FIFTEEN
HUNDRED
MILES
AN HOUR
_Edited by_
CHARLES DIXON.
_Illustrated by Captain ARTHUR LAYARD, late R.E._
_LONDON_
BLISS, SANDS AND FOSTER
CRAVEN STREET, STRAND, W.C.
1895
[Illustration: "OUR VOYAGE BEGINS AT LAST."]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
WE PREPARE FOR OUR JOURNEY
CHAPTER II.
WE LEAVE EARTH IN THE "SIRIUS"
CHAPTER III.
OUR VOYAGE BEYOND THE CLOUDS
CHAPTER IV.
AWFUL MOMENTS
CHAPTER V.
THE GLORIES OF THE HEAVENS
CHAPTER VI.
WE NEAR MARS
CHAPTER VII.
OUR ARRIVAL AND SAFE DESCENT
CHAPTER VIII.
A STRANGE WORLD
CHAPTER IX.
THE MORROW--AND WHAT CAME OF IT
CHAPTER X.
CAPTIVITY
CHAPTER XI.
LOVE AND JEALOUSY
CHAPTER XII.
CONDEMNED TO DIE
CHAPTER XIII.
THE CRAG REMAGALOTH
CHAPTER XIV.
ACROSS THE DESERT CHADOS
CHAPTER XV.
RIVALS MEET AGAIN
CHAPTER XVI.
VOLINÈ
CHAPTER XVII.
AT THE TEMPLE ON THE HILL VEROSI
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE FIGHT FOR VOLINÈ
CHAPTER XIX.
WEDDED
CHAPTER XX.
THE LAST WORDS FROM YONDER
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
"OUR VOYAGE BEGINS AT LAST" _Frontispiece_
"ALONE IN SPACE"
"ITS HUGE SCALY CARCASE"
"VOLINÈ"
"... THE 'SIRIUS' ... BOLDLY OUTLINED AGAINST THE SKY"
"SCORES OF STRANGE BEASTS HURRIED OUT FROM UNDER THEM"
INTRODUCTION
The narrative contained in the papers which are given to the world in
this book, is of so marvellous a character as to have made me long
hesitate before venturing on their publication. Even now I do so in the
full expectation of scorn and unbelief.
I owe it to the world to state exactly how these papers came into my
hands. That done, I must leave it to their own appearance of truth to
command belief.
The year before last, I was travelling through Northern Africa on a
scientific expedition. It was early in the month of May that I reached
the northern confines of the Great Desert, amongst the feathery
palm-groves in the delicious oasis of Biskra.
I had started one day, with the first streak of dawn, upon a short
expedition into the desert. My two Arab followers were anxious to
cover as much distance as possible before the heat of the sun became
oppressive.
It was about ten o'clock before we halted for breakfast, and the oasis
of Biskra looked but a black spot on the northern horizon. The heavens
up to now were an intensely brilliant blue, but a dark cloud far away
over the distant desert could be seen rapidly increasing in size.
Gradually the whole vault of sky assumed a coppery aspect, and the
sun shone paler and paler each moment. The heat and oppressiveness
were almost unbearable; not a breath of air relieved the suffocating
atmosphere. The sun finally disappeared behind the curtain of lowering
cloud, and a darkness began to creep over the earth. The Arabs prepared
for the storm which they knew from experience was brewing. The dreaded
sandstorm was approaching. It came on the wings of the southern gale
with terrific speed, and suddenly the air became almost as dark as
midnight, full of fine blinding sand. We could not see twenty paces
ahead; and now the sluggish atmosphere was stirred with the rushing and
shrieking of a mighty wind.
As I gazed for one brief moment upwards during a lull in the storm, my
eyes were almost blinded by a brilliant light, brighter than the flame
from an incandescent lamp, and a thousand times as large, which seemed
to shoot from out of space. At the same awful moment the very dome of
heaven seemed cracked asunder by a loud report, different from anything
I had ever heard before. It was a solid and metallic sound, louder
and sharper than the report of tons of exploding nitro-glycerine.
The earth shook and trembled to its utmost foundations, and the rocks
seemed to recoil at the frightful explosion. The Arabs were struck
dumb and motionless with horror, and I, for several moments, was as
one stone-blind. With the report a huge body seemed to have struck the
rocks a short distance from us, but it was impossible to tell what it
was until the fury of the storm was somewhat spent. The worst was now
over; and the sand, the thunder, and the darkness vanished almost as
suddenly as they came. But we did not venture forth until the welcome,
glorious sun shone down again upon the wet rocks; and then the Arabs
engaged in fervent prayer to Allah for our miraculous deliverance from
a terrible fate.
