THE COUNTRY AGHAST AT THE DREADFUL POSSIBILITIES
OF THIS DISAPPEARANCE!
Extras found enormous sales, but they contained no more news than this.
Business was brought to a standstill and stocks fell in half an hour
from five to twenty per cent. The land was convulsed. It was true that
there were those who thought the whole thing a colossal hoax perpetrated
by the defeated party. But as time went on the startling and incredible
news was confirmed. The evening edition of the New York _Sun_ had these
ominous headers.