Pittston Gazette

              Cm\ AL1 MM MB jm EitAblished 1850. I POL.XLVIUNo.4l I Oldest Newspaper in the Wyoming Valley. PITTSTON, LUZERNE COUNTY, PA., FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1898. A Weekly Local and Family Journal. ) *1 .OO • lemr in Adnata. C^Rmrp*5C:RVDS witnoui weignt, yieia to tne eieoiriom rather than to the gravitatioual influence and so fly away from the sun. Having obtained an instrument or such power, it only remained to concentrate its energy upon a given object in order that the atoms composing that object should be set into violent undulation, sufficient to burst it asunder and to scatter its molecules broadcast. This the inventor effected by the simplest means in the world—simply a parabolio reflector by which the destructive waves could be sent like a beam of light, but invisible in any direotion and focused upon any desired point. in the period of its greatest prosperity could have undertaken such a work. All the nations, then, must now conjoin. They must unite their resources, and if necessary exhaust all their hoards in order to raise tbe needed sum. place them in a position so false and so untenable, and, swept along by their enthusiasm, tbe kaiser had at last consented to embark on his flagship at Kiel, and now lie was following the other fleets on their great missionto the western continent. war fund by the aid of which we can construct the equipment and machinery that we shall require. This, I think, 1b all I need to say. Let us proceed to business." afterward disappeared like a meteor and was thought to have been lost from the earth. Yon all know the name of that diamond and its history. It is the Great Mogul, aud it lies before you. How it came into my possession I shall not explain. At any rate, it is honestly mine, and I freely contribute it here to aid in protecting my native planet against those enemies who appear determined to destroy it." color like a gorgeous butterfly. The Chinese emperor, with hia pigtail flying high as be spun, danced with the empress of Russia. Now, what Mr. Edison had done was, in effect, to create an electrified particle which might be compared to one of the atoms composing the tail of a comet, although in reality it was a kind of car of metal weighing some hundreds of pounds and capable of bearing some thousands of pounds with it in itB flight. By producing, with the aid of the electrical generator contained in this oar, an enormous charge of electricity Mr. Edison was able to counterbalance and a trifle more than counterbalance the attraction of the earth, and thus cause the oar to fly off from the earth as an electrified pith ball flies from the prime conductor. Negotiations were at once begun. The United States naturally took the lead, and its leadership was never for a moment questioned abroad. "Where is Mr. Edison?" cried a The king of Siain essayed a waits with Queen Ranavalona of Madagascar, while the sultan of Turkey basked in the smiles of a Chicago heiress to $100,- 000,000. Why did they bring their warships when their intentions were peaceable, do you ask? Well, it was jiartly the effect of ancient habit and partly duo to the fact that such multitudes of officials and members of ruling families wished to embark for Washington that tbe ordinary meanB of ocean communication would have been utterly inadequate to convey them. voice. "Will Mr Edison please step forward?" said the president. There was a stir in tbe assembly, and the iron gray head of the great inventor was seen moving through tbe crowd. In his hand he carried one of bis marvelous disintegrators. He was requested to explain and illustrate its operation. Mr. Edison smiled. Washington was selected as the place of meeting for a great pongress of the natious. Washington, luckily, bad been one of the places which had not been touched by tbe Martians. But if Washington bad been a city oomposed of hotels alone and every hotel so great as to be a little city in itself, it would have been utterly insufficient for the accommodation of tbe innumerable throngs which now flocsed to the banks of The Potomac, fiat when was American enterprise unequal to a crisis? Tbe necessary hotels, lodging houses and lestaurants were constructed with astounding rapidity. Oue oould see tbe city growing and expanding day by day and week after week. It flowed over Georgetown heights; it leaped the Potomao; it spread east aud west, south and north; square mile after square mile of territory was buried unt-er tbe advancing buildings, until tbe gigantiocity, which bad thus grown up like a mushroom in a night, was fully capable of aooommodating all its expeoted gnests. The czar ohose for his partner a dark eyed beauty from Pern, but King Malietoa of Samoa was suspicions of civilised charmers and, avoiding all at their allurements, expressed his joy and gave vent to his enthusiasm in a pas seal. Ia thif be was quiokly joined by a band at Sioux Indian chiefs, whose whoops and yells so startled the leader of a German band on their part of the floor that ha dropped his baton and, followed by the musicians, took to his heels. When the excitement which the appearance of this long lost treasure that had been the subject of so many romances and of such Jong and fruitless search bad subsided, the president continued calling the list until be bad completed it I had the good fortune to be present when this powerful engine of destruction was submitted to its first test. We bad gone upon the roof of Mr. Edison's laboratory, and the inventor held the little instrument with its attached mirror in his hand. We looked about for some object on which to try its powers. On the bare limb of a tree not far away, for it was late In the fall, iat a disconsolate crow. "I can explain its details," be said, "to Lord Kelvin, for instance, but if their majesties will excuse me, I doubt whether I could make it plain to tbe crowned heads." munication between the eastern and western continents was uninterrupted. It was a proud day for America. Even while the Martains had been upon the earth, carrying everything before them, demonstrating to the confusion of the most optimist io that there was no possibility of standing against them, a feeling, a confidence bad manifested itself in France, to a minor extent in England and particularly in Russia that the Americans might discover means to meet and master the invaders. After we had feasted our eyes on this strange sight Mr. Edison suddenly exclaimed, "Now let us see the fellows from tbe rising sun." Upon taking the sum of the contributions (the Great Mogul was reckoned at 18,000,000) it was found to be still $1,- 000,000,000 short of the required amount It is impossiD. .he stupendous events which to. od the disastrous invasion of the earth by the inhabitants of Mars should go wijtiHis record, and circumstances having placed the facts at my disposal I deem it a duty, both to posterity and to those who were witnesses of and participants in the avenging counterstroke that the earth dealt back at its ruthless enemy in the heavens, to write down the story in a connected form. As we sat in the brilliantly lighted chamber that formed the interior of the car and