Almost the first object that my eyes rested upon, as soon as we left
our retreat under the rocks, was a large round mass of dark-looking
substance, a hundred yards away. In amazement I walked towards the spot
where it lay hissing and steaming on the bare, wet rocks, surrounded by
a thick coating of hailstones, which the hot sun was rapidly melting.
It was a meteorolite of unusual dimensions, measuring exactly three
feet nine inches in height, and was shaped like a huge gourd. A large
crack extended completely down one side, about an inch across in its
widest part.
I cautioned the Arabs to preserve the strictest secrecy, and made them
swear by the Prophet's beard that they would reveal to no man what
they had seen, and then we returned to Biskra. It was my intention to
obtain a few suitable tools and requisites, and then return to the
meteorolite at once to investigate. It would evidently take some hours
to cool; besides, if we did not get back, search parties would be
scouring the desert in quest of us, and they might by chance discover
this wonderful "stone." I felt already that this stone belonged to me.
My interest in it was all-absorbing.
Early the next morning, with three Arabs, I went off, armed with
wedges, a heavy hammer, some drills, a quantity of gunpowder, and
fuse. We found the stone just as we left it on the previous day, and
evidently still unvisited by man.
I first of all tried to force open the crack with the wedges, but the
substance was exceedingly tough, the appliances at my command very
crude, and I made no progress. Then I set my followers to work to bore
two holes into the "stone," and fill them with gunpowder. This plan
worked admirably--the drill cutting its way through the soft spongy
mass with great quickness, and I was soon ready to fire my fuse, and
retire behind the rocks to wait events.
It was an anxious moment for me. We had not to wait long for the
reports, which sounded like a couple of rifle cracks, and then we ran
forward to examine our prize. Alas! it was shattered into fragments,
some of them blown to a distance of many yards.
The charges were too strong. I was profoundly disappointed, and set the
Arabs to work to gather up the largest pieces and load our camels with
them.
I was sitting dejectedly enough upon the sand, more interested in
the action of a pair of vultures than in the doings of my men, when
Achmed, one of my Arabs, made his appearance, holding in his arms a
very curious-looking fragment of the meteorolite. It looked like a
rusty piece of iron ore, oblong in shape, and had evidently undergone
great pressure. Examination told me that this substance was iron, and
its disproportionate lightness, together with a blow from the hammer,
revealed the fact that it was not solid! It looked for all the world
like a large conical shot. I set off alone on my camel to the oasis,
all impatient to get home and examine my prize.
I could neither eat nor sleep until I had finished my task. Locking
myself in my room, I began my investigation with a singular
presentiment that I was on the eve of some important discovery. Nor
were my feelings unjustified by events. With the aid of a hammer and
chisel, after some considerable trouble and labour, I broke open this
singular-looking mass of battered rusty iron, and its strange contents
rolled out on to the table! Of what were they composed? Nothing but a
long and carefully-folded pile of papers--so tightly packed that they
might have been under hydraulic pressure; but their appearance filled
me with the intensest surprise and most utter amazement! Here and
there the edges were burnt and charred, but otherwise they were in a
singularly good state of preservation, and the writing upon them was
almost as legible as when it was penned. The paper had evidently been
made on earth, for it bore the watermark of a well-known London firm.
The most singular part of all this strange occurrence, however, remains
now to be told. Most of these manuscripts were written in a good, bold,
upright hand, and they were addressed and dated from
"The City of Edos, Planet of Mars, or Gathma. December the 9th, 1878."
Was I awake or dreaming? Many times did I read those three lines,
walking about the room meantime to convince myself that all was
reality! This strange letter from an unknown world must have been ten
years in the air! These manuscripts were evidently of a scientific
as well as of a popular character; and as a scientific man myself,
I felt already that a bond of sympathy existed between my unknown
correspondent far away out yonder beyond the sky, and myself! A voice
from another world; a message from the vast unseen--how I longed
to read these papers, to examine them, to revel in their secrets,
and to enjoy them! What a hidden world of wonder, of adventure, of
exploration, lay before me if the documents were genuine!
I sat up the entire night, eagerly reading through these strange papers.
