OCR Text |
Show - - - - 1 When Worlds Collide ollide - - CHAPTER VIII-Continued VIII Continued VIII - Continued VIIIContinued13 -13- 13 - 131 13"I 13 - - "I I " 1 speak to you tonight , my frIends friendsIn , In the tIle first full tull flush flusb ot of o ( the knowl knowl- knowledgo knowledge knowledge - - edge edgo that ; ) sour our sacrifices and suffer surrer- surrer suffer- surrerings sufferings sufferings - - ings have not been InaIn In \ vain \aIn aIn rain . nansd Iansdell Iansdellhas Kansdcllhas lI lIhas has solved our last technical problem problemWe problemWe problemWe We have assured ourselves by observation obser- obser observatIon obscr-ration obscr ration - vatIon that ' life Ut'e Ute on the planet to be wnt will wntbe willbe willbe be possible ; man shallllve shall live ; we are the theforetathers theforefathers theforefathers foretathers forefathers of ot his Ms new history historJ . . " " The wild wlld applause proclaimed the thehopes thehopes thehopes hopes no one had dared to declare declarebetore declarebefore declarebefore betore before . "But But " tonight I do not wloli wIlh wiser ) to talk at of atthe ofthe ofthe the future . There Is time enough tor for torthat forthat forthat that . . I wish to talk-or talk or talk - - or rather to torel1dot toreadof torend rel1d-ot rel1d ot read-of read of - - of the present " He lIe picked up uptrem upfrom upfrom trem from a small smnn table the topmost of ot a anumber anumber anumber number of ot ordinary note noto books . "I I "Ibave "Ihave "Ihave Ihave " bave have here James ' record of the journey jour jour- journey journey - ney that brought us salvation . I can can- cannot cannot cannot - not read vou you ) ou all of at Ir it It . . This Is the thetlrst thefirst tlrst rst of ot the seven notebooks James Jamesfilled Jamestilled Jamesfilled filled tilled . . " He opened the tho book . . He read : ' "August August 'August IAugust . ' " ' 16 1C 10 . . Tonight Ransdell BansdeUVanderbllt , VanderbUt Vanderbilt and I descended at six sixo'clock sixo'clock sixo'clock sixoclock o'clock oclock ' precisely on a small body otwater ofwater of ot water which Is a residue In a bed ot of otLake ofLake ofLake Lake Michigan Michigati . We are nre lying at atanchor atanchor atanchor anchor about a mile mUe from Chicago . " Following 'FollwIng FollwIng 'Following ' ( ) south along what was wasonce wasonce wasonce once the tho coast of ot Lake La1.e La1e . Michigan we wel1ew weflew weflew l1ew flew over scenes of at desolation and de- de de.tructon destruction de-ctructlon de ctructlon - - - .tructon tructon struction . [ Identical with those de8crlbed de- de deI5cribed de-ecrlbed de ecrlbed - - I5cribed 8crlbed after our first reconnaissance reconnaissance.The reconnaissanceThe . . The world has Indeed been wrecked wrec1.ed wrec1ed . . . . " , 'When When ' anchored nnchored here we , sharply sharplyout11ncd sharplyoutlined sharplyoutlined out11ncd outlined against the late nfternoon afternoon nfternoonsnn afternoongun afternooneun snn gun stood tho the memonble memor'1ble memor1ble memorable ' skyline or of orthe ofthe ofthe the metropolls-relatlvely metropolls relatlvely metropolis-relatively metropolis relatively metropolis - - relatively undamaged I II II II I recognized the Wrigley buildIng buildingtho , I Itho tho the Tribune tower , the 333 North North3fichigan NorthMichigan 3fichigan 1 chigan Avenue building and others . " . ' had bad landed the water 'We We on from fromthe fromthe fromthe the north We anchored near shore shorennd shoreand shoreand nnd and quickly made our way to land landAll landAll landAll All of ot os DS us were armed Lots were weredrawn weredrawn weredrawn drawn to determine whether Rans Ransdell Ransdell Ransdell dell or Vanderbllt VanderbUt Vanderbilt would remain on onguard onguard onguard guard beside the ship I was useless uselessIn uselessin uselessIn In that capacity , as I v . would ould be un unable unable unable able to fly It In case of emergency . It Itwas Itwas Itwas was agreed that the lone guard was to totake totake totake take off at ! Instantly Instnntly upon the approach approachtif approachbt bt t any persons whatever . Our ship shipwas shipwas shipwas was our only refuge reruge " "Vandcrbilt Vandcrbilt 'Vanderbilt Vanderbilt " ' was elected to remain remainRansdell remainRansdell remainRansdell Ransdell and I started off oft at once oncetoward oncetoward oncetoward toward the city . The pool on which n w welay e elay elay lay was approximately a mile mlle In dlameter diameter dl di | ameter and some tv two . 