where stores of compressed air had been provided, together with chemical apparatus by means of which fresh supplies of oxygen and nitrogen might be obtained for our consumption during the flight through spaoe, Mr. Edison touched a polished button, thus causing the generation of the required electrical charge on the exterior of the car, and immediately we began to rise. The car was immediately directed toward the west. We rapidly approached tbe American coast, and as we sailed over the Alleghany mountains and tbe broad plains of the Ohio and the Mississippi we saw crawling beneath us from west, south and north an endless succession of railway trains bearing tbeir multitudes on to Washington. With marvelous speed we rushed westward, rising high toakim over tbe snow topped peaks of the Rocky mountains, and then the glittering rim of tbe Pacific was before us. Half way between the American coast and Hawaii we met the fleets coming from China and Japan. Side by side tbey were plowing tbe main, having forgotten or laid aside all tbe animosities of their former wars. The Emperor William smiled superciliously. Apparently be thought that another assault had been committed on the divine right of kings, fiut tbe Czar Nicholas appeared to be amnsed, and the emperor of China, who bad been studying English, laughed in bis sleeve, as if be suspected that a joke had been perpetrated. This incident amused the good natured emperor of China more than anything else that had ooourred. "Good," said Mr. Edison. "That will da " He touched a button at the side of the instrument, and a soft, whirring noise was beard. The secretary of the treasury was instantly on his feet "Mr. President," he said, "I think we can stand that addition. Let it be added to the contribution of the United States of America." "Makee muchee noisee," be said, indicating the fleeing musicians with hia thumb. "Allee aamee muchee flaid noisee," and tben his round faoe dimpled into another laugh. "Feathers," said Mr. Edison, "have a vibration period of 886,000,000 per second." When the cheers that greeted the conclusion of this business were over, the president announced that the next affair of the congress was to select a director who should have entire charge of the preparations for the war. It was the universal sentiment that no man con Id be so well suited for this post as Mr. Edison himself He was accordingly selected by the unanimous and enthusiastic choice of the great assembly. "How long a time do yon require to pat everything in readiness?" asked the president Now, it Beemed, this hope and expectation were to be realized. Too late, it is true, in a certain sense, but not too late to meet the new invasion which the astronomers badannounoed was impending. The effect was as wonderful and indescribable as that of the despondency which but a little while before bad overspread the world. One could almost bear tbe universal sigh of relief which went up from humanity. To relief suoceeded confidence—so quickly does tbe human spirit recover like an elastic spring when pressure is released. He adjusted an index as be spoke. Then through a sighting tube be aimed at tbe bird. "I think," said one of the deputies, "that a simple exhibition of the powen Tba foene from the outside was even more ita posing than that which greeted the eye within the brilliantly lighted inclosnre. Far away in the night rising high among the stars, the vast dome of illuminated balloons seemed like some supernatural creation, too grand and glorious to have been constructed by (be inhabitants of the earth. The Martians bad nearly all perished, not through our puny .efforts, but in consequence of disease, and tbe feW survivors fled in one of their projectile oars, inflicting their cruelest blow in the act of departure. ■ Tbe moment and direction of our flight had been so timed and prearranged that tbe original impulse would carry us straight toward tbe moon. of the instrument, without a technical explanation of its method of working, will suffice for our purpose." "Now watch," he said. Another soft whir in tbe instrument, a momentary flash of light close around it, and, behold, tbe crow had turned from black to white! When we fell within the sphere of attraction of that orb, it only became necessary to so manipulate tbe electrical At first it bad not been intended that tbe beads of tbe various governments sboald in person attend tbia universal congress, bat as tbe enterprise vent on, as tbe eutbosiasm spread, as tbe necessity for baste became more apparent through tbe warning notes which were constantly sounded from tbe observatories wbere tbe astronomers were nightly beholding new evidences of threatening preparations in Mars, the kings and queens of tbe old world felt that they could not remain at home; that their proper place was at tbe new focus and center of tbe whole world—the city of Wasbington. W ithojt oonoerted action, without interchange of suggestion, thia impulse seemed to seise all tbe old world monarcbs at once. Suddenly cablegrama flashed to tbe government at Washington, announcing that Queen Victoria, tbe Emperor William, tbe Caar Nicholas, Alfonso of Spain, with hia mother, Maria Christina; tbe old Emperor Francis Joseph and the Empress Elizabeth of Austria; King Oacar and Queen Sophia of Sweden and Norway, King Humbert and Queen Margberita of Italy, King George and Queen Olga of Greece, Abdul Hamid of Turkey, Tsait'ien, emperor of Cbina; Mutsuhito, tbe Japanese mikado, with hia beautiful Princess Haruko; tbe president of France, tbe president of Switzerland, tbe first syndic of tbe little republic of Andorra, perched on tbe creat of tbe Pyrenees, and tbe beada of all the Central and South American.republics, were coming to Washington to take part in tbe deliberations, which, it was felt, were to settle tbe fate of tbe earth and of Mars. This suggestion was immediately approved. In response to it, Mr. Edison, by a few simple experiments, showed bow be could quickly and certainly shatter into its constituent atoms any object upon which tbe vibratory force of tbe disintegrator should be directed. In this manner he caused an inkstand to disappear under tbe very nose of tbe Emperor William without a spot of ink being scattered upon bis sacred person, but evidently tbe odor of the disunited atoms was not agreeable to the nostrils of the kaiser. They possessed a mysterious explosive of unimaginable puissance, with whose aid they set their car in motion for Mars from a point in Bergen county, N. J., just back of the Palisades. "Its feathers are gone," said tbe inventor. "Tbey have been dissipated into their constituent atoms. Now we will finish with tbe crow." All round it, and from some of tbe balloons themselves, rose jets and fountains of fire, ceaselessly playing, and blotting out the constellations of tbe heavens by their splendor. The dance was followed by a grand banquet, at which the Prinoe of Wales proposed a toast to Mr. Edison. I well remember how my heart was stirred at this impressive exhibition of the boundless influence which my country bad come to exercise over all tbe people of tbe world, and I turned to look at tbe man to whose genius this uprising of tbe