Fantasy fiction; Utopian fiction; Utopias -- Fiction
Cobb conceived the idea that such a piece of work would, in all
likelihood, remain undisturbed by any and every person for the
period necessary for his long sleep. No sooner had this belief taken
possession of him than he at once took measures to communicate with the
gentleman who had charge of its construction.
A Mr. Bennett was the supervising architect, and this gentleman was
easily induced, for a consideration, to undertake the construction of a
small chamber within the base of the pedestal. He also agreed that the
chamber should be reached through the side by a hinged block of marble
fitting perfectly, but movable with ease from the inside, and that the
purpose for which it was constructed should never be made known by him.
Mr. Bennett was not aware of Cobb's true intentions regarding the
chamber; it was simply a contract between them that such a piece of
work should be performed. Bennett was a man of his word, and was well
known to Cobb, who placed the utmost confidence in him; yet, to make
it still more binding, he placed him under a sacred oath not to enter
the chamber after it was built, or communicate his knowledge of its
existence to any living soul, nor to leave any information of it at his
death.
While the pedestal was being built, Bennett had one of the largest
marble slabs taken out, at night, by workmen brought there blindfolded,
and replaced upon hinges, so it would easily open and shut by the
pressure of a finger on a concealed spring.
This part of the work having been accomplished, it was very easy to
carry out the remainder.
The pedestal being finished and solid, he took workmen there every
night, blindfolded, and opening the slab door, cut out the masonry,
hauling away the material as fast as it was taken out. Cobb desired
that the chamber should be as deep as possible below the center of
the pedestal, for security; Bennett made it so by digging down, after
entering the base, and lining the sides with heavy brick-work.
The interior of the chamber, after construction, was fourteen by
eighteen feet, and in height nine feet and six inches. The floor was
made very smooth by a liberal use of Portland cement. The door was so
constructed that after an inside catch had been set, it would lock
itself upon being closed, and no amount of skill could open it without
breaking the marble slab. There was no inlet for light, nor was there
any entrance or exit for air.
Such was the finished condition of the chamber, as turned over by Mr.
Bennett to Cobb, on the 15th of November, 1887.
Cobb had not been negligent in the meantime, but had gotten many of the
necessary things into shape which he knew would be required, for his
chamber was to have a great many and a great variety of instruments,
all of which would be absolutely necessary to insure success.
Nothing could be done before the 24th of November, for on that day the
Statue of Liberty was to be unveiled and turned over to the city of San
Francisco by Mr. Sutro.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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