The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1913-11-20

An Astonishing Sight Met His Eyes.
thing to do with the earth passing
through the tail of the comet" he told
them.
The rest of the staff he turned out
for stories of the effects His imag-
nation was struck by the contempla-
ton of modern civilized city depriy-
ed of its nerve system.
After covering the usual police-sta-
ton, theater and hotel assignments. he
sent Hallowell to the bridge: Long
man to the Grand Central; Kennedy.
Warren and Thomas to the tubes, sub
ways and ferries. The others he told
to go out on the streets
They saw a city of four million peo-
PIE Stopped short on it's way home to
o!r.er! They saw city miles in ex-
teL-. set back without preparation to
communication by messenger only!
They saw city, unprepared, blinking
lis way by the inadequate illumina-
tio-3 of halfcentury gone by!
l!allowell found packed mass Of
humanity at the bridge. Where ordin-
arily is a crush. even with incessant
outgoing trains sucking away at the
SurHlus, now was a panic-a panic the
moi terrible in that it was solid, sui
len, inert, motionless. Women tainted.
and stood unconscious. erect. Men
sank slowly from sight, agonized.
their faces contorted. but unheard in
the dull roar of the crowd. and were
seen no more. Around the edges peo-
pie fought frantically to get out; 9TH
ers, with the blind, unreasoning, home
instinct, fought as hard to get in.
The police were unavailing. They
could not penetrate to break the cen
ter. Across the bridge streamed a
procession of bruised and battered
humanity, escaped from or cast forth
by the maelstrom. The daylight was
fading, and within the sheds men
could not see one another's faces.
Longman at the Grand Central ON.
served large and curious crowd that
filled the building and packed the
streets round about. They waited for
their trains, and the twilight gathered.
For ten minutes trains continued to
enter the shed. This puzzled Long
man until he remembered that gravity
| would bring in those this side of Har-
lem. None went out. The waiting
throng was hotbed for rumors. Long.
man collected much human-interest
stun, and was quite we'll satisfied with
his story-until he saw what 1t had
meant elsewhere
For in the subways and tubes the
| stoppage of the trains had automatic
ally discontinued the suction ventila-
ton. The underground thousands. in
mortal terror OF the nonresident third
! rail- DANCE CROPPED their way painfully
to the stations. With inconceivable
/ swiftncss the mephitic vapors gather.
/ ed. Strong men staggered fainting
into the streets. When revived they
/ told dreadful tales of stumbling over
/ windows OF bodies there below.
Through the gathering twilight of
! the streets, duslly and shadowy, fitted
+ batlike the criminals of the under
/ world. What they saw, that they
| took. Growing holder, they progress.
ed from pocket-picklng to holdups.
/ from holdups to footing. The police
| reserves were all out; they could do
! little. Favored by obscurlty. the
/ thieves plundered. 1t would have
| needed solid Gordon of officers to
have protected adequately the retail
district. Swiftly a guerrilla warfare
| sprang up. Bullets whistled. An
archy raised it's snaky locks and peer
/ ed red-eyed through the darkened
streets of the city
Here and there fire broke out. Men
/ on bicycles brought i'm the alarms.
then, as twilight thickened, men on
foot. Chief Croker promptly estab
lished lookouts in all the tall towers.
as watchmen used a hundred years
go TO watch the night.
Az eight o'clock two hours after
the inception of the curious pbenom-
ena, the condition suddenly PASSED
The intimatiou came TO the varioua
parts Of the city In different WAYS.
strangely enough only gradually did
the tights and transportation facilities
resume their functions Most of the
uyhamos we're being inspected by
puzzled experts. Here and there the
blazing of group OF lights. the ring.
ing OF q bell. the response of volt
or ommeter TO test. HATED TO the mas.
,erS OF inc llehtnings that their rebel
nous steccs again answered the bit.
Within halfhour the city's illun.
nation again reflected softly from
tne haze OF the autumn sky: the clang
Of the merry trolley. the wall OF the
motors siren again smoto the air
Malachi Mccarthy having caught
q ride ON "a friendly dray. arrived home
AZ eight ten his telephone bell for the
first time tangled its summons Nc
Corthy answered lt
I'm Simmons, tho wireless opera
tor the small voice told him "savi
There's q lot Of these fool messages in
the air again You know what thew
said last night about six o'clock. and
what happened"
Let's have en-" growled Nc
Cor.hy
'Iiere sue is: Mccarthy win you
do as ten you? Answer. Remembe.
the sign at six o'clock, It's signed