Year: 1871

the edges Of the vessel, Tuning, Kissing
and blazing, as it always does, and seemed
on the point of expiring, when to my as
tonishment and alarm sharp explosion
took place, and in second Of time the
water was blazing in red, lurid column
half way to tho ceiling.


For Gods sake" | cried, " eztinguish
the flames or we shall set the building on
fire !"


/" Had dropped the potassium into the
bowl as you prepared it." he quietly re-
marked, g" the building would indeed have
been consumed" Lower and lower fell
the fickering flames, paler and paler
grew the blaze, until finally the fire went
out, and [ rushed up to see the effect Of
the combustion.


Not drop of water remained in the
vessel {! Astonished beyond measure at
what ] had witnessed, and terrified al
most to the verge of insanity, | approach
ed Summerfield and tremblingly inquired,
TO whom, sir, is this tremendous secret
known 2 TO myself alone, he respond
ed and now answer me IA question, is it
worth the money!


1t is entirely unnecessary to relate in
detail the subsequent events connected
with the transaction. | Will only add a
general statement, showing the results of
my negotiation. Having fully satisfied
myself that SummerGeld actually held in
his hands the fate of the whole world,
with its millions of human beings, and by
experiment having tested the combustion
of sea water, with equal facility as fresh,


| next deemed it my duty to call the
attention of a few of the principal men in
San Francisco to the extreme importance


of Summerfeled's discovery.


GA leading banker, bishop, chemist,


two State University professors, a physi-
clan, judge and two Protestant diyiues


were selected by me to witness the exper-


imenton large scale. This was done at


a small sandhill lake, near the sea shore,


but separated from it by ridge of lofty


mountains, distant not more than ten


miles from San Francisco Every single
drop of water in the pool was burnt up in
less than fifteen minutes. We next did
all we could to pacify Summerfeld, and
| Iendeavored to induce him to lower his
price and bring it within the bounds of a
reasonable possibility. But without avail.


He began to grow urgent in his demands.
| The subcommittee soon commenced work
amongst the wealthiest citizens Of San


Francisco, aud by appealing to the terrors
of few and the sympathies of all, sue
ceeded in raising one-h half the amount
within the prescibed period [ shall
6o T.. ~
fornia street during the month Of October
The outside world and the newspapers
spoke most learnedly of a money panic-a
pressure in business, and the disturbances
in the New York gold room. But to the
initiated there was an easier solution of
the enigma. The pale specter of death
looked down upon them, and pointed with
his bony finger to the fiery tomb of the
whole race, already looming up in the
distance before them. Day after day l
could see the dreadful ravages of this
secret horror; doubly terrible, since they
dared not divulge it. Still, do all that
we could, the money could not be obtain
ed. The day preceding the last one
given, Summorfeld was summoned before
the committee, and fully information
given him of the state Of affairs Obdurate
hard and cruel, he still continued. Final
ly proposition was started that an at
tempt should be made to raise the other
half OF the mouey in the city of New
York. To this proposition Summrefeld !
ultimately yielded, but with extreme re-
luctance. 1t was agreed in committee
that | should accompany him tither, and,
take with nc, III my own possession,
evidences Of the snms subscribed here (;
that proper appeal shouldbe made to
the leading capitalists, scholars and clergy
men Of the metropolis and that when the |
whole amount was raised, it should be paid
over to Summcrfeld, and a bond taken
from him never to diyulge his awful
secret to any human being.


With this he seemed to be satisfied
and left us to prepare for his going the
next morning.


As soon as he had left the apartment
the bishop rose, and deprecated the ac-
tion that had been taken, and characteriz
ed it as childish and absurd He declared
that no man was safe one moment whilst
that 'diabOlical wretch still lived that the
OnIy security loT us all was ln MS lmmeut-
ate extirpation from the tho face of the
earth and that no amount of money could
seal his lips or close his hands 1t would
be no crime, he said, to deprive him of
he means of assassinating the whole hu-
man family, and that, as for himself, he
vas for booming him to immediate death


"With an unaminity that was extraordi,
,arv the entira committee coiocidsd


6 y great many plans were proposed, !
discussed and rejected, having in view the '
of Summerfeld In them
III there was the want of that proper eau t
ion which would lull the apprehension of '
N enemy for should he for an instant J
Inspect treachery we knew his nature q