The National tribune., 1903-07-23

drunken cavalrymen out Of camp" l
thought. Clearer and nearer it came.
became impressed that it was no ordinary
messenger, and sent w0Id 10 the Provost
to look out for the intrtder.S But straight
on toward us it came; ffor did it stop till
reined up at the Capitol. And when the
lookout returned he shouted as he flew up
the lighting rod:
"Hurrah. The war is oyer!' H+
l wrote at once to Capt. Russell, my
Chief Signal Officer, and in n few minutes
received permission to eXpend one-half my
stock of signal rockets. They were of
beautiful cOlCrs some of them changing
many times as they fioated in mid-heaven.
| arranged them in such an order as to
announce the glad tidings which would be
''of great joy to all people" The watch
man would bring the rocket and stand it
in position on the edge of the platform.
while stood on the dome, outside the circle
of safety, and holding lOn with my right
hand, would reach through the railing with
my left and touch off the rocket. l would
then walk backward along the railing, be-
yond the reach of danger. After sputter-
ing awhile, the rocket, throwing down
ward Il tremendous shower of sparks and
smoke and wind, would with mighty
rush, speed away upward for the stars.
We had spelled out the word
"P-e-a-c-e," when one of the most eventful
circumstances of my life took place. 1t
seemed as if some demon of war was de-
terInined to stop the proceedings and some
kind angel was ut hand for my dellverance.
The next rocket was pause signal, TO
denote the end of word. 1t sputtered
and went suddenly out-or so it appeared.
After some waiting, l scratched another
match and walked carefully around the
dome and was putting my left hand
through the railing, when suddenly, with
no premonition whatever, it exploded with
terrific force and shot into air, casting
its hot and hellish blast of cinders and
flame full into my upturned face.
For the instant l forgot everything.
only knew that the hot simeon was sweep
ing around me. Instinctively l loosened
my hold and sprang back into space. The
next instant l felt myself reeling and fall
ing, as it seemed to me then, halfway
down the dome. In that terrible moment
fully realized my situation. l thought of
the great stones below me and how L
would bound lifeless from them to the
ground below.
Fortunately, I sprang back in the same
direction l had approached the point of
danger. My course was a tangent to the
circular stOnewOrk and directly in my line
of retreat stood my old friend, the light
ming rod. which l saw and grasped by
the descending meteor. 1t was all the
work of an instant. The watchman caught
me and helped me over the railing. and l
threw myself breathless on the platform.
After this second escapade with the
dome, | again took account of stock. Ny
eyes were all right, but l was minus two
eyebrows, two sets of eye winkers, por-
ton of my hair and the down then called
whiskers | was plus a face that more
nearly resembled a boiled lobster than
human countenance. Worse than all, for
a boy like me, l was not preSentabie to the
fair daughters of Raleigh for several days.
When l climbed back to the platform |
had no more idea of continuing the celebra-
ton than had of flying to the moon. But
when | saw, after about three minutes,
that my injuries were all on the surface,
determined to have it out.
And so it happened, that after a pause
not provided for in the Manual of Sig
nails" | renewed my r0cket-message-extra-
ordinary to the Armies of the West and
the good people of the Old North State.
Everything now worked smoothly.
Rocket after rocket sped away to the
zenith. In the silences that interviewed l
could hear the opening of windows below
me and gentle household voices seemed to
say, "Watchman, what of the night"
And / knew that for them my answer
meant. 'The morning cometh." l thought
| heard the distant murmur of the camps,
as though the army was waking from its
slumber and each soldier was pointing his
comrade. with whisperingsf of JOY, to the
angel of peace lowering. over them; and l
know that one outpost of. the Army of
the Tennessee caught the full spirit of the
vision, for without the fear of army regu-
lations in mind. they sent such shout
across field and forest as the shepherds
might have uttered when uver Bethlehenl's
plains they saw the angel convoy of the
Il
''cipher CODE of freedom thrilled as they
read in the fiery heavens
"Peace on earth, good will to men,"