earth was due. But Mr. Edison, after his wont, appeared totally unconscious of the fact that be was personally responsible for what was going on. His mind seemingly was entirely absorbed in considering problems tbe solution of which might be essential to our sacoess in tbe terrific straggle which was soon to begin The force of the explosion may be imagined when it is recollected that they bad to give the car a velocity of more than seven miles per second in order to overcome the attraction of the earth and the resistance of tbe atmosphere.Instantly there was another adjustment of tbe index, another ontshooting of vibratory force, a rapid up and down motion of tbe index to include a certain range of vibrations, and tbe crow itself was gone—vanished in empty space) There was tbe bare twig on which a moment before it bad stood. Behind in the sky was the white cload against which' its black form had been sharply outlined, but there was no more crow. "Give me carte blanche," replied Mr. Edison, "and I believe I can have 100 electrio ships and 8,000 disintegrators ready within six months." "Let them come," was the almost joyous cry. "We shall be ready for tbem now. The Americans have solved tbe problem. Edison has placed the means of victory within our power." A tremendous cheer greeted this announcement."It gives me mnoh pleasure," ha said, "to offer, in the name of the nations of the old world, this tribute of our admiration for, and our oonfldenoa in, the genius of the new world. Perhaps on suoh an occasion as this, when all racial differences and- prejudices ought to be, and are, buried and forgotten, I should not recall anything that might revive them, jet I cannot refrain from expressing my happiness in knowing that the champion who is to achieve the salvation of tbe earth has come forth from tbe bosom of the Anglo-Saxon race." Several of tbe great potentates looked grave upon hearing tbe Prinoe of Wales' words, and the cgar and the kaiser exchanged glances, but there was no interruption to tbe cheers that followed. Mr. Edison, whose modesty and dislike to display and to speech ma king ware well known, simply said: "I think we have got the machine that can wbiptbem. But we ought no* to be wasting any time. Probably they are not dancing on Mars, but are getting ready to make us dance." These words instantly turned the earrent of feeling in tbe vast assembly. There was no longer any disposition to expend time in vain boastings and ra- Mr. Edison also explained in general terms the principle on which the in- " Your powers are nnHmitori »» —ih the president "Draw on the fund for as mnoh money as you need." Whereupon the treasurer of the United States was made the disbursing officer of the fund, and the meeting adjourned. The shock destroyed all of New York that had not already fallen a prey, and all the buildings yet standing in the surrounding towns and aities fell in one far circling ruin. Looking back upon that time now, I recall, with a thrill, tbe pride that stirred me at the thought that, after all, the inhabitants of tbe earth were a match for those terrible men from Mara, despite all the advantage which they had gained from their millions of years jot prior civilization and science. "That looks bad for tbe Martians, doesn't it?" said the Wizard. "1 have ascertained the vibration rate of all tne materials of whioh their war engines whose remains we have collected together are composed. They can be shattered into nothingneaa in the fraction of a second. Even if tbe viliration period were oat known, it ooald quiokly be bit upon by simply running through the gamut" Tbe Palisades tumbled in vast sheets, starting a tidal wave in tbe Hudson that drowned tbe opposite shore. "Well, have you 6een enough?" he asked. "Then let us go back.to Washington."CHAPTEB IV. Not less than 6,000,000 people had assembled at Washington from all parts of the world. Every one of this immense multitude had been able to listen to the speeches and the cheers in the senate chamber, although not personally present there. Wires had been run all over the city and hundreds of improved telephonic receivers provided so that every one could bear. Even those who were unable to visit Washington—people living in Baltimore, New York, Boston and as far away as New Orleans, St Louis and Chicago—bad also listened to the proceedings with the aid of tbeee receivers. Upon the whole, probably not leas than 60,000,000 people had beard the deliberations of the great congress of tbe nations. Tbe victims of this ferocious explosion were numbered by tens of thousands, and tbe shook, transmitted through the rocky frame of the globe, was recorded by seismographic pendulums in England and on the continent of Europe. As good fortunes, like bad, never come singly, the news of Mr. Edison's disoovery was quickly followed by additional glad tidings from that laboratory of marvels in tbe lap of the Orange mountains. During their career of conquest the Martians had astonished tbe inhabitants of the earth no less with their flying machines, wbicb navigated our atmosphere as easily as they had that of tbeir native planet, than with their more destructive inventions. These flying machines in themselves had given them an enormous advantage in tbe contest. High above tbe desolation that tbey bad caused to reign on tbe surface of the earth and out of tbe range of our guns, they had hung safe in the upper air. From the olouds they had dropped death upon the earth. Now rumor declared that Mr. Edison had invented and perfected a flying machine much more complete and manageable than those of the Martians bad been. Wonderful stories quickly found their way into tbe newspapers concerning what Mr. Edison bad already accomplished with tbe aid of his model electrical balloon. His laboratory was carefully guarded against tbe invasion of the curious, because he rightly felt that a prematura announcement which should promise more than could be actually fulfilled would at this critical juncture plunge mankind back again into the gulf of despair out of whioh tbey had jus* begun to emerge. * As we speeded back across tbe continent we beheld beneath us again the burdened express trains rushing toward the Atlantic, and hundreds of thousands of upturned eyes watched our swift progress and volleys of cheers reaohed our ears, for every one knew that this was Edison's electrical warship, on which tbe hope of the nation and tbe hopes of all the nations depended. These scenes were repeated again and again until the car bovered over tbe still expanding capital on tbe Potomac, wbere tbe unceasing ring of hammers rose to the clouds. The terrible results achieved by tbe invaders had produced everywhere a mingled feeling of consternation and hopelessness. Tbe devastation was widespread. The death dealing engines which tbe Martians bad brought with them had proved irresistible, and tbe inhabitants of ' je earth possessed nothing capable of contending against them. There bad jeen no protection for tbe great citijs; no protection even for tbe open country. Everything bad gone down before the savage onslaught of those merciless invaders from space. Savage ruins covered the sites of many formerly