, 1873-12-27

tuina. 1t waa almost an difficult to got up this
toleacopo In ho position ncloctod rs It lind loon
nous atonoa. wetshty pieces Of forged n,ctaI,
heavy corner Hlones4 to vaat sections Of thu
cylinder, mud tic objcct glass, wlllrll
Tosled M H. itsst s ..; '.s;ar1y so4oo Gon9tas. Iato
woro Hllrnlountetl. md, IN lcss than year from
tho commencement IF The work. Tho i,roat toie-
acope snt proudly til tho summit Vi tho rocky
pcnk.
II WIS uuw tllo 22d of Noyo,nbor, In ton tiaya
the great sscnL would sako place.. Tltcro was
oniY ono thing now TO bo dptlc, md that wns to
loaA tho cannon, md IL waa rather q dolIcata
operation, to stow away 100000 pounds Of gun-
cotton. But Darbicano wns equal to most tlihl-
cnltea. md lle had this cannon loaded under his
own oyoa Tho gu,,-cotton waa brought from
Ponsacoln by rail- lon great cartridges nt . tmo,
aud tose we're sarsGa r. to tho mouth oc tho ea
then lowered to tilcr position by mcn1lB os
winIliasHes woriod by hand No atcnm ongimo
wna allowed to 10 used, and tlrcs w0ro forbidden
within lIstanco Of two miles. II WAS oven
necessary to guard against the I,oat Of tlo auu,
E,ld 80 all The work wn3 done at hight by tho
light Of III olootrlc lamp. Tio cartridges woro
placed IN order ip tho bottom Of tho cannou, and
tl,oy could be exploded by means Of M electric
| battery. AL tho wiros weso united iu single
| conductor. Which ran through hole in the Hfdo
| or tho casting, and tlon through one OF tho
vents In the Btouo lining, to tito snrfaco Of tho
Garth. Thcra tIliH wire was supported on
telegraph poBtB for distance Of two milos,
whcro it waa connected with q powerful battery.
| All ti,at WIS ncccesary, then, when everything
wap III order. wns to press 4 1tttlo button, md
tho 100000 ponnds Of yu1-cotton would bo i'll
Htnutly ignitod.
| On tho 2stl Of November tho work of carg-
ing tho calnon with gall-cotton wau compated.
| Nothing now remained to bo done but To lownr
tho conical shell to itH place III tho great cannp,.
| But, boforo this WA done, tho passenger pro-
ioctilo was furnished for tho Journey; num-
bcrof Thermometers md baro1netors woro placed
in suitable cnse, 'a1ld, to facilitate tlor obsor
vations on arriving at tho Moon, tho travclors
took with thom Bcor and Aioedlor's Ho]c,,ograpl-
10 map, most admirable publication which 10
travolor to tLo Moon nhonld DO without The
travellers nlso. provided pistols, rifles, powder,
mud shot, for shero was nu knowing what onc-
mics thoy might meet; and BpaaeB, BlaoyelH,
sawu, hammers, md ginetB; for how could
they bo cortaM that they would not hayo to
! build themselves q lunar hahitation 7
Michel Artall would lsaya hkol to have carried
nomo animals. Ho did not dcairo to take snakes,
or tigers, or alllEatorw, for there might be moth
ing of tho kind In the Moon, md lie would not
caro- 10 bc tB n,ennB OF introducing them thore.
All he wanted to take with him WIS I. horse, or
MI OK, or d COW or two But Darbicano objec.cd.
lie mover Ind Travelled with Il COW, Oil Ills IMP,
and lo did not WANT to try 1t at his age. Aud
su although Ardan though. 1t would be very
nico thing to have fresh milk on tho trip, It wna
agrcod to take no animals but couple Of dogs
Several bass of grain Of different ki1lds
were packcd away III the sheil, aud Michel
aSan a u" to ve soy en Sen0 % Z s sax ws not eon
lowed, but he tool; bundle of Young fruit troea
of tho most approved varieties, which waro cavo-
fully wrapped iii straw, for tranepianting in lu-
llar soil.
