Finally this was hung out:
"No traces of human occupancy."
A moment's astonished pause ensued. Then, over the vast multitude, its
faces upturned in incredulous amazement; over the city lying sparkling in
the noonday sun fell the pall of absolute darkness.
In the wireless office of the Atlas Building Percy Darrow laughed.
CHAPTER XVIII
CONFUSION WORSE CONFOUNDED
The absolute failure of Eldridge's hypothesis immediately threw public
confidence into a profound reaction. Certainty gave place to complete
distrust. Rumor gained ground. The exodus increased. Where formerly only
those who could do so without great sacrifice or inconvenience had left
town, now people were beginning to cut loose at any cost. Men resigned
their positions in order to get their families away; others began to
arrange their affairs as best they might, as though for a long vacation.
As yet panic had not appeared openly in the light of day, but she lurked
in the shadows of men's hearts.
The railroads and steamboats were crowded beyond their capacity. Extra
trains followed one another as close together as the block signals would
allow them to run. Humanity packed the cars. It was like a continual
series of football days. In three of them it was estimated that two
hundred thousand people had left Manhattan. It would have been physically
impossible for the transportation lines to have carried a thousand more.
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