flourishing towns and villages, and the broken walls of great cities stared at tbe heavens like tbe exhumed skeleton of Pompeii. The awful agencies bad extirpated pastures and meadows and dried up the very springs of fertility in tbe earth where tbey had touched it. In some parts of the devastated lands pestilence broke onwhere (here was famine. Despondency black as night brooded over some of tbe fairest portions of tbe globe. "Hurrah!" cried one of tbe onlookers. "We have met the Martians, and they are ours I" The flying machine had been teen by many persons. tbarge upon our car as nearly but not quite to counterbalance the effect of the moon's attraction in order that we might gradually approach it and with an easy motion settle without shock upon its surface. Snob in brief was tbe first of tbe contrivances wbiob Mr. Edison invented for tbe approaching war with Mars. And these facts bad become widely known. Additional experiments bad completed tbe demonstration of the inventor's ability, with tbe aid of bis wonderful Instrument, to destroy any given object or any part of an object provided that that part differed in its atomic constitution and consequently in its vibratory period from tbe other parts. We did not remain to examine tbe wonders of the moon, although we could not fail to observe many curious things CHAPTER III. The day appointed for tbe assembling of tbe nations in Washington opened bright and beautiful. Arrangements had been made for tbe reception of tbe distinguished guests at tbe capitol. No time was to be wasted, and, having assembled in the senate chamber, the business that had called them together was to be immediately begun. Tbe scene in Pennsylvania avenue wben tbe procession of dignitaries aud royalties passed up toward the capitol was one never to ta forgotten. Bands were playiug, magnificent equipages flashed iu tbe morniug sunlight, tbe flags of every nation ou tbe earth fluttered in tbe breeze. Queen Victoria, with tbe Prince of Wales escorting ber, and riding in an open carriage, was greeted with roars of cheers; the Emperor William, following in another carriage with Empress Victoria at hia side, condescended to bow and smile in response to the greetings of a free people. that we could not only leave tbe earth, but could journey through space and safely land upon tbe surface of another planet, Mr. Edison's immediate purpose was fulfilled, and we hastened back to the earth, employing in leaving the moon and in landing agaiu upon our own planet tbe same means of control over tbe electrical attraction and repulsion between tbe respective planets and our car which I have already described. therein. Having the fact One day, after this announcement bad been received and the additional news bad come that nearly all of tbe visiting monarcbs had set out, attended by brilliant suits and convoyed by fleets of warships, for their destination, some coming across the Atlantic to tbe port of New York, others across the Pacific to San Francisco, Mr. Edison said to me: The telegraph and tbe oable had sent tbe news across the oceans to all the capitals of the earth. The exultation was so great that the people seemed mad with joy. He wa» requested to explain and illustrate its operation. 4truinent worked. He was greeted with rouud after round of applause, and the spirit of the assembly rose high. joicinga Everywhere the cry now beoame: "Let us make haste. Let us get ready at onoe. Who knows but the Martians have already embarked and are now on their way to destroy us?" Under the impulse of this new feeling, which, it must be admitted, waa very largely inspired by terror, the vast ballroom was quickly deserted. The lights were suddenly put out in the great dome of balloons, tor some one bad whispered: A most impressive publio exhibition of tbe powers of tbe little disintegrator was given amid tbe ruins of New York. On lower Broadway a part of tbe trails of one of tbe gigantic buildings wbiob bad been destroyed by tbe Martians impended in such a manner that it threatened at any moment to fall upon the beads of the passersby. The fire department did not dare to touch it To blow it up seemed a dangerous expedient because already new buildings bad Tbe promised exhibition of tbe eleotrical ship took place the next day. Enormous multitudes witnessed the experiment, and there was a struggle for places in the car. Even Queen Victoria, accompanied by the Prinoe of Wales, ventured to take a ride in it, and they enjoyed it so much that Mr. Edison prolonged tbe journey as far as Boston and ftie Bunker Hill monument. Next the workings of the electrical ship were explained, and it was an uounced that after tbe meeting bad adjourned an exhibition of the flying powers of tbe ship would be given in the open air. "This will be a fine spectacle. Would you like to watch it?" When aotual experiment bad thus demonstrated the practicability of tbe invention, Mr. Edison no longer withheld the news of what he bad been doing from tbe world. Tbe telegraph lines and tbe ooean cables labored with tbe messages tbat in endless suooession and burdened with an infinity of detail were sent all over the earth. Everywhere tbe utmost enthusiasm was aroused. "Certainly," I replied. The ship of spaoe was immediately at oar disposal. I think I have not yet mentioned the (act that the inventor's control over the electrical generator carried in the oar was so perfect that by varying tbe potential or changing the polarity he could cause it slowly or swiftly, as might be desired, to approach or reoede from any object. The only practical difficulty was presented when the polarity of the electrical charge upon an object in the neighborhood of tbe car was unknown to those in tbe car and happened to be opposite to that of the charge whiob the car at that particular moment was bearing. In such a case, of course, tbe car would fly toward tbe object, whatever it might be, like a pith ball or a feather, attracted to the knob of an electrical machine. In this way considerable danger was occasionally encountered, and a few accidents could not be avoided. Fortunately, however, such cases were rare. It was only now and then that, owing to some local cause, electrical polarities unknown to or unexpected by tbe navigators, endangered tbe safety of the car. As I shall have occasion to relate, however, in tbe course of tbe narrative, this danger became more acute and assumed at times a most formidable phase, when we had ventured outside the sphere of the earth and were moving through tbe unexplored regions beyond. These experiments, together with the accompanying explanations, added to what had already been disseminated through the publio press, were quite sufficient to convince all tbe representatives who had assembled in Washington that the problem of how to conquer the Martians had been solved. Tbe means were plainly at hand. It only remained to apply them. For this purpose, as the president had pointed out, it would be necessary to raise a very large sum of money. Yet all bad not been destroyed, because all had not been reached by the withering band of tbe destroyer. The Martians bad not had time to complete their work before they themselves