The Washington times., 1912-03-29
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL
The Second Deluge eARRETE = + sERyIss

great deal more water from the opened
flood gates above than others, and this
difference, for some reason that has
never been explained, was especially
marked between the eastern and west
ern henispheres.
We have already seen that when the
downpour recommended In Colorado II
was much less severe than during the
first days of the flood. This difference
continued. 1t seems that all the denser
parts of the nucleus happened to en-
counter the planet on It's eastern side.
This may have been partly due 10 the
fact that as the earth moved on In its
eastward motion round the sun the COM
paratively dense masses of the nebula
were always encountered at the times
when the eastern hemisphere was in
advance. The fact, which soon became
apparent to Cosmo, that the downpour
morning hours, bears out this hypothe-
sis
It accords with what has been OBJ
served with respect to meteors, viz, that
they are more abundant in the early
morning. But then 1t must be supposed
that the condensed masses in the nebula
we're relatively so small that they be-
came successfully exhausted. so to
speak, before the western hemisphere
had come fairly into the line of fire.
OF course, the irregularity in the ar
rival of the water did not, In the end,
AFFECT the general level OF the hood,
"nlCn became Iil6 same Hi ONtl NHt
globe, but II caused immense currents,
as Cosmo had foreseen.
But there was one consequence which
he had overlooked. The currents, IN
stead of sweeping the Ark continually
formed a gigantic whirl, set up unques-
tionably by the great ranges OF the
Himalayas, the Hindoo Koosh, and the
Caucasus.
rectly over Persia and Arabia, and:
turning in the direction Of the hands OF
a watch, its influence extended west
ward beyond the place where the Ark
now was.
The consequence was that. In spite of
all their efforts, Cosmo and the captain
found their vessel swept resistiessly up
the course OF the valley containing the
Euphrates and the Tigris.
They were unable to form an opinion
of their precise location, but they knew
the general direction Of the movement,
and by persistent logging got some
idea of the rate of progress.
Fortunately the wind seldom blow
with it's first violence, but the effects
of the whirling current could be but
little counteracted by the utmost engine
power of the Ark.
Day after day passed in this manner.
although owing to the density of the
rain, the difference between udy and
night was only perceptible by the pc
riodcal changes from absolute black
ness to a faint illumination when the
sun was above the horizon.
The rise of the food which could
not have been at less rate than 500
feet every twenty-four hours, lifted the
Ark above the level OF the mountains
of Kurdistan by the time that they ar
rived over the upper part of the Meso-
potamian plain and the uncertain OBJ
servations which they occasionally OBJ
tained of the location of the sun, com
bned with such dead reckoning as
they were able to make, finally con-
WINGED them that they must be ap-
preaching the location of the Black
sea and the Caucasus range.
I'll tell you what you're going to dc"
yelled Captain Arms you're going to
make a smash on old Ararat, where
your predecessor, Noah. made his land
fall"
Tres bien." shouted De Beaux-
champs, who was frequently on the
bridge, and whose Gaelic spirits moth
ing could daunt. That's good omen!
NJ. Versal should send out one of his
turkeys to spy landing place
They were really nearer Ararat than
they .=.agined. and Captain Arms pre-
diction narrowly missed fulfllment.
Within a couple of hours after he had
spoken dark mass suddenly Ioomed
through the dense air directly in their
track
Almost at the same time. and while
the captain was making desperate eff
forts to sheer off, the sky lightened
little, and they saw an immense heap
of rock within hundred fath"ms OF
the vessel.
"Ararat,, by all that's good yelled
the captain. sta board! Sta board. l
tell you! Full power ahead"
The Ark yielded slowly to her helm,
and the screws whirled madly, driving
her rapidly past the rocks, so close that
they might have tossed a biscuit upon
them. The set of the current also aided
them, and they got past the danger.
Mountain navigation again. yelled
the captain. Here we are In nest or
these sky-shoals! What are you going
to do now"
1T is impossible to tell" returned
Cosmo, "whether this is Great or Lit
tie Ararat. The former is over 1900
feet high, and the latter at least 1900.
1t Is now twelve days since the flooding
recommended.
'If we assume a rise or 600 teet IN
twenty-four hours, that makes total
of 200 feet, which, added to the $500
that we mad before, gives lO,5oO feet for
the present elevation. This estimate may
be considerably out Of the way
Il feel sure that both the Ararats are
yet we'll above the water line: We must
get out OF this region as quickly as pos
sible, Lucky the swirl of the current
is now setting us eastward. We are on
its northern edge. 1t will carry the
Ark down south of Mt. DamaVend, and
the EIburZ range, and over the Per-
sian plateau, and If We can escape from
1t, as | hope, by getting away over Bel
uChistan, we can go directly over India
and skirt the southern side of the Him
alayas. Then We shall be near our
goal"
BLESS me-" said the captain, staring
with mingled admiration and doubt at
Cosmo Versal, 'if you couldn't beat old