who were witnesses
of and participants in the avenging
counterstroke that the earth dealt back
at its ruthless enemy in the heavens,
10 write down the story in connected
form
The Martans had nearly all perished
not through our puny efforts, but in
consequence of disease. and the few sur
vivors fed IN one Of their proJectile cars,
inllicting their cruelest blow In the act
of departure.
They possessed a mysterious explosive.
Of unimaginable puissance, with whose
aid they set their car In motion Cor
Mars from a point in Bergen county,
y. j., just back Of the Palisades
The force OF the explosion may be i'm
aeined when 1t is recolected that they
had TO give the car velocity OF more
than seven miles per second IN order 10
overcome the attraction OF the earth and
the resistance Of the atmosphere.
The shock destroyed all of New York
that had not already fallen prey, ana
all the building yet standing In the sur
rounding towns and cities fei in one FAR
circllng ruin.
The Palisades tumbled Ia vast sheets,
starting tidal wave in the Hudson that
drowned the opposite shore.
The victims OF this ferocious explosion
were Numbered by tens Of thousands,
and the shock. transmitted through the
rocky frame OF the globe. was recorded
by seismOgraphiC pendulumS In England
and on the Continent of Europe.
The terrible results achieved by the
invaders had produced everywhere min
gled feeling OF CONSERVATION ana nope
lessness. The devastation was widespread.
The death-dealing engines which the Mar
tians had brought with them had proved
Irresistible and the inhabitants OF the
cartn possessed nothing capable OF con-
tending against them. There had been no
protection for the great cities; no protec-
ton even for the open country. Every
thing had gone down before the savage
onslaught Of those merciless inVad-
ers from space Savage ruins COW
cred the sites OF many formerly
fourishing towns and villages, and
the broken walls Of great cities star
ed at the heavens like the exhumed skel-
eton OF POmpeii The awful agencies had
extirpated pastures ana meadows ana
dried up the very springs or tertllty IN
The earth where they had touched IT, In
some parts OF the devastated land pesti-
lence broke out; elsewhere there was
famine. Dependency. black as night,
Drooded over some OF the fairest portions
of the globe.
Yet all had not been destroyed. be-
whitening hand Of the destroyer The
Martians had not had time 10 complete
their work before they themselves fell
a prey TO diseases that carried them of
at the very elimination Of their triumph
From those lands which had fortunate
~. escaped inva sion. relief was sent 10
the sufferers. The outDurst Of pity and
charity exceeded anything hat tho world
had known. Differences of race and reilg-
ion were swallowed up m the universal
sympathy which was felt for those VINO
had suffered so terribly from an evil that
was as unexpected as ii was unimagina-
be in its cnOrmtty.
But the worst was not yet More dread
ful than The actual suffering and the
scenes OF death and devastation which
oversprcad the afflicted lands was the
profound mental and moral depression
that followed. This was shared even by
those who had moi seen the Martians.
and had not witnessed the destructive
effects of tho frightful engines of war
that they had imported for the conquest
Of fhe earth. All mankind was sunk deep
IN this universal despair. and ~ became
tenfOld backer when the astronomers
announced from their obseryatorics that
Strange lights were visible, moving and
naahine upon the red surface Of the
Planet OF War. These mysterious appear
ances could only be Interpreted i'm the
light OF past experience to mean that
the Martians were preparing for another
invasion OF the earth. and who could
doubt that with the inStncible powers OF
destruction at their command they wslld
this time make their work complete and
Anal?
This stirling announcement was the
more pitiablc i'm its effects because il
served to unneTve and discourage those
Few OF stouter hearts and more hopeful
tempcraments who had already begun |
the labor Of restoration amid the eiefers
of their desolated homes In New York
this feeling Of hope and confidence. this
determination TO rise against disaster and |
he. -
presence as quickly as possible had es- !
pecially manifested itself. Already COM !
pany had been formed and large
amount OF capital subscribed for the re-
construction of the destroyed bridges over ,
the East river. Already architects We're
busily at work planning new twenty-StOry !
hotels and apartment houses; new !
churches and new cathedraS on a grander !
scale than before. Amid this stir of re-
newed life came the fatal news that Mars |
was undoubtedly preparing 10 deal US a |
death blow. The sudden revulsiOn OF feel !
ing fitted Ike the shadow OF an eclipse |
over the earth. The scenes that followed |
were indescribable Men lost their reason. |
with d-destruction. the stout hearted !
steadfast. but without hope and |
knowing not what to 90.
But there was CLEAN OF hope of which |
the general public as yet knew nothing. |
IL was due TO a Few dauntlesS men or [
science. conspicuous among whom We're 1
Lord Kelvin, the great English savanti |
Herr EOentgen the discoVerer of the ia |
nous N-ray; and especially Thomas \. |
Edison, the American genius OF science. |
These men and few others had exam |
med with the utmost care the engines OF |
war the flying machines. the generators !
II mysterious destructive forces that the
Martians had produced, with the object |
Of discovering, II possible, the sources OF
their power.
Suddenly from Mr.. Edisons laboratory
L orange nasned the starting intelligence
hat he had net onN discovered the man !
10 produce the mighty energies which
hey employed with such terrible effect.
but that. going further he had found a
way TO overcome them.
The glad news was quickly circulated
throughout the civilized world. Luckily
no Atlantic cables had not been destroyed
IN the Martians so that communication
,etween the Eastern and Western con-
lnents was uninterrupted. II was proud
aay for America. Even while the Martians
had been upon the earth, carrying every
hing before them. demonstrating TO the
confusion OF the most optimistic that
there was no possibility OF standing
against them. feeling--a confidence had
itself In France. to a minor
,xtent in England. and particularly IN
Russia, that the Americans might dis
over means 20 meet ana master the In
,aders.
Now, II seemed. this hope and expecta
ion were 70 DO realized. Too late, II Is
rue. TO d certain sense. but not too late
o meet the new invasion which the
astronomers had announced was impend-
ng The effect was as wonderful and in
Iescribable as that OF the despondency
which hut "a little while before had over