fell a prey to diseases that carried tbem off at the very culmination of their triumph. D Most of the other monarch* also took a high tide, but when the turn of the emperor of China came be repeated a fable which be said bad ooma down from tbe time of Confucius: "Suppose they should see that from Man? Wonld they not guess what we were a boat and redouble their preparations to fiaish us?" Upon tbe suggestion of the president of the United States an executive committee, representing all tbe principal nations, was appointed, and without delay a meeting at this oommittee was assembled at tba White House. Mr. Edison was sunt mooed before it and waa asked to aketoh briefly the plan apoa wbioh he proposed to work. I need not enter into the details of what was done at this meeting. Let it suffice to say that when it broke up in the small hours of tbe morning it had been unanimously resolved that aa many thousands of men as Mr. Edison might require should be immediately placed at bis disposal; that as far aa possible all the great manufacturing establishments of tbe country should be instantly transformed into factor!ea where electrical ships and disintegrators ooold be built, and upon the suggestion of Professor Sylvanus P. Thorn peon, the celebrated English electrical expert, seconded by Lord Kelvin, it waa resolved that nil the leading man of science in the world should plaoe their services at the disposal of Mr. Edison in any capacity in whioh, hi his judgment, they might be useful to him. Tbe members at this oommittee were disposed to congratulate one another on the good work wbioh they had so promptly accomplished, when at tba moment of their adjournment a telegraphic dispatnh was handed to the president from Professor George E. Hale, the direotor of tbe great Yerkea observatory ift Wisconsin. The telegram read: Nevertheless, inklings of tbe truth leaked out. The flying machine had been seen by many persons hovering by night high above tbe Orange hills and disappearing in tbe faint starlight aa if it bad gone away into tbe depths of space, out of which it would re-emerge before tbe morning light had streaked the east and be seen settling down again within the walls that surrounded tbe laboratory of the great inventor. At length the rumor, gradually deepening into a conviction, spread that Edison himself, accompanied by a few scientific friends, had made an experimental trip to tbe moon. At a time when tbe spirit of mankiud was less profoundly stirred such a story would have been received with complete incredulity, but now, rising on tbe wings of the new hope that was buoying up the earth, this extraordinary rumor became a day star of truth to tbe nations. "Once upon a time there was a Chinaman living in tbe valley of tbe Hoang- Ho river who waa accustomed frequently to lie on his baok, gazing at and envying tbe birds that he saw flying away in tbe sky. One day be saw a black speck wbioh rapidly grew largex and larger, until as it got near he perceived that it waa an enormous bird whioh overshadowed tbe earth with its wings. It was tbe elephant of birds, the roc. 'Come with me,' said the roc, 'and I will show you the wonders of the kingdom of the birds.' Tbe man caught bold of ita claw and nestled among its feathers, and they rapidly rose high in the air and sailed away to tbe Kuen- Lun mountains. Heie, as they passed near the top of tbe peaks, another roc made its appearanoe. The wings of the two great birds brushed together and immediately they fell to fighting. In the midst of tbe melee tbe man lost bis hold and tumbled into tbe top of a tree, where hiB pigtail caught on a branch, and be remained suspended. There tbe unfortunate man hung helpless until a rat whioh had its home in the rocks at the foot of the tree took compassion upon him, and, climbing up, gnawed off tbe branch. As the man slowly and painfully wended his weary way homeward, be said, 'This teaches me that creatures to whom nature has given neither feathers nor wings should leave tbe kingdom of the birds to those who are fitted to inhabit it.' " "Let the Martians come," was the cry. "If neoessary, we oan quit tbe earth as tbe Athenians fled from Athena before the advancing host of Xerxes, and, like tbem. take refuge upon our ships—these new ships of space with whioh American inventiveness has furuisbed us." Each of the other monarchs was received in a similar manner. Tbe czar of Russia proved to be an especial favorite with tbe multitude on account of the ancient friendship of bis bouse for America. Bet tbe greatest applause of all came when the president of France, followed by tbe president of Switzerland and tbe first syndic of the little republic of Andorra, made their appearance. Equally warm were the greetings extended to tbe representatives of Mexico and tbe South American states. From those lauds which bad fortunately escaped invasion relief was sent to tbe sufferers. Tbe outburst of pity and of charity exceeded anything that the world bad known. Differences of nee and of religion were swallowed up iu the universal sympathy which was felt for those who had suffered so terribly from an evil that was as unexpected as it was unimaginable iu its enormity. "How much will be needed?" asked one of tbe English representatives. "At least $10,000,000,000," replied the president. And then, like a flash, some geniua struck out an idea that fired the world. "Why should we wait? Why should we run the risk of having our oitiesfdestroyed and our lands desolated a seebnd time? Let us go to Mars. We have tbe means. Let us beard tbe lion in bis den. Let us ourselves turn conquerors and take possession of tbat detestable planet, and if necessary destroy it in order to relieve tbe earth of this perpetual threat which now hangs over us like the sword of Damocles." "It would be safer," said a senator But the worst was not yet. More dreadful than tbe actual suffering and tbe scenes of death aud devastation whioh overspread the afflicted lauds was tbe profound mental aud moral depression that followed. This was shared even by those who had not seen tbe Martians and bad not witnessed the destruotive effects of the frightful engines of war tbat tbey bad imported for tbe conquest of tbe earth. from the Paciflo coast, "to make it 125,000,000,000." The crowd apparently hardly knew at first bow to receive the sultan of Turkey, but tbe universal good feeling was in his favor, and finally rounds of hand clapping and cheers greeted his progress along the splendid avenue. "I suggest," said tbe king of Italy, "that the nations be called in alphabetical order, and that the representatives of each name a sum which it is ready and able to contribute." " We want the cash or its equivalent, " shouted the Pacifio coast senator. And it was true. I bad myself been one of tbe occupants of tbe car of tbe flying ship of space on that night wbeu it silently left tbe earth aud rising out of tbe great shadow of tbe globe sped on *q the moon. We bad landed upon the scarred and desolate face of the earth's satellite, aud but tbat there are greater and more interesting events tbe telling of which must uot be delayed I should undertake to describe tbe particulars of this