The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-15

started fires everywhere The skies
burned, and the flaming earth responded
70 ane heavenly confagration:
Dea1enlng thunder-clapS followed one
upon another without Intermission.
caused by colossal storms and gaseous
EXPLOSIONS. In which the air seemed
transformed to sheets OF electric flame.
Continued rumblings. OF distant
drums, hllod the ears
These great waves OF sound were
broken by the most horrible explosions
and by hlsstngs that might have come
from a host OF dragons; and then there
were fierce clamors tho roaring of The
monstrous cannonading, and the moan
Ing; signing, and shrleking Of the wind.
The tempest became so fearful SO
strange; SO ferocious, that humanity fell
into q kind OF catalepsy. mute with ter
ror, annihilated, then finally quiet as a
dead leaf that tho wind swept whittier
approaching.
Now came a final mad, rough rush
Tor the retreats which had been pro-
pared, Many of the oxygen cellars, so
infurlated mobs. which attempted 10 en-
ter and join those who had taken refuge
within. and thus the labor OF weeks was
frustrated In rash moment Up to the
| last minute men were stin pounding at
| tho steel doors that scaled the private
| and public refugees.
| Wire fences had been erected along the
central oxygen supplying plants, and
through the wires powerful electrical cur
rents were sent to kin those who might
attempt to force an entrance TO the
works themselves. Yet even that pre-
| caution. well known as it was, did not
prevent fronzied mobs from meeting the
| CHASTITY death by contact with the wires.
In many houses the most pitiful scenes
occurred. Mothers clasped their babes
to their breasts, lovers locked in their
actuated by the desire TO live In com
pany for the last ayful moment
Millions hed from Paris, from London,
burg, Rome, Madrid. all bound for Aus
! tralla and the antpodes. Contrary to
the assertion Of the president of the
Academy of Sciences. the aerial liners
maddened throngs. Money was offered
In untold sums for the privilege OF mere
ly standing on the deck OF an airship-
But what was money when the world
was approaching its end? Men fought
like beasts The widest anarchy reigned
In the aerial ports.
chlyelry was thrown TO the winds. The
weak we're trampled upon by the strong:
women were ruthlessly flung aside. and
children pitilessly hurled away In tho
effort TO climb up TO the towering
launching platforms OF aeroplenes and
the airship garages.
The captains of the aerial liners. men
who had been selected for their probity,
their intelligence. and their high stan
dard OF honor, completely forgot the code
which had been drilled into thom in the |
cal schools from which they had gradu- |
ated. Some of them, when the collision !
was shown 10 be unavoidable, shamefuy |
deserted their home ports and took their |
crafts TO Sparsely Inhabited islands of the !
South sea. far from the tumultuous |
clalnorlne multf,udes OF Europe. Some
of them deserted their aerial vessels en-
tirely and left them to drift helplcssly in
the clouds. while they themselves took
refuge In sealed cellars supplied with
oxygen
ma ntI Nla1 l,n lie
trihution OF respiratory helmets. The
factory worloInon worked night and day
fashioning masks and portable oxygen
tanks for themselves and their families |
and not until these personal needs were
met was 1t possible for pleading Paris
Berlin and London TO obtain even scant
supply of the only devices which seemed
TO offer the means OF escaping death,
Houses were robbed by men who
sought to steal helmets from those who
had succeeded in obtaining them. AS a
formed into fort, lTouscholdcrs fought
for their respiratory devices as they had
once fought for their less material rights
OF property, Tho weaker were ousted from
their oXygen-fed cellars by the stronger,
Property rights were no longer respected. 4;
The nights were passed slecplcssly, ;
Thousands tried TO forget the terror by
drinking or by druGging themselves. The
terror OF the unknown kept active the 5
brains OF those vino stil had moral cour- {
age enough Ia resist tho temptation of
alcohol and morphine. y
Drunken, lawcss hordes surced through {
the streets Every place was livid, hol-
Iow-eyed and haggard IlnNcmpt hair I
and wan features distorted by terror such I
as never experienced before by any I
thinking creature horc testimony 10 the q
anguish of humanity 2
more difficult Ia breathe. all thought Of I
food was forgotten. \ burning thirst n
was tho first physiological effect OF the p
lryncss or the air. a
The publlc fountains were hssicucd bv 4
'warns Of parchod men lighting for a Il
irop Of water. From hour to hour the y
breathe. moro fatigung. more cruolly "
Try. In Paris. IN London. In Rome. In Il
Berlin, in st. Petersburg. in every CAPT Fl
al OF the world in every little hamlet the S,
ike da8ed ants swarminc round their 81
demolished ant-hills, b
All business was neglected. forgotten, n
bandoucd: all projects were east To lhe
Winds Everything that WAS sacred was tc
orsaken-homcs, friends-and absolute d'
moral depression reigned. Churches, II
nd tabernaclcs of every kind were lie
acicd 10 the doors Men and women, il
rampled upon one another for the privi- ni
Ego Of merely touching the wall of u OF
az
Tho mobs within the churches lay pros c;
rate on tho stones. moaning piteous =
lg OF organs, no tolliue of bels-noth- ES
~ but one great planetary prayer that -
anne from the souls OF men who realized a
oignantly their fecblcncss IN the pres b
lcc OF a cosmIc cCtHclvsm. Confession N
Is were surrounded by penitents await "
~ their turn, as In the ancient times a
sincere faith. =
No huclstors called out their wares in =
10 streets, Tho uhops were closed, news ~
lpcrs were no loneor printed. Aero y
ancs and dirigibles had all but vanished "A
om the air Tho only vehicles that e
imbled through the streets were hcarscs M
id funeral carriages. for tho comet had "
ready claimed many who In abiect fear = =
vi taken their lives. ~
As the comet rose. Tie moon paIcd: "a
nj I'm tho watches OF the night Il ruled EE
e sky, lilo a nebulous. hectic, red sun. =
us OF flame seemed to open out from ~