The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-02-27

T-boso who as already described. had
"a, yin, "a Great a speed that they
,,er. pro,scted all unwilling, into space,
rising I'm clinical orbits from the sur
face OF tho uianet, describing great
curves I'm what might be. denominated
l.s ekv and then coming back again
io fb. little Globe on another side, were
so filed with the wonders OF oielr re-
markobje adventure that they had al
most forgotten the terror when had IN
spircd 10.
There was nothing surprising IN Whal
had occurred to them the moment one
considered the laws OF grtVitatioh on
the asteroid. but their stories atouSeu an
intense interest among al VINO listened
% Them.
Lordl KELVIN WA particularly inter
.siod and while Mr.. Edison was has
tenins preparations 20 qult '.,e aS'vroI .i
ana resume our voyage 90 Mars, Lord
Kelvin and "a number OF other scienii-
fc men instituted series OF remark
able experiments.
ii was one OF the most laughable
.hines IMAGINABLE 10 see LORD Kelvin
dressed iu his alright SUIT MAKING
tremendous Jumps Into empty space.
Immediately Lord Kelyon was imta-
ted by a. dozen others. WIN whae
seemed very slight effort they project
"a themselves straight upward rsihs
10 a height Of four hundred 1eet OF
more. and then slowly settling back asain
TO the surface Of the astoroid. Inc unie
OF rise and fell combined was between
three and four minutes.
on this HttIc planet the acceleration
OF gravity or the velocity acquired by
a falling body I'm one second was oniy
four-Gfths OF an inch. A body required
am entire minute 10 fail a distance OF
only 100 feet. Consequently. II was
more like gradual settling than railing.
The figures OF these men OF science
rising and sinking I'm this manner APP
reared like so many gigantic MARION
cites bobbing up and down IN pneu-
matte bottle.
Let MS try that" said Mr. Edison
very much interested in the experiments.
Roth Of us jumped together. Al ilrst'
with great swftness, nut gradually los
inc, epoc6 we rose 20 an immense height
straight from the ground. Nhen We had
reached the utmost limits OF our flight
wa seemed 20 come 10 rest for a moment.
and then BEGAN slowly. but with accel-
Grated velocity, 10 sink back again 10
Tho Dlanef. IL was not only peculiar.
lNf q delicious etIrdA4vil' "iiN ''N 80
strict orders that were issued that the
electric ship should be Immediately pre-
pared for departure our entire company
might have remained Tor an Indefinite
period enjoying this new kind Of athletic
exercise IN a world where gravitation had
become so humble that it could be triiied
with
While the final preparations FOR depar-
ture were bong made. Lord Kelvin in
sutufed other experiments that were no
less unique I'm their results. The expert
cnce Of those who had taken unpremed-
itated flights in ellipucal orbits when
they had run from the vicinity ~ thu
Martians. suggested the throwing OF SOLID
objects I'm various directions from tho
surface OF the planet in order 10 deter
mine the distance they would go and the
curves they would describe in return
ing.
For these experiments there was Moth
ing more convenient or abundant than
chunks Of gold from the Martians mine.
These, accordingly. were hurled In va
rlous directions and with every degree
n velocity A little calculation had shown
chat an initial velocity Of thirty feet per