The Moon-Voyage, page 25
CHAPTER XXV.
FINAL DETAILS.
It was the 22nd of November. The supreme departure was to take place tendays later. One operation still remained to bring it to a happytermination, a delicate and perilous operation exacting infiniteprecautions, and against the success of which Captain Nicholl had laidhis third bet. It was, in fact, nothing less than the loading of the gunand the introduction into it of 400,000 lbs. of gun-cotton. Nicholl hadthought, not without reason, perhaps, that the handling of so large aquantity of pyroxyle would cause grave catastrophes, and that in anycase this eminently explosive mass would ignite of itself under thepressure of the projectile.
There were also grave dangers increased by the carelessness of theAmericans, who, during the Federal war, used to load their cannon cigarin mouth. But Barbicane had set his heart on succeeding, and did notmean to founder in port; he therefore chose his best workmen, made themwork under his superintendence, and by dint of prudence and precautionshe managed to put all the chances of success on his side.
First he took care not to bring all his charge at once to the inclosureof Stony Hill. He had it brought little by little carefully packed insealed cases. The 400,000 lbs. of pyroxyle had been divided into packetsof 500 lbs., which made 800 large cartridges made carefully by thecleverest artisans of Pensacola. Each case contained ten, and theyarrived one after the other by the railroad of Tampa Town; by that meansthere were never more than 500 lbs. of pyroxyle at once in theinclosure. As soon as it arrived each case was unloaded by workmenwalking barefoot, and each cartridge transported to the orifice of theColumbiad, into which they lowered them by means of cranes worked by themen. Every steam-engine had been excluded, and the least firesextinguished for two miles round. Even in November it was necessary topreserve this gun-cotton from the ardour of the sun. So they worked atnight by light produced in a vacuum by means of Ruehmkorff's apparatus,which threw an artificial brightness into the depths of the Columbiad.There the cartridges were arranged with the utmost regularity, fastenedtogether by a wire destined to communicate the electric spark to themall simultaneously.
In fact, it was by means of electricity that fire was to be set to thismass of gun-cotton. All these single wires, surrounded by isolatingmaterial, were rolled into a single one at a narrow hole pierced at theheight the projectile was to be placed; there they crossed the thickmetal wall and came up to the surface by one of the vent-holes in themasonry made on purpose. Once arrived at the summit of Stony Hill, thewire supported on poles for a distance of two miles met a powerful pileof Bunsen passing through a non-conducting apparatus. It would,therefore, be enough to press with the finger the knob of the apparatusfor the electric current to be at once established, and to set fire tothe 400,000 lbs. of gun-cotton. It is hardly necessary to say that thiswas only to be done at the last moment.
On the 28th of November the 800 cartridges were placed at the bottom ofthe Columbiad. That part of the operation had succeeded. But what worry,anxiety, and struggles President Barbicane had to undergo! In vain hadhe forbidden entrance to Stony Hill; every day curious sightseersclimbed over the palisading, and some, pushing imprudence to folly, cameand smoked amongst the bales of gun-cotton. Barbicane put himself intodaily rages. J.T. Maston seconded him to the best of his ability,chasing the intruders away and picking up the still-lighted cigar-endswhich the Yankees threw about--a rude task, for more than 300,000 peoplepressed round the palisades. Michel Ardan had offered himself to escortthe cases to the mouth of the gun, but having caught him with a cigar inhis mouth whilst he drove out the intruders to whom he was giving thisunfortunate example, the president of the Gun Club saw that he could notdepend upon this intrepid smoker, and was obliged to have him speciallywatched.
At last, there being a Providence even for artillerymen, nothing blewup, and the loading was happily terminated. The third bet of CaptainNicholl was therefore much imperilled. There still remained the work ofintroducing the projectile into the Columbiad and placing it on thethick bed of gun-cotton.
But before beginning this operation the objects necessary for thejourney were placed with order in the waggon-compartment. There were agood many of them, and if they had allowed Michel Ardan to do as hepleased he would soon have filled up all the space reserved for thetravellers. No one can imagine all that the amiable Frenchman wished tocarry to the moon--a heap of useless trifles. But Barbicane interfered,and refused all but the strictly necessary.
Several thermometers, barometers, and telescopes were placed in theinstrument-case.
The travellers were desirous of examining the moon during their transit,and in order to facilitate the survey of this new world they took anexcellent map by Boeer and Moedler, the _Mappa Selenographica_,published in four plates, which is justly looked upon as a masterpieceof patience and observation. It represented with scrupulous exactitudethe slightest details of that portion of the moon turned towards theearth. Mountains, valleys, craters, peaks, watersheds, were depicted onit in their exact dimensions, faithful positions, and names, from MountsDoerfel and Leibnitz, whose highest summits rise on the eastern side ofthe disc, to the _Mare Frigoris_, which extends into the North Polarregions.