0 hundred feet feetbelow feetbelow feetbelow below the le\ le level leel \ el of ot the city . We started startedacross startedacross startedacross across the weird water bottom Mud Mudweeds , weeds , wrecks , debris , puddles , cracks crackscliffs , cUffs cliffs , , and steep ascents Impeded our ourprogress ourprogress ourprogress progress progressU U " 'As As * ' As we scrambled to the top of at a asea asea asea sea wall waU , the streets of the metropolls metropolis metropollsstretched metropolisstretched metropolisstretched stretched before us-empty us empty us - empty . Chicago Chicagowas Chicagowas Chicagowas was a dead city . We strained our e a Irs Irsand irsand irsand and eyes . . . There was nothing . No lIght lIghtIn lightin lightIn In the staring windows Indows sindows \ \ No plume at of atsteam ofsteam ofsteam steam on the lofty buildings buUdJDgs Uncon Uncon- Un Unconsciously Unconsciously con- con con6cously - - sciously 6cously ! , we had both drawn drain our re- re revoh revolt re revolvers - - voh volt volvers ers era . . , " . ' 'Directly Directly ' ahead of us were the sh- sh sky- sky shscrapers skyscrapers skv-ecrapers skv ecrapers , } - scrapers of ot the northern business dls dis dlstrict distract district trict tract . . Large sections of brick bnck and andstonen andstonework andstonework stonen stonework ork bad had been shaken from the thesides thesides thesides sides of the buildings bUlldings , leiving lewlng leaving yawn yawnIng yawnlag yawnIng Ing lag holes which looked loo1.ed loo1ed . as if caused by byshell byshell byshell shell fire The greit gre'lt grelt great ' windows bad had been beensha1.en beenshaken beenBhaken sha1.en sha1en shaken . Into the street , and the side side- sidewalks sidewalks sidewalks - - walks were literally burled buried In bro1.en bro1en broken bro1.englass brokenglass brokenglass . glass A still stIlI more amazing phenome phenomenon phenomenon phenomenon non was noticeable from our position positionon on the lake shore : : the s1 skyscrapers skyscraperswere skyscraperswere . vscrapers vscraperswere were visibly out of or plumb , perhaps perlulps by byas byas byas as much as fifteen or twenty feet . . . , " 'We We ' moved forward Into the busl busi buslness business buslness ness district dlstrlct We had cross crossed d the rail railroad railroad railroad road tracks before we found any bod bodles bodLos bodles les Los ; but on the other side they appeared appearedhere appearedhere appearedhere here and nnd there It was necessary necessnry at attimes attimes attimes times to circumvent tin nn an enormous pile pileof pileof pileof of debris which had cascaded from fromthe fromthe fromthe the side of ot a building It was Imme Imme- Immediately immediately Immediately - - diately manifest that the people who whohad whohad whohad had left Chicago had taken with them themevery themevery themevery every object upon which they could lay laytheir laytheir laytheir their hands The stores . were v.ere vere sere like 111.e 111e . open openbazaars openbazaars openbazaars bazaars ; their glass windows had been beenbro1.en beenbroken beenbroken bro1.en bro1en broken . in 1D by marauders or burst out outby outby outby by the quakes , and their contents had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been ravaged . " "We We " 'We We ' continued to notice that the thedead thedead thedead dead on the street did not represent representeven representeven representeven even a tithe of at the metropolitan popu populatlon populatlon populatlon latlon , and I expressed eJpressed : the opinion that thatthe thatthe thatthe the passing of or the Bronson Bodies Bodiesmust Bodiesmust Bodiesmust must have caused a mighty exodus " . 