first visit of men to auother world. A happy idea had apparently occurred to tbe emperor of China and tbe mikado of Japan, for, attended by their intermingled suits, they rode together in "I shall not follow the alphabet strictly," said tbe president, "but shall begin with the larger nations first. Perhaps, under the circumstances, it is proper that the United States should lead the way. Mr. Secretary," he oontinned, turning to the secretary of tbe treasury, "how much can we stand?" CHAPTER II. All mankind were sunk deep in this universal despair, and it became tenfold blacker when tbe astronomers announced from their observatories tbat strange lights were visible, moving and flashing upon the red surface of the planet of war. These mysterious appearances oould only be interpreted in tbe light of past experience to mean tbat the Martians were preparing for another invasion of tbe earth, and who could doubt that with the iuvincible powers of destruction at their command tbey would this time make their work complete and final? This enthusiasm would have had but little justification had Mr. Edison done nothing more thau invent a machine which could navigate the atmosphere and the regions of interplanetary space. single carriage. This object lesson il tbe unity of international feeling immensely pleased tbe spectators. "On to Mart!" wat heard from alt tidtt. been erected in its neighborhood, and tbeir safety would be imperiled by the flying fragments. Tbe fact happened to come to my knowledge. He had, however—and this fact was generally known, although tbe details had not yet leaked out—invented also machines of war intended to meet the utmost tbat the Martiaus oould do for either offeuse or defense in the struggle which was now about to ensue. On this occasion, having embarked, we rose rapidly to a height of some thousands of feet and directed our course over tbe Atlantia When half way to Ireland, we beheld, in the distance, steaming westward, the smoke of several fleets. As we drew nearer a marvelous spectacle unfolded itself to our eyes. From tbe northeast, their great guns flashing in the sunlight and their huge funnels belching black volumes that rested like thunderclouds upon the sea, oauie tbe mighty warships of England, with her meteor flag streaming red in tbe breeze, while the royal insignia, indicating the presence of the ruler of the British empire, was conspicuously displayed upon the flagship of the squadron. - Tbe scene in tbe senate chamber stirred every one profoundly. That it was brilliaut aud magnificent goes without saying, but there was a seriousness, an iuteuse feeling of expectancy, pervading both those who looked on and those who were to do the work for which these magnates of the earth had assembled which produced an ineradicable impression. The president of the United States, of course, presided. Representatives «f the greater powers occupied the front seats, aud some of tbem were honored with special chairs near the president "At least $1,000,000,006," replied tbe secretary of tbe treasury. "Here is an opportunity," I said to Mr. Edisou, "to try tbe powers of your machine on a large soale." A roar of applause that shook the room burst from the assembly. Even some of the monarchs threw up their hats. The Emperor Tsait'ien smiled from ear to ear. One of the roko tuis, or native chiefs, from Fiji sprang np aud brandished a warclub. But, as I have already intimated, this was only an experimental trip. By visiting this little nearby island in the ooean space Mr. Edison simply wished to demonstrate the practicability of his invention and to convinoe first of all himself and bis scientific friends that it was possible for men—mortal men—to quit and to revisit tbe earth at their wilL Tbat aim this experimental trip triumphantly attained. "Capital," he instantly replied, shall go at ouce." Acting upon tbe hint whiob bad been oonveyed from various investigations in the domain of physics and couoeutrating upon tbe problem all those unmatched powers of intellect which distinguished him, the great inventor had succeeded iu producing a little implement whioh one oould carry in his hand, but which was more powerful than any battleship tbat ever floated. Tbe details of its mechanism could not be easily explained without tbe use of tedious technicalities and tbe employment of terms, diagrams and mathematical statements, all of which would lie outside the soope of this narrative. But tbe principle of tbe thing was simple enough. It was upon the great scientific doctrine, which we have since seen so completely and brilliantly developed, of the law of harmonic vibrations, extending from atoms aud molecules at one end of the series up to worlds and suns at the other end, that Mr. Edison based bis invention. For the work now in hand it was necessary to employ a battery of disintegrators, since the field of destruction covered by each was comparatively limited. All of the impending portions of the wall must be destroyed at onoe and together, for otherwise tbe danger would ratber be accentuated than annihilated. The disintegrators were placed upon the roof of a neighboring building, so adjusted tbat tbeir fields of destruction overlapped one another upon tbe wall. Their indexes were all set to correspond with tbe vibratiou period of tbe peculiar kind of brick of which the wall consisted. Then tbe energy was turned on, and a about of wonder arose from tbe multitudes which bad assembled at a safe distance to witness the experiment. Having told this story, Tsait'ien turned his baok on tbe electrical ship. This startling announcement was the more pitiable iu its effects because it •erred to unnerve and discourage those few of stouter hearts and more hopeful temperaments who had already begun the labor of restoration and reconstruction amid tbe embers of their desolated homes. In New York this feeling C4 hope and confidence, this determination to rise against disaster and to wipe out the evidences of its dreadful presence as quickly as possible, had especially manifested itself. Already a company had been formed and a large amount of capital subscribed for the reconstruction of the destroyed bridges over the East river. Already architects were busily at Work planning new 20 story hotels and apartment bouses, new churches and Dew cathedrals on a grander scale than before. Amid this stir of renewed life came tbe fatal news that Mars was undoubtedly preparing to deal us a deathblow. Tbe sudd?" "evulsion of feeling flitted like the shadow of an eclipse ever the earth. The scenes tbat followed were indescribable. Men lost their reason. The faint hearted ended the suspense with self destruction, the stout hearted remained steadfast, but without hope and knowing not what to do. "Professor Barnard, watching Man tonight with the 40 inch telescope, saw a sudden outburst of reddish light, whioh we think indioates that something has been shot from the planet Spectroscopic observations of this moving light indicated that it was ooming earthward while visible at the rate of not less than 100 milea a second." Tbe president then prooeeded to call tbe other nations, beginning with Austria-Hungary and ending with