Year: 1877

manner betrayed a certain constraint


He had fine blonde hair; a pair of hon


est, truthful blue eyes, the rosy com


plexion Of a girl, and his chin and cheek


were just beginning TO show signs of
tbeard. Though apparently not at cas-


at first, he regained his selfpossessiol


and those who observed him more close


ly were struck with the energy ant


trmness expressed in his face


After the doors had been carefull


locked the small party preserved sol


emn silence in expectation Of the thing


to come, until Herr B rose 10 explain


But he, too, appeared to be rather i'll a


ease, for the suspicion that he Nigh


after all have been imposed upen, ant
thus be compromised himselfonce more
possessed his mind. But these misgiv


ings were short lived. Diahe not know


what his own eyes had SEEM WHY
should a generation that had already
annihilated distance by discovering the
electric telegraph think the suspension


the law of gravitationton absolute i'm
possibility? In brief terms he then ex


planned the object of the conference, and
asked that those who seemed disposed


to sneer might be patient for few min


utes until they could be convinced like
himself


Before proceed to demonstrate my
Invention" observed the unknown. q
must request those present to pledge


their word of honor that for period oi
eighteen months they will keep strictly
secret what they are to see and hear on
this occasion" After some hesitation
and opposition, especially on the part Of
| the military men, the pledge was given
upon which he continued: MY inven-
btion, the suspension of the law of gravi-
tation, where it is applied, has the effect
of divesting all material bodies on earth
no matter how constituted of their
weight. Nothing l can say could avail
with the incredulous faces and ironical
smiles before me,and l prefer, therefore,
to give you proofs first and words after
ward. Now this barrel of a cannon
weighs about $4,000 pounds. / wind
this feeble wire around it. By listening
attentively you will hear faint sound,
such as the wire makes when playing
with a telegraph line. But this is moth
ing essential. connect the two ends of
the wire; and the result is that the barrel
which weighs $4,000 pounds becomes as
light as soap-bubble. See how I move
it through the air, with one hand, with
this little finger alone! l shall now let
the barrel down to rest on this. stout
oaken bench; it is not crushed, it does
not even creak. But mark-now sever
the connection between the two wires !"


He suited his action to his words.
With crash the oaken bench gave way
and the barrel rolled on the floor.


This convincing test Of the greatest
discovery yet made by man fell upon the
party like thunder bolt Herr BIS face
fairly beamed with satisfaction, while all
the rest beset the inventor with ques
tons and wanted detailed explanations.


II beg you to give your attention once
more" said the unknown. @The infu
ence of the wire is not confined solely to
metallic substances. This bench can be
easily devested ofits weight, and, should
1 wind the wire round my body, could
leap with perfect safety from the highest
tower. For the present am obliged to
abstain from such public exhibitions, but
you shall have aIf illustration in this
ROOM"
A ladder was brought on which the
unknown mounted after the servant had
left the room. Having reached the top,
he wound his wire around his waist, and
leaped into the air. Like feather borne
by breeze he fioated lightly to the
floor


you perceive, gentleman" resumed
the unknown, what mysterious powers
of nature may still be made seryiceable
to man. From the curious glances You
bestow on the wire infer that you sus-
pect the secret of my discovery to lie in
it. This is, however. mistake. the
wire is nothing more than a conductor.
If desired, will go with you any day toI
Wilhelmshaven and demonstrate there
more clearly the immense Importance
of this invention by some experiments
on a larger scale. will wind wire mol
thicker than thread around the .Keo-
mig Wlhelns,' the largest iron-clad, and
land it in the dry dock with one hand.
Here, take this wire, examine 1t closely,
cut it in two, and experiment yourself
withit-you will discover nothing. The
secret is mine and no one else is likely
to solve it. l trust have convinced you
that am no impositor, and you will
find it natural that should desire to sell
my secret to the Government for round
sum. 1t is with this view that / ask
your intercession and assistance. Myl
country is to reap the first benefits of
my discovery, though ultimately it must
become public property"


A pause followed. 1t was evident
that the experiments which they had
witnessed had left profound impress
sion on the minds of those present.
They stood on the threshold Of one of
natures greatest secrets; there was
one among them who had actually pen
etraten the secret, and they themselves
were perhaps soon to become acquaint-
ed with it.


"And what is the sum which you ask?'
at last demanded Herr B.


Il cannot part with my secret for less
than three millions. Perhaps this strikes
some of you as an exorbitant price. But
have you considered what the results Of
applying my discovery will be? 1t will
revolutionize all our present economical
and social relations; ii will enable us to
dispense with the thousands and thous
ands of steam engines, and the million
of hands which now are employed day
by day in hard manual toll will be won
for nobler, better work The. huge
stone which is hoisted with so much
labor and trouble to complete the tower
Of the Cologne Cathedral viii fit upl
there like bird. There win no longer |
be need to transport freight by railway.
The problem of aerial navigation will
receive solution far more simple and
easy than the most sanguihe baloonist
could have ever dared to hope. How
many draught-horses, You gentlemen of
the army, do you require to equip your
artillery? What is their cost Compute
that sum and then think of the small sum
win which places all your batteries in
position, not only at a moments warn