'Ransdpll's Ransdplls 'RnnsdE'll's RnnsdElls 'Itansdell's Itansdells ' ' ' reply was a shrug , and andabruptly andabruptly andabruptly abruptly my mind was dischargedupon dischargedupon discharged upon a new course 'You You ' You think they're theyre they'reaU they'reall they'reall theyreall ' aU all upstairs up"tairs1 uptairs1 upstalrsl " ? ' ' lashed I asked " . 'He He 'ie ie ' nodded A block farther along alongwe alongwe alongwe we came to an open opcn fissure fissurc It was wasnot wasnot wasnot not a n large fissure In comparison compawon , with withthe withthe withthe the gigantic openings In the tbe e'1rth e1rth earth e'1rthwhich earthwhich eirthwhich ' which \ we e had hnd seen hitherto hitlJerto , but It Itappeared itappeared itappeared appeared to go o deep Into the emth earth earthand , and a thin veil vell of steam escaped from fromit fromit fromIt it it . . As \ we e approached It , the wind windblew n windblew lnd lndblew blew toward toard to\\ to \ ard us a wisp of or this exuding exudinggas eludinggas uding udinggas gas , and Instantly we were thrown throwninto thrownInto . Into fit fits ' ) of coughing Our lungs burned burnedour , our eyes stung and we snatched each eachother eachother eachother other s arms and ran uncertainly from fromthe fromthe fromthe the place " " " ' 'Gas Gas ' , , ' Ransdell said sah ] , gasping " . 'No No ' oche other ? words were necessary necessaryto to Interpret the tlJe frightful fate of ChI ChIca Chicage Chlcago ca cage o ; nothing could better demon demon- demonstrate demonstrate demonstrate - strate how profound was the disturb dIsturb- dIsturbance disturbance disturbance - - ance under the earth's earths ' crust For ror Ior In Inthis inthis Inthis this region noted for tor Its freedom from fromseIsmic fromseismic fromseismic seIsmic shocks shochs and nnd remote from the therecognized therecognized therecognized recognized volcanic region , It was evl evf evldent evfdent evident dent that deidly de1dly deadly , , suffocating suffocntlng gases gasessuch gasessuch gaseseuch such as previously had found tound the sur sur- surface sur- sur surface surface - - face only through volcanoes , here had hadseeped hadseeped hadBeeped seeped up and blotted out the popul'1- popul'1 popul1 popula- popula popul'1tlon population populi-tlon populi tlon ' - tlon tion These gases , largely hydrochlorIc hydrochloricwere , were heavier than air ; and apparentIv apparenth apparentlv apparent lv h ' they thcy In3 lny la ; like 1Ihe i 1 a ' choking chol.lng chollng . cloud on onthe onthe ontlie the gl giound gaountl tmd When those who escapedtl escapedti escaped tl ti e a urst 11rst first suffocating sutTocaUng currents-and currents and currents - and ap ap- appatcritly ap appal . - patllllly patcritly pal ( .ntly ntly . they th'y thy ( ' were In tho tile the majorlty- majorlty majority- majority majority - By EDWIN EIIWIN EI WIN BALMER BEJt BEJtIIInII BALMERand BALMERand [ and IIInII PHILIP WYLIE WYLIECoprrltht WYLIECopyright STrlo servlo Servtoe ServtoeSYNOPSIS * . WNU WNty Coprrltht Copyright Coprrr ht by Edwin BrimT Burner Balmer A k Philip Wrlle Wylie WrlleWNU WylieWNty Wyll SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERSDavid CHAPTERS CHAPTERSDavid David Ransdell RansdctJ Ransdoll arrives at Now New Torh York from trom South Africa Afrlcll , . , v . with aith Jth a & case of ofphotographic ofphotographic otphotographic ' photographic plates tor for ( or Dr Cola Cole Hendron Tony Drake Drako calls caUs at the Hendron Hendrons Hcndronaapartment ! apartment Ransdell arrives and Eve Hendron . , with whom Tony la is ! deeply In to tolore Inlove 10\0 10 0 lore \ . , Introduces Introdu6es Tony to Ransdell RansdoU Newspapers publish a statement by Hen Hen- Hendron Hendron Hendron - dron sayinghat saying \ ; that \hat hat hat Professor Proecsor ( ; Bronson has discovered tv two too . 