The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-04-29
By UM4N2lD M721ZE1@

Couldn't you publish an article in your paper.
anticipated that Here is the manuscript of
article I've written-a prophecy of the coming sum-
am gong TO sea' 1t up IN the OF
editor can be the other-and then when things be-
public will see that I'm talking sense. BY that
time you'll be on your way home-and-well, our
scoop comes on.
Thus that grimy sub-editorial den in the Morn
ing News building saw the inception of one of the
greatest sensations of modern times
1. was early in March when Keith deserted the
nrst small sign that events were moving. An even
Ing paper had beaded Curious Dis,
park keepers had come across a remarkable spiders
web was much stronger than the average that a
small bird had stuck in 1t. The keeper had been
attracted by the birds cries. No sign of the spider
The paragraph attracted little attention. Keith
himself was perhaps the only journalist who took
accuracy. The keeper said that the paragraph was
correct, and added that he had found a number Of
iife SIR" he said. They're 90 blooming strong /
can hardly break them down with my stick; and
"A bird was caught in the web!'
THAT 1t was. heard it screeching: but by the
dead ussed GU. Of the weS and it ~as nos an
ing but bag =, Of bones. give you my word You'd
Impossible sucked like . ny, you know. which has
been ate up by spider"
Keith made no comment A fortnieht later the
Of Spiders Webs in the Park
Keith went to the cable ONCE; and along the
wires message flashed to Wakefield. who was now
And be quick about it,"
April and May passed, and by now all England
all the world-was ringing with the extraordinary
phenomena to be seen in Hyde Park. Hardly .
yard Of the area of the park could be said to be
the morning special gangs of men. armed with all
paths In single night the Whole Width Of Rotten
Row was paved with web. and an early horseman
who tried to brave this strange pavement. COM
PEELED to withdraw because his steed would not face
it. Yet never spider was found. Their agility
in evading detection was amazing. The speed Of
than any eye could follow. Obviously. spiders were
therein mlions-yet no human eye had seen
with gossamer tissue. And over all there brooded
vast, an ominous silence. The birds had quilted
their accustomed haunts
. June came. and there outbreak of web at
Barnes Common, and in nearly every garden in Ken
sineton and Bayswater: The park was now prac-
to keep its roadways free of web; but a steam
roller had scarcely gone dozen yards before ito
\ when the web was thick that one Of the steam
rollers damned in 1t. The driver got frightened.
yard deep He struxx,e% to the edge e Of it, snsek
ing, spectators saw the abandoned steam roller
two hours 1t had vanished from view under pyra-
mid of white.
Parliament appointed Royal Commission to ex-
Royal COMMISSIONER. who lived in q house over
looking st. Jamess Park, could not get out of the
door one morning because 1t was glued up with
web. He escaped from an upper window.
Geometrical progression-that was the secret Of
the speed at which this horror Five days afte,
Hyde Park was finally closed and abandoned, both
gPiccadilly and the Bayswater Road were impass
able with web: and two days later child wa,
killed by the spiders in Fulham. The details o.
its death were unspeakable. Onlookers saw 4
quite diStinctly-and for the first time tn,
spiders, too-nutlike. hairy beasts. which, whel
they had done their hideous task seemed to evap
CRATE
The river was the safe thoroughfare II
central London: and Parliament still sat- Mem