The Washington times., 1912-02-27
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL
The Second Deluge eARRETTyk: = srRxIss

city limits had for some time been
prohibited on account of the constant
danger of collisions, but the long-dls-
tance lines were permitted to enter the
metropolitan district, making their
landings and departures on specially
constructed towefs) Thdse two, crowd
ed with passengers, had, as IL after.
ward appeared, completely lost their
bearings-the strongest electric lights
away, while the wireless signals were
confusing-and before the danger was
apprehenSad they crashed together.
The collision occurred at a height of a
thousand feet on the Fifth avenue side
of the park: Both of the airships had
their aeroplanes smashed and their
decks crumpled up, and the unfortu-
nate crews and passengers were hurled
through the impenetrable darkness to
the ground.
/ Only four or fire, who were lucky
enough to be entangled with the light
er parts of the wreckage, escaped with
their lives. But they were too much
injured to get upon their feet, and
there they lay, their sufferings made
ten fold worse by the sitting air and
the horror of their inexplicable situa'
namely relieved more than ten hours
after their fall.
The noise of the collision had been
heard in Fifth avenue. and its meaning
was understood, but amid the universal
terror no one thought of trying to aid
the victims. Everybody was absorbed
In wondering what would become OF
himself
When the long-awaited hour of sun
rise approached the watchers were ap-
palled by the absence OF even the
slightest temperance of the orb Of
day. There was no Tightening of the
dense cloak OF darkness, and the great
city seemed dead.
For the first time In its history II
failed to awake after its regular period
of repose and to send forth its myriad
voices. It could not be seen; 1t could
not be heard; 1t made no sign. AS far
as any outward indication of it's exist.
ence was concerned the mighty capital
had ceased to be.
1t was this frightful silence of the
streets and of all the outer world that
terrified the people, cooped up in theiI
houses and their rooms, by the walls oi
darkness, more than almost any other
circumstance. 1t gave such an over.
whelming sense of the universally OF
the disaster, whatever that disaster
might be. Except where the voices OF
neighbors could be heard, one could not
be sure that the whole population, out
side his own family, had not perished
AS the hours passed, and yet no light
appeared, another intlmidating circum.
stance manifested itself. From the starr
everybody had noticed the excessive hu'
mldity OF the dense air. Every solid OBJ
ject that the hands came in contact
with in the darkness was wet, as II q
thick fog had condensed upon it., This
supersaturation of the air "a principal
cause of the difficulty experienced ir
breathing) led to a result which would
quickly have been foreseen II people
could have had the use of their eyes
but which, coming on invisibly, pro
duced panic fear when at last its pres
ence was strikingly forced upon the at
tention.
The moisture collected on all exposed
surfaces-on the roofs, the walls, tho
pavements-untll its quantity became
sufficient to form little rills, which
sought the cutters and there gathered
force and volume. Presently the streams
became large enough to create a noise
of flowing water that attracted the at
tention Of the anxious watchers at opeT
windows. Then cries of dismay arose
II the water had been visible 1t woulC
not have been terrible.
But, to the overstrained imaglnatio
the bubbling and splashing sound thai
came out of the darkness was magni
fed into the rush of a torrent. i