The Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations present Orson Wells and the Mercury Theater on the Air in the War of the World by H.G. Wells. Oh, Ladies and gentlemen the director of the Mercury Theater and star of these broadcasts, Orson Wells.

We know now that in the early years of the 20th century, this world was being watched closely

by intelligences greater than man's, and yet as mortal as his own. We know now that as human beings

visit themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinized and

studied perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinize the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.

With infinite complacence, people went to and fro over the earth about their little affairs,

serene in the assurance of their dominion over this small spinning fragment of solar driftwood,

which by chance or design man has inherited out of the dark mystery of time and space.

Yet across an immense ethereal gulf, mines that are to our minds as ours are to the beasts in the jungle.

Intellects, vast, cool and unsympathetic, regarded this birth with envious eyes and slowly and surely drew

their plans against us. In the 39th years the 20th century came the great disillusionment.

Near the end of October, business was better. The war scare was over. More men were back at work. Sales were picking up. On this particular evening, October 30th, the

Crosby Service estimated that 32 million people were listening in on radios. Not much change in temperature.

A slight atmospheric disturbance of undetermined origin is reported over Nova Scotia,

causing a low pressure area to move down rather rapidly over the

northeastern states, bringing a forecast of rain accompanied by wind of light gale force,

maximum temperature 66, minimum 48. This weather report comes to you from the

Government Weather Bureau.

We take you now to the Mergin Room in the Hotel Park Plaza in downtown New York,

where you will be entertained by the music of Raymond Rakello and his orchestra. Good evening ladies and gentlemen from the meridian room in the Park

Plaza hotel in New York City we bring you the music of Raymond

Rakello and his orchestra with the touch of the Spanish R Raymon Rakello and his orchestra.

...