Africa had now, for the present, lost its charm. I set off back again
to Europe with all despatch, bent on investigating the whole matter.
Fortunately, my efforts were crowned with a most gratifying triumph.
Doctor Hermann, F.R.S., F.R.A.S., F.R.G.S., the author of a
considerable portion of these manuscripts, I discovered had been an
eccentric and little-known individual, living a very secluded life
on a small estate near the Yorkshire fells, a wild lonely spot, far
from cities. That he was a member of the Royal, the Astronomical, and
the Geographical Societies, I easily satisfied myself. He had been
absolutely devoted to science--for this all the other enjoyments and
obligations of life were discarded; he lived but for one object, the
study and investigation of Nature's choicest secrets. This was the
all-absorbing faith of his life. From information supplied in these
manuscripts, I learned the exact place of his strange abode, and
was able to visit it, and to make many enquiries in the immediate
neighbourhood concerning him. He was described to me as a tall, spare
man, with a benevolent-looking face, past the prime of life, with
grey beard and moustache, clear grey eyes, and close-cropped hair. In
nature, gentle and tender as a woman, but brave as a lion, and with a
reputation for firmness and great strength of will. I was also told
that he had a very big telescope erected in his barn, and some of
the old folks living in the fells always insisted that the Doctor and
the Devil were on quite too intimate terms. He had no friends in the
neighbourhood. One old serving-woman used to look after the house,
but she had been dead some years, and had not been on speaking terms
with any of the good people living near. His man-of-all-work, Sandy
Campbell, generally accompanied his master in all his wanderings. Sandy
was almost as much of a character as his master--a close, reticent
Scot, who could never be got to talk, even when under the influence of
whisky, a liquor he appeared to have been particularly fond of. The
Doctor had few visitors. John Temple, a Bradford cotton lord, had been
often seen in his company; and a young engineer from Leeds, called
Harry Graham, had been also known in the neighbourhood as a frequent
guest of the Doctor's. Singularly enough, these names were the ones
given in the manuscripts, and therefore help to confirm their truth.
I also learnt that, some fourteen years ago, Doctor Hermann and his man
suddenly disappeared from the neighbourhood, and it was said they had
gone abroad on a scientific expedition, the house having been denuded
of its furniture and left standing empty. From that day to this, no
one had occupied the premises. Pursuing my investigations further,
I found that at precisely the same time John Temple, the Bradford
millionaire, left this country, presumably on a voyage round the world;
and enquiries at the great firm of manufacturing engineers in Leeds
also revealed the fact that this Harry Graham, their cleverest manager,
left their employment to go abroad at the same date. Not one of these
persons has been heard of since.
The mystery of all these persons disappearing at the same time, and
never being heard of again by mortal man, is now cleared away! I hold
the secret, which was flashed to me on the wings of the storm, from
boundless space, upon the sands of the Sahara. The following weird and
startling story will satisfactorily explain the cause and purpose of
these individuals' departure, minutely describe their wonderful and
thrilling experiences, and publish to the world the reason why the
lonely house on the Yorkshire fells remains tenantless, and is rapidly
falling into ruins; and the rich estates of John Temple, cotton lord
and millionaire, are still amongst the unclaimed treasures in the
jealous keeping of the High Court of Chancery!
The following is in the Doctor's bold and characteristic handwriting.
_Extract from Dr. Hermann's instructions to the finder of the MSS._
"Should these manuscripts chance to fall into the hands of any
civilised man, it is my earnest wish, though of German extraction
myself, that they should be published--if published at all--in the
English tongue. Truth shall prevail, and our return to earth shall
scatter, like thistle-down before the autumn winds, the scepticism
which I mistake not will encircle them, as soon as man may read them.
It is my cherished hope to return to my mother world, and to tell in
person of that glorious life and those sublime wonders of a New World.
Adieu!"
This brief extract must suffice as introduction. The next chapter
will begin at once with the story proper, omitting the uninteresting
preliminary portion of the manuscripts.
_Fifteen Hundred Miles an Hour_
CHAPTER I.
WE PREPARE FOR OUR JOURNEY.