Zanzibar, whose sultan, Hamoud bin Mahomed, bad come to the congress in tbe escort of Queen Victoria. Each contributed liberally. After the exhibition was finished, and amid the fresh outburst of enthusiasm that followed, it was suggested that a proper way to wind up the congress and give suitable expression to the festive mood which now possessed mankind would be to have a grand ball. This suggestion met with immediate and universal approval. No time was wasted in preliminaries. The president made a brief speech. It would carry me into technical details tbat would hardly interest the reader to describe the mechanism of Mr. Edison's flying machine. Let it so Aloe to say tbat it depended upon the principle of electrical attraction and repul - siou. By means of a most ingenious and oomplioated construction he bad mastered the problem of bow to produoe in a limited space electricity of any desired potential and of any polarity, and tbat. without danger to the experimenter or to the material experimented upon. It is gravitatiou, as everybody knows, tbat makes man a prisoner on the earth. If he could overcome or neutralize gravitation, be could float away a free creature of interstellar space. Mr. Edison in his invention bad pitted electricity against gravitation. Nature, in fact, had done the same thing long before. Every astronomer knew it, but none bad been able to imitate or to reproduce this miracle of nature. When a comet approaches tbe sun, the orbit iu whiob it travels indicates tbat it is moving under tbe impulse of the sun's gravitation. It is in reality falling in a great parabolic or elliptioal ourve through space. But while a comet approaches the sun it begins to display—stretching out for millions and sometimes hundreds of millions of miles on the side away from tbe son—an immense luminous traiu called its tail. This train extends back into tbat part of space from which tbe comet is moviug. "Weh«ve route toRetber," he said, "to consider a question that equally interests the whole earth. I need not remind yon that unexpectedly aud without provocation on our part the people —the monsters, I should rather say—of Mars recently came down upon the earth, attacked us in our homes aud spread desolation around them. Haviug the advantage of age9 of evolution, which for as are yet in the future, they brought with them eugines of death •ud ut destruction against which we found it impossible to contend. It is within the memory of every oue in reach of my voice that it was through the entirely unexpected succor which Providence sent us that we were suddenly aud effectually freed from the in vaders. By oar own efforts we coald have done nothing. Germany, coming in alphabetical order just before Great Britain, bad named, through its chanoellor, the sum of $500,000,000, but when the first lord ut the British treasury, not wishing to be behiud the United (States, named double that sum as the contribution of the British empire, the Emperor William looked displeased. He spoke a word in the ear of the chancellor, who immediately raised his hand. Following a course more directly westward appeared, under another black olond of smoke, the hulls and guns and burgeons of another great fleet, carrying the tricolor of France aud beating iu its midst the head of the maguifloent republic of western Europe. But for so gigantic ail affair it was, of course, necessary to make speoial preparations. A convenient place was selected on the Virginian side of the Potomac. A space of ten acres was carefully leveled and covered with a polished floor, rows of columns 100 feet apart were run across it in every direction, and these were decorated with electric lights, displaying every color of tho spectrum. Hardly had the excitement canted by the reading of this dispatch subsided when others of • similar import oun from the Lick observatory in California, from the branch of the Harvard observatory at Arequipa, in Peru, and from the observatory at Potsdam. Farther south, beating up against the northerly winds, came a third fleet with the gold and red of Spain flattering from its masthead. This, too, was 'carrying its king westward, where now indeed the star of empire had taken its way. When the telegram from this last named place was read, the Emperor William turned to bis chancellor and said: The wall did not fall; it did Dot break asunder; do fragments shot this way aud that aud high Id the air; there was do explosion; do shock or ooise disturbed the still atmosphere—only a soft whir, that seemed to pervade everything and to tingle in the oerves of the spectators, aud—what bad been was Dot! The wall was gooel But high above aDd all around the place where it had bnog over the street with its threat of death there appeared, swiftly billowing outward in every directioo. a faint, bluish cloud. It was the scattered atoms of the destroyed wall. "We will give 11,000,000,000," said the chancellor. Vneen Victoria seemed surprised, though not displeased. The first lord of the treasury met her eye, and then, rising in his place, said: "I want to go home. If 1 am to di* I prefer to leave my bones among those of my imperial ancestors and not in this vulgar country, where no king has ever ruled. I don't like this atmosphere. It makes me feel limp." Every kind of substance has its own vibratory rhythm. That of iroo differs from that of piDe wood. The atoms of gold do Dot vibrate in the same tim6 or through the same range as those of lead, and so on for all kDowD substances and all the chemical elements. 80, on a larger soale, every massive body has its period of vibration. A great suspension bridge vibrates under the impulse of forces that are applied to it in long periods. No company of soldiers ever crosses such a bridge without breaking step. If they tramped together aod were followed by other companies keeping the same time with their feet after awhile the vibrations of the bridge would become so great and destructive that it would fall in pieces. So any structure, if itsvibratioD rate is known, could easily be destroyed by a force applied to it in such a way that it should simply increase the swing of those vibrations up to the point of destruction. Above this immense space, rising in the center to a height of more than 1,000 feet, was anchored a vast number of balloons, all aglow with lights and forming a tremendous dome, in which brilliant lamps were arranged iu such a manner as to exhibit in an endless suooeatsiou of combinations all the national colors, ensigns and insignia of the va rious countries represented at the oor gress. Biasing eagles, lions, unicorns, dragons and other imaginary create that the different nations bad chosen for their symbols appeared to h high above the dancers, shedding » liaut light upon the scene. Rising a little higher, so as to extend our horizon, we saw coming down the English channel, behiud the British fleet, the black ships of Russia. Side by side, or following one another's lead, these war fleets were on a peaceful voyage that belied tbeir threatening appearance. There bad been no thought of dauger to or from the forts aud ports of rival nations which they had passed. There was no enmity, aud no fear between