It was, therefore, a precious document for the travellers, for theycould study the country before setting foot upon it.
They took also three rifles and three fowling-pieces with powder andshot in great quantity.
"We do not know with whom we may have to deal," said Michel Ardan. "Bothmen and beasts may be displeased at our visit; we must, therefore, takeour precautions."
The instruments of personal defence were accompanied by pickaxes,spades, saws, and other indispensable tools, without mentioning garmentssuitable to every temperature, from the cold of the polar regions to theheat of the torrid zone.
Michel Ardan would have liked to take a certain number of animals ofdifferent sorts, not male and female of every species, as he did not seethe necessity of acclimatising serpents, tigers, alligators, or anyother noxious beasts in the moon.
"No," said he to Barbicane, "but some useful animals, ox or cow, ass orhorse, would look well in the landscape and be of great use."
"I agree with you, my dear Ardan," answered the president of the GunClub; "but our projectile is not Noah's Ark. It differs both indimensions and object, so let us remain in the bounds of possibility."
At last after long discussions it was agreed that the travellers shouldbe content to take with them an excellent sporting dog belonging toNicholl and a vigorous Newfoundland of prodigious strength. Severalcases of the most useful seeds were included amongst the indispensableobjects. If they had allowed him, Michel Ardan would have taken severalsacks of earth to sow them in. Any way he took a dozen little trees,which were carefully enveloped in straw and placed in a corner of theprojectile.
Then remained the important question of provisions, for they wereobliged to provide against finding the moon absolutely barren. Barbicanemanaged so well that he took enough for a year. But it must be added, toprevent astonishment, that these provisions consisted of meat andvegetable compressed to their smallest volume by hydraulic pressure, andincluded a great quantity of nutritive elements; there was not muchvariety, but it would not do to be too particular in such an expedition.There was also about fifty gallons of brandy and water for two monthsonly, for, according to the latest observations of astronomers, no onedoubted the presence of a large quantity of water in the moon. As toprovisions, it would have been insane to believe that the inhabitants ofthe earth would not find food up there. Michel Ardan had no doubt aboutit. If he had he would not have gone.
"Besides," said he one day to his friends, "we shall not be completelyabandoned by our friends on earth, and they will take care not to forgetus."
"No, certainly," answered J.T. Maston.
"What do you mean?" asked Nicholl.
"Nothing more simple," answered Ardan. "Will not our Columbiad be stillthere? Well, then, every time that the moon is in favourable conditionsof zenith, if not of perigee--that is to say, about once a year--couldthey not send us a projectile loaded with provisions which we shouldexpect by a fixed date?"
"Hurrah!" cried J.T. Maston. "That is not at all a bad idea. Certainlywe will not forget you."
"I depend upon you. Thus you see we shall have news regularly from theglobe, and for our part we shall be very awkward if we do not find meansto communicate with our good friends on earth."
These words inspired such confidence that Michel Ardan with his superbassurance would have carried the whole Gun Club with him. What he saidseemed simple, elementary, and sure of success, and it would have beensordid attachment to this earth to hesitate to follow the threetravellers upon their lunar expedition.
When the different objects were placed in the projectile the water wasintroduced between the partitions and the gas for lighting purposes laidin. Barbicane took enough chlorate of potash and caustic potash for twomonths, as he feared unforeseen delay. An extremely ingenious machineworking automatically put the elements for good air in motion. Theprojectile, therefore, was ready, and the only thing left to do was tolower it into the gun, an operation full of perils and difficulty.
The enormous projectile was taken to the summit of Stony Hill. Thereenormous cranes seized it and held it suspended over the metal well.
This was an anxious moment. If the chains were to break under theenormous weight the fall of such a mass would inevitably ignite thegun-cotton.
Happily nothing of the sort happened, and a few hours afterwards theprojectile-compartment rested on its pyroxyle bed, a veritablefulminating pillow. The only effect of its pressure was to ram thecharge of the gun more strongly.
"I have lost," said the captain, handing the sum of 3,000 dollars toPresident Barbicane.
Barbicane did not wish to receive this money from his travellingcompanion, but he was obliged to give way to Nicholl, who wished tofulfil all his engagements before leaving the earth.
"Then," said Michel Ardan, "there is but one thing I wish for you now,captain."
"What is that?" asked Nicholl.
"It is that you may lose your other two wagers. By that means we shallbe sure not to be stopped on the road."
