A Journey In Other Worlds, A Romance Of The Future By John Jacob Astor (world Cultural Heritage Library)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. ANTECEDENTAL. '' Come in!'' sounded a voice, as Dr. Cortlandt and Dick Ayrault tapped at the door of the President of the Terrestrial Axis Straightening Company's private office on the morning of the 21st of June, A. D. 2000. Col. Bearwarden sat at his capacious desk, the shadows passing over his face as April clouds flit across the sun. He was a handsome man, and young for the important post he filled—being scarcely forty—a graduate of West Point, with great executive ability, and a wonderful engineer. '' Sit down, chappies,'' said he; '' we have still a half hour before I begin to read the report I am to make to the stockholders and representatives of all the governments, which is now ready. I know you smoke,'' passing a box of Havanas to the professor. Prof. Cortlandt, LL. D., United States Governor) meiit expert, appointed to examine the company's calculations, was about fifty, with a high forehead, greyish hair, and quick, grey eyes, a geologist and astronomer, and altogether as able a man, in his own way, as Col. Eearwarden in his. Eichard Ayrault, a large stockholder and one of the honorary vice- presidents in the company, was about thirty, a university man, by nature a scientist, and engaged to one of the prettiest society girls, who was then a student at Vassar, in the beautiful town of Pough- keepsie. '' Knowing the way you carry things in your mind, and the difficulty of rattling you,'' said Cort- landt, '' we have dropped in on our way to hear the speech that I would not miss for a fortune. Let us know if we bother you.'' '' Impossible, dear boy,'' replied the president genially. '' Since I survived your official investigations, I think I deserve some of your attention informally.'' '' Here are my final examinations,'' said Cort- landt, handing Bearwar... J. J. Astor......Page 1 CHAPTER 1. JUPITER.......Page 3 CHAPTER II. ANTECEDENTAL.......Page 8 CHAPTER III. PRESIDENT BEARWARDEN'S SPEECH.......Page 9 CHAPTER IV. PROF. CORTLANDT'S HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE WORLD IN A. D. 2000.......Page 14 CHAPTER V. DR. CORTLANDT'S HISTORY CONTINUED.......Page 20 CHAPTER VI. FAR-REACHING PLANS.......Page 30 CHAPTER VII. HARD AT WORK.......Page 36 CHAPTER VIII. GOOD-BYE.......Page 41 CHAPTER I. THE LAST OF THE EARTH.......Page 44 CHAPTER II. SPACE AND MARS.......Page 47 CHAPTER III. HEAVENLY BODIES.......Page 52 CHAPTER IV. PREPARING TO ALIGHT.......Page 56 CHAPTER V. EXPLORATION AND EXCITEMENT.......Page 59 CHAPTER VI. MASTODON AND WILL-O'-THE WISPS.......Page 62 CHAPTER VII. AN UNSEEN HUNTER.......Page 68 CHAPTER VIII. SPORTSMEN'S REVERIES.......Page 71 CHAPTER IX. THE HONEY OF DEATH.......Page 75 CHAPTER X. CHANGING LANDSCAPES.......Page 79 CHAPTER XI. A JOVIAN NIAGARA.......Page 84 CHAPTER XII. HILLS AND VALLEYS.......Page 89 CHAPTER XIII. NORTH-POLAR DISCOVERIES.......Page 95 CHAPTER XIV. THE SCENE SHIFTS.......Page 100 CHAPTER I. SATURN.......Page 106 CHAPTER II. THE SPIRIT'S FIRST VISIT.......Page 110 CHAPTER III. DOUBTS AND PHILOSOPHY.......Page 116 CHAPTER IV. A PROVIDENTIAL INTERVENTION.......Page 120 CHAPTER V. AYRAULT'S VISION.......Page 123 CHAPTER VI. A GREAT VOID AND A GREAT LONGING.......Page 125 CHAPTER VII. THE SPIRIT'S SECOND VISIT.......Page 132 CHAPTER VIII. CASSANDRA AND COSMOLOGY.......Page 137 CHAPTER IX. DOCTOR CORTLANDT SEES HIS GRAVE.......Page 144 CHAPTER X. AYRAULT.......Page 149 CHAPTER XI. DREAMLAND TO SHADOWLAND.......Page 152 CHAPTER XII. SHEOL.......Page 156 CHAPTER XIII. THE PRIEST'S SERMON.......Page 159 CHAPTER XIV. HIC ILLE JACET.......Page 161 CHAPTER XV. MOTHER EARTH.......Page 166