The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-01-20

selves, It now becomes necessary to
move the action forward to the point
where the moneyed interests took a
hand in the game.
That was brought about in some
what more than fifty hours.
In the meantime the facts as to vi
brations were published in all the
papers; the dispatches and the rela-
lions between Mccarthy and Monsieur
x exclusively in the Despatch-to that
| organs vast satisfaction and credit;
and the possibilities of tragedy in none
This latter fact was greatly to the
credit of maligned class of men. 1t
is common belief that no cause is too
sacred or no consequence too grave
to give pause to the editorial rapacity
for news. The present instance dis
proved that supposition. No journal,
yellow or otherwise, contained a line
of suggestion that anything beyond
annoyance was to be feared from these
queer manifestations
The consequences on a mixed popu
lation like that of New York were
very peculiar. The people naturally
divided themselves into three classes
In the first were those who had re
ceived their warning from logic
| friends, or the outside world; and
who either promptly left town or, be
ing unable to do so, lived in fear In
the second were all that numerous
body who, Enthusiastically unbal
anced or near the oyerbalance, shut
instinctively the eyes Of their reason
and glowed with a devasting and ia
! natical religious zeal. Among these
so extraordinarily are we constituted
almost Immediately grew up various
sects, uniting only in the belief thai
the wrath of God was upon an iniqui
tous people
By far the largest class of all, com
prising the everyday busy bulk of tht
people, were those who accepted thu
thing at its face value, read its owl
papers, went about its business, anC
spared time to laugh at the absurd
ties or growI at the inconvenience o
the phenomena. With true American
adaptability, it speedily accustomed
itself to both the expectation of, ant
the coping with. unusual conditions
It went forth about its daily affairs
it started for home little early il
order to get there in season; it es
chewed subways and theaters; it learn
ed to wait patiently, when one of tn
three blights struck it's world, as
man waits patiently for a shower t,
pass.
This class, as has been said, wa
preponderantly in the majority, but it
mass was being constantly diminishe
as little knowledge of danger scope,
into it's substance. News of the pos
sible catastrophe passed from moutl
to mouth; a world outside, waitin
aghast at such faulty, began to ge
in its messages. Street-corner alarm
lists talked to such as would listen.
Thousands upon thousands left tn
city Hundreds of thousands more
tied hard and fast by the strings O
necessity, waited in an hourly CROWN
dread.
THE sign" had been sent prompt
l dI OLA " S1O(hB eS lO1AloGO IL PIONS
Darrow's prediction by turning out t
be a stoppage of the electrical syi
, tens. This time it lasted only hal
an hour-long enough to throw tn
traffic and transportation into conf
sion. 1t was followed at short inter
walls by demonstrations in light an
sound; none was of long duration.
I ho fret 70 hnjY n
came freakishly, in flashes, as thong
the hidden antagonist delighted in col
fusing his immense audience. Tn
messages he sent over the wireless
7 the Atlas Building grew more an
more threatening and grandiose. The
demanded invariably that McCarth
should be sought out and delivered u
to a rather vaguely described vel
geance; and threatened with dire C;
lamities all the inhabitants of MAI
haitian if the Unknown's desires wer
! not fulfilled. These threats grew NOR
definite in character as time went OF
The effect of all this in the Ion
run was, of course. confusion and il
stability. People laughed or cursed
but they also listened and reasoned
t Gradually, throughout the city, drea
was extending the blacliness of its te
ror. A knowledge that would hav
! caused a tremendous panic if it ha
+ been divulged suddenly now CAV
f birth to a deep-seated uneasiness.
t Where the panic would have tor
/ men up by the roots and flung the
rs @ a q