Until nightfall, a hushed, muffled shiver, such as precedes great catastrophes, went running through the anxious crowd who had gathered to watch the spectacle. An indescribable uneasiness, an indefinable feeling oppressed every soul. Each of them was wishing that "it was all over".
The Moon rose above the horizon. Several million hurrahs saluted her. The shouts rose to the heavens, cheers burst out on every side, as the pale goddess shone silently into a clear sky and caressed the crowd with her silvery rays.
A terrible silence weighed upon the entire scene. Not a breath of wind on Earth. Not a breath from the lungs of the spectators. Their hearts dared not beat. All eyes were fixed upon the rocket.
And then, FIRE! An almighty explosion, unbelievable, unearthly, indescribable — not even by comparison with a thunder clap or erupting volcano — instantly followed. An immense spout of fire shot out from the bowels of the earth like lava. The earth heaved up and just a few spectators snatched a glimpse of the rocket slicing through the air in a cloud of fiery vapours.