BESIDES all this, food enough for n year wat,
packed in the projectila. There were also about
tfty GALLONS OF brandy, anu water enough to Inst
for two months. Tho trayelora had no doubt
thoy would lind water ou tito Moon. and food
too, for that ua.tor. Thcy wero not 10 cortain,
however, about brandy.
Everything was now prepared. Tho groat
couo waH brought to tho cannons mouth, mt
elevated by enormous wlnalasscs. Hero was
tlecncy aud danger. II those chains lind bro
hon, tic full Of such m im1nonso m@as woult
surely haSo exploded tho gun-cottou. and tue
shell would havo Travelled Moon-warl without
waiting for ita passengers But nothing unto
tho shell was safoly lowered to it's proper posi-
ton on tho mass Of gun-cottop.
AZ soon rs this operation WAS satisfactoril.
completed, Capt NicAol ,pnid, to Prcsidon1
Barbicauo $1,000. the amount OF the third wager
Barbcano WINS not willing to receive tho mono,
under tho circumstances, but Niehol insisted
To wished to pay all his dobts before ho left thi
Tic first day Of December now arrived
4 worry important day. For, II the passenger
to tho Moon at exactly foyty-Bi1 minutes
| | and forty seconds after 10 o'clock thai
evening, more than eighteen year., woul<
e!apHe before tho Moon would agai1l DO found il
| the proper positions Of zonith aud perigco.
A perfectly enormous crowd surrounded
Stone's Hill. From every portion Of the Unitce
States and from various parts Of the Old World
spectators wcro assembled.
horizon. Granjly md brightly she mounted th'
skies. punctual to Il minute to her appointment
; Mover did tho Moon receive so magnificent i
welcome. Cheer after eheer arose from tivt
Every QUO was now wild with excite
} snent. Before the applause which gree.ct
! tho Moon bud died away, the thrce luna
travellers appeared, roady for their voyage. o.
rcdorbled forco and tlion. isupelled by l.ationa
enthusiasm, the whole crowd began to sing. il
th1n!lerng chorus, tho national mir Of "ianko'
Doodle"
away, a and and e everybody looksd ani listened. Tie
} three travellers now approached the mouth Q
tho cannon. Thoy allook hands with thei
friends. 1t was touching scene: J. Il. Maato1
wopt and, ut this last moment. irnplorod to b
i allowed to 30 along. But Barbcano shook Iii
head. 1t was impossible.
The three companions descended to the shell
They entored ir. anti screwed tue pluto over the
ortco in tho top. Then tho windlassos and Ind
/ lcra wcro removed from the mouth Of tho can
uun.
Eyorything WAS ready.
Two l,iles away, tho civil enginoor, A[nrchison
stood. with his tlugor over tho button Of th
! electric battery.
} The silence became awful people scarco
dared to broa.he. Every eye was centorel o1
tho gaping mouth Of the great gun.
t Nuw thoro woro but forty seconds remaining
Each Of these seemed MI agc. At tue twontiotl
' second tho crowd farlv trombloa with nervot!
excitement. 3ono people eobbel, somu tainted
I Then through tho ailonco canlo the sound 0
| counting " "tllrty-tIyo -thrty-six -- thirty
i seven tlirty-oigle ! - thirty-nino - forty
| F1nE!!!"
i Ilcn Alurchison touched tho button.
Immediately tho most awful and unllcarl
: | Of explosion took place. Nothing iio i
was ever imagined. II 4 mighty volcano
had burst into atoms tho dotonattolt coult
7 nok Anvo boeu moro fearful.
straight jot Of tlro sprang into tho mir. a,,t
: socnlotl 10 pierce the very Bly, aud the wlol'
: COUNTRY, for hundreds Of miles, waa lighted up
. Tho ground shook as II an earthquake hnt
) rumblel bcncath It,. Not QUO of thas yas