"I tell you, Temple, that the thing can be done! From experiments
which I have carefully made, and from information which I have
laboriously collected during the best part of a lifetime devoted to
scientific research, I am in a position confidently to state that my
project is removed for ever from the realm of possibility, and is
now within measurable distance of becoming an accomplished fact. My
plans may seem complicated to you, but to me they are simple in the
extreme. You, my dear fellow, are better able to deal with intricate
financial questions, discounts, stocks, and bank rates, rather than the
delicate experiments of science. Believe me, I have here in this book
every item of my scheme carefully worked out, every design outlined
to its simplest detail--all I want is the necessary capital for its
accomplishment. My young friend, Harry Graham, here--let me introduce
him to you, Temple--whose interest in astronomy I have long been
fostering, is willing and ready to superintend the mechanical portion
of my undertaking. Our models have turned out satisfactory in every
way--all we want now is money. That, friend Temple, you half-promised
years ago. May I count upon your assistance still?"
"My dear Doctor, you may. If fifty thousand pounds, aye, or even a
hundred thousand, will help you, I am willing to speculate to that
amount; and, what is more, the novelty of your undertaking has so
captivated me that I am anxious to form one of your party. Who knows,
if your efforts are crowned with success, what grand financial harvests
may be reaped!"
"Then, Graham, there is nothing now to prevent us beginning to work in
real earnest. There is much for us to do; and I am sure we shall deem
it an honour to have the financier of our undertaking in our company.
Try another cigar, friends, and let Sandy bring us one more bottle
of port, and then I will endeavour to give you a brief outline of my
plans."
"As you know," continued the Doctor, "I have long been an ardent
supporter of the theory of the plurality of worlds. I am a firm
believer in the principle of Universal Law; and the theory that these
other worlds are the abode of living organisms is to me an almost
demonstrable fact. When I first began the study of this interesting
question I soon came to the conclusion that the only planet with which
I dared hope to obtain any success must be one whose conditions were as
nearly like those of our own world as possible. So far as I know, only
one orb in the entire planetary system can with any degree of fairness
be compared with Earth. That planet is Mars. In short, the beautiful
planet Mars is precisely similar in nearly every physical aspect to the
Earth--it is, in fact, only a smaller edition of our own world.
"But I am afraid I weary you, Temple, with all this scientific detail.
I will not trouble you with more, but come to the practical side of my
plans."
"Doctor, your remarks interest me exceedingly. Pray, say all you think
desirable."
"Well, then, Temple, the first difficulty I had to contend with was
that of bridging the mighty distance between our Earth and this planet.
My second task was the enormous journey itself, and the means of
obtaining air and sustenance during the progress. Both of these, after
many experiments and many failures, have been overcome.
"First, as to my means of conveyance. I have here a design for an air
carriage, propelled by electricity, capable of being steered in any
direction, and of attaining the stupendous speed of fifteen hundred
miles per hour. It can be made large enough to afford all necessary
accommodation for at least six persons, and its attendant apparatus
is capable of administering to their every requirement. Here is a
model of the machine. You will perceive that the material of which it
is composed is no metal in common use, nor is its composition, and
the method of its manufacture, known to any mortal man but myself.
It is remarkable for its extreme lightness, toughness, and power of
withstanding heat. Wrought-iron melts at something like 4,500 degrees
Fahrenheit; my metal will stand a fiery ordeal three times as great.
This is of the utmost importance, for our high rate of speed would soon
generate sufficient heat to melt any but the most enduring substance.
Here, again, is the exact model of another apparatus for making and
storing electricity sufficient for at least two years, working at
high pressure. And herein perhaps is the greatest of my discoveries.
The one grand problem which electricians have to solve before this
force can be of any great advantage to mankind is the method of
generating it direct, without the aid of any other motive power. I have
solved that problem; and have succeeded by the aid of this curious
apparatus in producing electricity direct, not from coal, but from
petroleum. By this wonderful invention I am able to carry enough fuel
for our journey, compressed into a space that is practicable for all
requirements, and the alarming waste of energy that now troubles the
electrical engineer is saved. The labour of the world will now be
revolutionised when I choose to make my discovery known; for the reign
of steam, glorious and wonderful as it has been, will then be over.
I can carry in my hand enough fuel to drive the biggest steamer that
ploughs the ocean, once round the world.
"But to return. This little attachment tells the exact rate of speed
the carriage is travelling. You will also perceive that my motors are
on the principle of the paddle-wheel and the screw-propeller combined.
The interior of my carriage is formed of a series of chambers one above
the other. There is a laboratory, sleeping and living chambers, engine
and apparatus room, and ample space for stores in the basement. The
door is situated near the top, and just above it I have placed, as you
see, a small balcony, for observations. My port-holes will be glazed
with glass of exceptional quality, made by myself, and every apartment
is lighted with electricity. The carriage is conical in form, that
shape being best adapted to a high rate of speed.
