The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-07-21
500 PASSENGERS WENT DOWN.
In Sight of Thousands Boat Sinks
and no one Offers aid -Morld's
Fair Tourists Have Thrill
ling Experience.

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strikes us as sufficiently novel to chron-
icle in these columns. 1t happened on
the Pike and in front of one of the
mammoth structures on that highway.
In the lobby of this building known as
"Under and Over the Sea" concession, is
a miniature barber of real water. The
exact depth Of this little ocean we can
not say positively, but we can testify to
what we saw with our own eyes on
recent visit to the World sisFair. In
plain view of strollers on the Pike may
be seen in this minaturel .harbor SUBJ
marine boat moored to dock with it's
hatchway open and passengers going
aboard. The writer counted no less
than 500 reckless human beings seeking
the sensations to be found in submarine
navigation. When they were all aboard
the captain commanded the sailors on
the dock to unfasten the ropes that held
the vessel and himself going below, the
hatchway was closed andI sealed her.
metically, absolutely water-tight. The
boat then sank from sight in the great
tank of water and a submarine journey
to Paris has commenced. OnAreaching
certain great depth OF the waters, in
Dictated by one Of the ships instruments
of measurement, the propellors were set
in motion by slightXpressure of the
electric button 1.-THE entire motive force
employed in the queer craft used in the
journey "Under and Over the Sea is
electrically The huge steel hull
trembled, the great mighty engine
engine throbbed, the powerful propel-
lers churned the waters into foaming
fury and the boat darted forward
through the transparent watery mass.
Enormous search lights Illuminated the
ships course several hundred yards,
and strange indeed was the spectacle
seen through the plate glass windows.
Sea life of all descriptions, fish of every
size, form and shape, scrambling, scurry-
ing, darling about, frightened into un-
usual activity at the sudden advent of
this strange monster in their midst
Onward we rush, the ever changing
temperatures of our course revealing
different characters of sea life. First,
sea moss, plants, trees, fugi, then shells
and rock caverns, all harboring some
form of sea life. Flowers of a thousand
colors, coral reels, etc. Here and there
the remains Of an unfortunate wrecked
vessel, the silent tomb Of the unknown
lost. At greater depth in the ocean
sea monsters, unicorns OF the deep and
narwhales are encountered. Even a
shoal Of graceful mermaids are seen at
play, and finally after short journey
up the River Seine we ascend to the
surface Of the river and disembark at
our Paris landing dock. Passing through
several Partisan thoroughfares to the
base of the Eiffel Tower ascending to
it's summit in large elevator, we board
the great birdlike craft restlessly tug
ging at it's mornings, anxious for it's
flight along the milky way, and all
aboard, the ship cast adrift, and our
aerial journey has commenced. A
fine birds-eye view Of Paris is afford
ed from this vantage point but rapidly
does the French metropolis recede in
the distance as with the speed of light
we glide along over green fields and
valleys, the smaller cities of Switzer-
land and her snow-capped Alps; flying
above Berlin, over the straight Of Dover
to London and then turning about, our
course carries us over the great Allan
tic. Night comes on, rain drops fall
about us, lightning flashes, mutterings
of distant thunder are heard. The rain
increases, the heavens are Illuminated,
the thunder storm is deafening, pande-
monimum regions. Our great bird-like
craft weathers the storm and passing
over the city of New York hurried
visit, and then glimpse of the Capitol
Building; as we fly above Washington,
when our vessels course is shaped west
ward. Flying tar above the earth,
Indiana is seen in the gap of cyclone.
Speeding onward, the Mississippi river
appears in the distance and lar below.
Crossing this stream at Eads Bridge,
over the city of st. Louis, lowering
above the Exposition, the movement of
the great wings decreasing, the ship
carefully settles down ON the top Of the
"Under and Over the Sea- building, the
landing dock Of the airship on the Pike.
81 suffered for months from sore
throat. Eclectric Oil cured me in
twenty four hours" NJ. s. Gist, Hawes-
vile, KY.