Telegram-herald., 1890-03-15
CHAPTER XIII.
AT THE CLOSE or WHICH j. T MAsToS uTTERs
An FPICRAM

CHAPTER XIII.
AT THE CLOSE or WHICH j. 7. nAsToN CTrERs
An KPIGRAs.
Time went on, however. and very
likely also the works of Barbicane and
Captain Nicholl were going on also un-
der these very surprising conditions, no
one knew where.
How was It possible, it was asked, that
an operation which required the estab-
lishment Of a considerable iron foundry,
the erection OF high blast furnaces,
capable Of melting mass of metal mill
ion times as large as the marine corps
cannon Of twenty-seven centimeters, and
projectile weighing $50, coo tons, all OF
which necessitated the employment Of
several thousand workmen, their trans
port, their management, etc; yes, how
was il possible that such an operation
could go on without the interested world
getting any knowledge of it? In which
part OF the Old or New World had Barbi
cane & Co. secretly established
a foothold, so that no hint was
given to the people living in the
vicinity? Was it on a deserted
island in the Pacific Ocean, or in the
Indian Ocean? But there were no more
deserted islands; the English had COB
bled them all up. Perhaps the new So
ciety had discovered one for this special
purpose. Perhaps, one remarked, they
might be in some part of the Arctic re-
gions. No this could not be, as it was
simply because they could not be
reached that the n. T. Z. 4. was going
to remove them. Therefore. to look for
President Barbicane and Captain Nicholl
on one OF these islands or in some in
accessible point was simply wasting
time. Did not the notebook taken
from J. r. Maston state that the shoot
ing would take place on or about the
equator? And all countries around it
were inhabited 10y some people. IL
seemed impossible for them to be so Sc
creted in any part of the habitable
world without some one informing the
committee at Baltimore.
Now, what did Alcide Pierdeux think
Of all this? lie was dreaming of
ell kinds OF consequences which this
operation would have. That Captain
Nicholl had invented an explosive of
such q tremendous power; that hs had
found the meli-melonite. with an ex-
pansive force three or four thousand
times stronger than that of the most
violent explosive known, and FIVE thou
sand times stronger than the good old
black gunpowder OF our ancestors, this
was Astonishing enough-vory astonish-
ing. Butt 1t was not impossible at all.
One can hardly know what the future
will bring in these days of progress
when devices exist 20 destroy whole arm
les a. very long distances In any event.
the change of tho earth's axis, produced
by the recoil OK piece OF ordnance. was
not sufficiently novel 20 astonish
the French engineer. Then, consider
Ing the plans OF President Barbi-
earth receives daily the recoil Of all the
blows which are given on its surface.
Hundreds OF thousands OF people smuse
themselves daily by sending thousands
OF projectiles weighing few
kllogrammes or millions Of pro-
jectiles weighing a few grammes,
and even when walk or
jump, or when stretch ost my
arm. al this takes place on the surface
Of our sphere and adds 20 or checks ia
motion. Is, then. your great machine
or such nature a. 20 produce the recol
asked To-? How in the name Of candor
can this recoil be sufficient 20 move ne
earth7 And II the calculations Of this
fellow. !. T. Naston. prove it. it il easy
enough 70 show It." A'cide PierieuK
could not but admire the ingenious cal
cilsuors ~ the secretary Of the gun
club, which were communicated bv
tie r9orn bers ot the inquiry commit
Tee to those wise people who were able
% understand them. Ard Aicide Pier
deuy. Vno was able % read algebra ike
one would read newspaper. fourd in
ibis sort - e-soa--er an inevvressi-
he oaarH- If these changes were -
take place. What terr hls catastrophe
it woaid hri Towns Mould j. tlruei
upside down. oceans would ~ thrown
Cat of their beds. re-ple killed ~ rill-
ions it woald bo an es--5s axe ~ ir-
con- Fsrable violeuce r. besides said
Alcise fierdeux. this daanat.e powder
r. captain Nichoii were ass stron7. ss
ni7ht hoDs thst the prcs ss-fils woald
again strike The ssrth aftsr tae shooting.
ard sfssr having nade the TIP arour3
the eloae. then sveTy taias 'r1s.d - re-
PLACED III very sh7rt tine aad Fifhont
having rassed any very grest 5estrs.c-
tion. Bat 90 ret rorrT ahost thsh
Thanks to their reli-us s.orite. the
hnlet 49, - Us way ard not rssarn %
tae sa-th - beg her pardon for hzv ~
dersass5 her - p7ttine her back sg4
81 tcr place Pierdsuz raallY sad,
aTf ne ii ace - ssootirE we're knopn I
49,. 4 soo- As ~. q ss~ sDoz rksek