The herald., 1898-02-20


To prevent accidents it had been ar
ranged that the ships should keep a
considerable distance apart. Some of
them gradually drifted away, until on
account of the neutral tint of their
sides, they were swallowed up in the
abyss of space. Still, it was possible
to know where every member of the
squadron was, through the constant in
terchange of signals These. as | have
explained, were effected by means of
mirrors flashing back the light of
the sun.
But, although it was now unceasing
day for us, yet there being no at
mosphere to diffuse the suns light, the
stars We're visible to us just as at night
upon the earth, and they shone with
extraordinary splendor against the in
tense black background of the firma-
ment. The lights of some of the more
distant ships of our squadron We're not
brighter than the stars in whose neigh
borhood they seemed to be. IN some
cases it was only possible to distin-
guish between the light of a ship and
that of star by the fact that the
former was continually flashing, while
the star was steady in its radiance.
The most uncanny effect was pro-
duced by the absence of atmosphere
around us. Inside the car, where there
was air, the sunlight, streaming
through one or more of the windows,
was dlffused and produced ordinary
daylight.
But when we ventured outside we
could only see things by halves The
side of the car that the suns rays
touched was visible, the other side was
invisible, the light from the stars not
making 1T bright enough to affect the
eye in contrast with the sun-illumined
half
AS I held up my arm before my eyes.
half of it seemed to have been shaved
off lengthwiSe; a companion on the
deck OF the ship looked like half a man
So the other electrical ships near us
appeared as half ships. only the illufn-
mated sides being visible.
We had now got so far away that
the earth had taken on the appearance
of a heavenly body like the moon. Its
colors had become all blended into a
golden reddish hue which Overspread
q nearly it's entire surface, except at the
poles, where they were broad patches
of white. | t was marvellous to look al
this huge orb behind us, while far be-
yond it shone the blazing sun like ar
enormous star in the blackest of nights
In the opposite direction appeared the
silver orb of the moon. and scattered
all around were millions of brilliant
stars, amid which, like freflies. flashed
and sparkled the signal lights of the
squadron.
A danger that might easily have beer
anticipated. that perhaps had beer
anticipated. but against which it would
have been difficult, if not impossible
to provide, presently manifested it.
self.
Looking out Of window toward tbs
right. l suddenly noticed the lights o.
a distant ship darting about in 8
curious curve. Instantly afterwart
another member of the squadron near
er by behaved in the same inexplicablt
manner. Then two or three of tbs
floating cars seemed to be violently
drawn from their courses and hurried
rapidly in the direction Of the flagship
Immediately I perceived a small object
luridly flaming, which seemed to move
With immense speed in our direc
tion.
mind, and ! shouted to the other occu
pants of the car.
"A meteor"
Such indeed It was We had met thi:
mysterious wandercr in space at
amoment WHOM Wa We're moving in
direction al right angles to the path il
was pursuing around the sun. Small
as 1t was. and its diameter probably
did not exceed d single foot, it was yc
an Independent little world, and as sucl
a member Of the solar system. Its dis
tance from the sun being so near tha
of the earth, I knew that its velocity
assuming is to be travelling in :
nearly circular orbit. must be abou
eighteen miles in second. With fhi.
velocity, then, it plunged like projec
tile shot by some mysterious enemy il
space directly through our squadron
1t had come and was gone before opt
could utter q sentence of three words
Its appearance, and the effect whicl
1t had produced upon the ships in who's
neighl)ocaoOd it passed, indicated tina
1t bore an Intense and t~emerdou