Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-26

1916
strengthened Even before they mnde their
nrc or prtnarcd their breakfast they were
exploring the edge of the eieantic clefs.
Going fiSa, to make sure no rock should
crumblc under the girls tread. no danger
threaten stern tested every foot of the
way 70 tho very edge Of the sheer chasm.
SLOWLY, now !" he cautioned. taking her
hand We've got 20 be careful here. Ny
God, what a drop 90
Awed, despite themselves. they stood
there on a nat slab % schtat that projected
boldly over the void Seen from this point
the immense nothingness opened out below
them even mere Terrible than 4 had seemed
frgm the hlpiane.
The fact Is common knowledge that
height viewed from balloon or aeroplahe
IN always far less diEsyinE than from
lofty building or a monument. Olddlnraa
vanishcs when no solid support lies under
tho feet This fact stern ana tho Elri ap-
prcclated 70 tho fun as they pcored over the
edge Ten times more omlnOus and fright
tul the vast blue mystery beneath them
now appeared than Il had seemed before
let's look sheer down" aaia the rirl
Hy WINS nat and rccrlng over there can't
An rlsh,. but only on condition that
Keep tlght hold OF your
cautiously they lny down and worked
Their way to tho edge The engineer clrcled
heias supple waist with his arm.
SeauN' now " he warned when YOU
reel glddy let me know and wen 20 back y
The erect Of tho chasm. from the very
ouse OF the rock. was terrifying. II was like
nothing ever seen by human eyes peerInr
down into the Grand Canon of tho Colorado
would have been chld's play beside II. For
.ns was no question 81 looking down y
half-mie. mile or even Ave. to some solid
bottom
BOTTOM there was none-nothlnR save
dull purple haze shifting yRpors and an un.
earthly dim llEht which seemed 10 radate
upward Rs though the SUMS rays reflected.
were striving 70 beat up again
There must bo miles and miles Of air
below US, said Stern. ito account for this
curious llEht effect Air OF course win
eventually cut or tho vision. Given a sum.
cientiy thick layer. say Gfow hundred miles,
couldn't be seen through. SO II there ls
bottom TO this place. be II 100 or even 500
miles down, OF course We couldn't see H.
All we could sec would DO tho air. which
would give this sort OF biuo effect"
Yea; but In that case how can we see
the sun or the moon or Rtars7'
Light from above only has 20 pierce
forty or nifty miles OF really dense air.
Above that height It's excessively rarlIIed
While down below earth level OF course Il
would got more and moro dense all tho
time. TIL nt the bottom of bOo-mllo drop
the density and pressure would be tremen-
douA"
Beatrice mndo no answer. The spectacle
she was gazing nt flled her with solemn
thoughts, Jagged, rent and riven, tho rock
extended downward. Here vast and broken
lodges ran along It's nanks--red. yellow,
black. ali scared and burned and citrined
as by tho fire OF hell there huge masses,
up-plled, seemed about TO fall into tho
abyss.
A qunrtor-mls TO southward rlvulet
had found ita way over n projecting ledge,
Spraying and sllvery Il fell, tlll dlHslpated
by the up-draft from the abyss. II dissolved
in mist
The ledge on which thoy were lying cS-
tended downward perhaps 400 yards, then
alopcd backward, leaving sheer empty space
beneath them They seemed TO be poised In
mid-hcaven. II was totally unlike the sem
BRtlon on mountain top, or even floating
among tho clouds: for moment Il seemed
to Stern that he was looking up toward an
unfathomable. INFINITE dome above him.
lie Rhuddered, despite his cool and selen-
tIhc spirit Of observation.
Some chemical action going on some
where down there" nald no, half TO divert
his own attention from hla thoughts.
smell that aulphur1 II this place wasn't
once tho scene OF volcanic activities, I'm no
Judge !"
A moderate yet very steady wind blew
inward from the chRsm, freightod with
now 10 Stern.
Beatrice. all at once overcome by sudden
glddlncss, drew back and hid her face in
both hands.
'No boston 10 it--no end !" she said In
scared tone Here's the end Of tho world.
right here, and beyond this very rock
nothing! !"
stern, puzzled. shook his head.
That's really impossible. sbsurd and
ridiculous. Of course" he answered. There
must he something beyond. The way this
stone falls proves that"
lie pitched two.pouud lump OF granite
far out into the mir. II fell vertically. whlrl-
ing. and vanished with tho speed OF n
meteor,
"If whole side OF the earth had split
on, and what we Goe down below there were
really sky, OF course the eRrths center of
gravity would have shifted" he explained
''and that rock would have fallen In toward
the elf below us. not straight down"
How can you he suro II doesn't fall that
way after the impulse you gave II has been
lost7"
II shall have TO make some close scientific
tests here, lasting day or two, before I'm
positive: but my Impression Is that this.
after all. is only a canyon---a split In tho
surface-rather than an actual end OF tho
crust"
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