them when the throats of tbeir ponderous guns yawned at oue another across the waves. They were now, in ■pirit, all one fleet, haviug oue object, bearing agaiust one enemy, ready to defend but oue couutry, aud that country was the eutire earth. "Make it $1,600,000,000 for Great Britain." Emperor William cousulted again with bis chancellor, but evidently concluded uot to increase his bid. To b« Continued. "But, as you all know, tbe first feeling of relief which followed the death of our foes was quickly succeeded by tbe fearful news which came to us from the observatories that the Martians were undoubtedly preparing for a second invasion of our plauet. Agaiust this we should have had no recourse and no hope but for tbe geuius of one of my couutrymeu, who, as you are all aware, has perfected means which may enable us not only to withstand tbe attack of those awful enemies, but to meet them, aud, let us hope, to conquer them on their own ground. But, at any rate, the fund bad benefited to the amount of $1,000,000,000 by this little outburst of imperial rivalry.nre*| mSrV*ALL NAT'®*I^B ■r of the Globe (or D■ - f rheumatism! were K I ei »"£ M) DR. RICHTOTS j| "'• ANCHOR  ?r fPAIN EXPELLERl ■ World renowned! Remarkably encceeef o I I ■ ■Onlr lenofne with trad* Mark " Anchor,"! .be ■». id. Mefcter "Co., fliPetrif*., New Tert. ■ J?. I *i HI6HEST AWARDS. Utul ■ 13 Btasoh Heuee. OvaOlanwwfa. ■ *Me. Endorsed ft recommended by^m lUili" B^S^.Ollckfio80 gortilcalirst"^^ teoaa H Houck, 4 North Main 8t the Pittteton, Pa.  and | But there was a gleam of hope of which the general public as yet koew Dotbiog. It was due to a few dauntless men of scieDce, conspicuous among whom were Lord Kelvin, the great English savaot; Herr Roentgen, the discoverer of the famous X ray, and especially Thomas A. Edison,the American geoins of aoieaoe. These men and a few others bad examined with the utmost care the engines of war, the flying machines, the geD&rators of mysterious destructive forces that the Martians bad produoed, with the object of diHoovering if possible the sources of their power. Aod dow the cry "Od to Mars!" was beard from all sides. But for such au eDterprise fuods were Deeded—millions upon inillious. Yet some of the fairest and richest portions of the earth had been impoverished by the frightful ravages of those enemies who bad dropped down upou them from the skies. Still the money Diust be had. The salvation of the planet, as everybody was dow convinced, depended upon the successful DegotiatioD of a gigantic war fund, in comparison with which all the expenditures iu a.'l the wars that had beeD waged by the nations for 2,000 years would be insignificant The electrical ships aDd the vibration engines must be constructed by scores aDd thousands. Only Mr. Edisou's immeose resources aod unrivaled equipment bad enabled him to make the models whose powers had been so satisfactorily shown. But to multiply these upou a war scale was not only beyond the resources of any in-1 dividual—hardly a uaUun on the globe Tbe greatest surprise of all, however, came when the king of Siam was called upon for his contribution. He had not been given a foremost place in the congress, but wbeu tbe uame of his country was pronounced lie rose by his chair, dresBed in a gorgeous specimen of the peculiar attire of his oountry, then slowly pushed his way to the front, stepped up to the president's desk uud deposited upon it a small box. Circles of magnificent thrones placed upon tbe floor in conveniei cations for seeing. A thousand band inuBio played, and tenB of tbousar couples, gayly dressed and flashing genii, whirled together upon tbe ished floor. It was some time before we caught sight of the Emperor William's fleet. It seems that tbe kaiser, although at first consenting to tbe arrangement by which Washington had betrn selected as the assembling place for tbe nations, afterward objected to it. "Mr. Edison is here to explain to you what those means are. But we have also another object. Whether we send a fleet of interplanetary ships to invade Mars or whether we simply confine our attention to works of defense, in either case it will be necessary to raise a very large sum of mouey. None of us has yet recovered from the effects of tbe re cent invasion. The earth is poor today compared with its condition a few years ago, yet we cauuot allow our poverty to stand in tbe way. The money, the means, mast he had. It will be part of oar businea* her* to raise a suiautui Thus the sun at ooe and the same time is drawing theoomet toward itself and driving off from the comet in an opposite direction minute particles or atoms which, instead of obeying the gravitational force, are plainly compelled to disobey it That this energy, wbiob the sun exercises against its own gravitation, is electrical in its nature bardly anybody will doubt The bead of the comet, being comparatively heavy and massive, falls on toward the sun, despite the electrical repulsion. But the atoms wbieb fonu the tail, baiafalinoat "This is our contribution, iu broken English. " he said The queen of England led the d on the am of the president of the ' ed States. Now Mr. Edison had been able to ascertain the vibratory swing of many well known substances aud to produoe by means of the instrument which be bad contrived pulsations in the ether which were completely uuder bis oontrol aod which could be made loog or abort, quick or slow, at bis will. He could ruD through the whole gamut from the slow vibrations of sound in air up to the four hundred and twenty-five millions of millions of vibrations per aecuad of the ultra sad rays. Suddenly from Mr. Edison's laboratory at Orange flashed the startling intelligence that be bad not only discovered the manner in wbich the invaders bad been able to produce the mighty energies which they employed with such terrible effect but that, going further, be bad found a way to overcome them. Tbe cover was lifted, and there darted, shimmering in the half gloom of the chamber, a burst of iridescence from the box. The Prince of Walea led fortL fair daugbter of the president, versally admired as the most beau woman upon tbe great ballroom floor "I ought to do this thiug myself," he had said. "My glorious ancestors would never have consented to allow these upstart republicans to lead iu a warlike enterprise of this kind. What would my grandfather have said to iff I suspect that it is some soheme aimed at the divine right of kings." "My friends of the western world," continued tbe king of Siam, "will be interested iu seeing this gem. Only once before has the eye of a European been blessed with a sight of it Your books will tell you that in the seventeenth oeutury a traveler, Tavernier, saw in India an unmatched diamond which Tbe Emperor William, in bia Ury dress, danced with the beaul Princess Maaaoo, tbe danghter of mikado, who wore for tbe occasion ancient costume of the women of conn try, sparkling with jewels glowing with quaint oomhinationa Tbe glad news wss quickly circulated throughout the civilised world. Luckily Mm Atlantic cables bad not been de- Afeajed Iff the Martaina au that 00m- But tbe good sense of tbe German neonle woald not knffa* ruler to