"My next consideration was the supply of air. I think we shall find
that the whole planetary system is pervaded with an atmosphere so
rare, in some parts of remotest space, as to remain undetected by any
instrument yet known to science, but still of sufficient density to
offer resistance and lend support to our carriage and its propellers.
My condensers are so formed that they will readily convert this ether
into air suited to man's requirements.
"I had now but one more task to overcome--food and water. As regards
food, I have here a little cake of animal and vegetable substances
which have undergone a certain chemical process, by means of which I
have been able to compress enough food to support a human being for
three days into a space not quite two cubic inches in extent. In this
other tablet I have dealt with wheaten flour in a similar satisfactory
manner. Tea, sugar, and other luxuries I can reduce to the smallest
proportions by a process of condensation and hydraulic pressure. So
that I can stow away in the store-room of my carriage enough food to
last six persons for nearly three years--a more than ample supply, as I
intend shortly to demonstrate.
"It has taken me nearly ten years to solve the problem of my water
supply. I have here a small electrical apparatus, by means of which I
hope to be able to distil water from ether. Should my experiment fail,
I have invented a small lozenge of soda and other chemicals, which will
allay thirst. I must also say that I have allowed sufficient space for
scientific instruments, a stock of methylated spirits, a selection of
books, firearms, and ammunition: nor have I omitted clothes, cigars,
tobacco, a few bottles of wine to be used on state occasions, and a
fair quantity of brandy and whiskey, so that you, Temple, shall not
be without your grog. A medicine chest, camera, and india-rubber
boat are also included in my list of necessaries. I calculate that
my air-carriage will be about forty feet in height, and nine feet in
width. What I have disclosed is but a portion of my grand scheme,
the one great work of my life, from which I hope to obtain the most
brilliant scientific results.
"The planet Mars will reach his perihelion, or nearest distance to
our Earth, in October, 1877. He is then in an unusually favourable
position, and affords us a chance of visiting him, which will not occur
again in a lifetime. Now, I calculate that our rate of speed will be
fifteen hundred miles per hour, so that the thirty-four millions of
miles we have to traverse will be accomplished in about two and a-half
years' time. We must leave Earth, therefore, not later than the first
day of May, 1875. Our stay, of course, will depend on circumstances,
which no mortal man can foresee. We may, indeed, reach our destination
in much less time than I have anticipated.
"I ought here to mention," continued the Doctor, "that my devoted
servant, Sandy, has already expressed his desire and willingness to
accompany me on this long journey.
"Now, Temple, and you too, Graham, I wish you to weigh carefully the
_pros_ and _cons_ of this dangerous enterprize. We are about to embark
into the solemn, boundless realms of space--to dash boldly away from
the Earth, which fosters us, into mysterious regions of which we have
none but the scantiest knowledge. On the other hand," continued the
Doctor, "there is grandeur in the thought of being able to leave this
world of ours for a season, and to visit those orbs which shine so
clearly in the midnight sky. If you, of your own free will, are ready
and willing cheerfully to cast in your lot with mine, I shall be happy
in your company."
There was dead silence for several moments after the Doctor had
finished speaking, during which the little timepiece on the mantel
struck the hour of midnight with almost painful clearness, when Graham
was the first to speak.
"Doctor, you know that, through all the experiments we have conducted
together, my one aim has been, provided they were successful, to
accompany you."
Temple spoke next.
"The ties, my dear Doctor, that bind me to Earth and to life are small.
Wifeless, childless, relationless, what have I to look forward to? I
freely place at your disposal the sum I have already named, and at
the same time pledge myself to make your--shall I say OUR--journey a
success."
"I thank you, friends, for your kindness, and your proffered
assistance, and accept the offer of your company with unqualified
pleasure. It is now November. All our preparations must be made during
the next six months, that is by the end of April. We must leave Earth
no later than that date. I also suggest that all our preparations are
made as secretly as possible. Let the carriage be made in sections and
parts; let all be brought here, bit by bit. My big barn will suit us
for a workshop. Idle curiosity must not be excited. And, as a personal
favour, I request that no hint of this journey be given to any mortal
man."
Doctor Hermann then filled up his glass, all present following his
example, and together we toasted each other, and drank in wild if
silent enthusiasm to the success of our awful voyage through space.