0 planets planet8 which havo have havobeen havebeen havebeen been broueht brought under the tho attraction of ot the eirth cuth earth s a eun sun The result of ot the "the 'the " ' In- In Indvltablo indvitable In Inevitable - evitable dvltablo dvitable collision c011lslon must be b the end of ot tho the world Tho The approaching bodies are arereferred arereferred arereferred referred to as Bronson Alpha j\lpha j lpha \ anff nOlI and Bronson Beta Deta . . . Bronson Beti Deh Beta will pass , but buttho butthe buttho tho the other v . all will 111 ) hit the earth and demolish It It . . To devise means of or transferringto transferring : to Bronson Beta Deta . la Is occupying occupying- occupyingthe - ? the minds mlncls of ot the tht : ! membcri member members . of ot the League of ot the theLast theLast theLast Last Days Hendron plans plana to build a . a . 'Space Space ' Ship Shlp , ' . with the Ide Idea : ! . of ot landing landingon on Bronson Dronson Beti Det\ Det Beta DetHo ' \ . . . Ho has bas not been able to Ond nnd find a . o . metal motal which will wlthst\nd wlthst nd wlthstand wlthstndtho wlthstandthe withstindthe ' \ tho the heat and pressure of or atomic cnerey energy " which-must which must hlehmust hleh- hleh - must be use used in proptlllnff propelling tho the thoSpace theSpace thoSpace Space Ship Earthquakes IarthQuakes : change tho the entire ' surfice l'Surt\co l'Surt lSurt co surface ' \ of the tho earth , brIngingdeath bringlne brInging- brInging - death deathto deathto deathto to half halt the world 8 s population Bronson Alpha collides col11des with the rnoon r.1oon r1oon moon . and andwipes andwipes andwipes wipes It out Ransdoll RansdelJ Ransdell with Peter Vandorbilt Vanderbilt , prominent promlnont Now Yorkcr Yorker , . 60lected selected 60lectedby selectedby selectedby by Hendron as a 11 member of the tho party on tho the Sp Space ce Ship , . and Eliot James , 11y fly 11yoer flyoer flyo\cr flyo cr o\er o er oer \ % a n large ; section cectlon of tho the devastated devast\ted devast ted ' \ country They are attacked att\cked att cked ' \ and wounded woundedbut , but return a11 all\e all e lh > \ e , and Ransdell has bas found the metal Hondron Hendron needs tor for the Spaco Space SpacoShip SpaceShip SpaceShip Ship climbed to upper floors to escape , they theywere theywere theywere were followed by the tbe rising apors vapors vaporsThat \ vaporsThat aporsThat That frightful theory explained why whythere whythere whythere there were so few dead on the street streetand , and why no one had returned to the thesl1ent thesilent thesilent sl1ent silent city . I . " . Darkness 'Dar1.ness Dar1.ness Dar1ness 'Darkness ' . was approaching , . and andmoreover andmoreover andmoreover moreover our single experience with withthe withthe withthe the potency of ot the gas even In dlln dike dllntlon diketion dllutlon tlon tion warned us that a deeper penetra penetration penetration penetratlon tion of the metropolitan area was wasmore \ wasmore as asmore more than dangerous " . We 'We * ' found Vandprbllt Vanderbilt sitting upon upona a stone on the shore beside the plane planeWe planeWe planeWe We pushed out ont to It In the collapslbfe collapsible collapslbfeboat collapsibleboat collapslbfeboat boat , and while we ate supper , we wetold wetold wetold told him what whnt we had seen . " , * . ' 'His His ' comment perhaps Is suitable suitabletor suitablefor suitablefor tor for closing this record of the great greatcity greatcity greatcity city of ot Chicago : : ' Sitting alone , I re'11- re'11 re11 re'tl- re'tl retl re'11ized re'tlized reil-Ized reil Ized ' ' - - ized what you were 1m ln Investigating estlga estlgating tlng ; and andfor andfor andfor for the first time , gentlemen , I under understand understand understand stand whit wh'1t wh1t what ' |