The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-05-01
JOHN JACOB ASTOR'S BOOK.


JOHN JACOB ASTOR'S BOOK.
Mr.. William Waldorf Astor is not des-
tined to be the only literary light in his
family. Mr.. John Jacob Astor, who has
thus far devoted bis time and his money
TO the study OF electrical science, and who
proposes TO build an ocean steamer which
shall be propelled by stored electricity in
stead Of coal, has come to the front with
a story called "A journey in Other
Worlds" which is an application OF Poe's
Journey to the Moon"
! In this extravaganza Mr. Astor assumes
the Invention of a force which he calls
"aspergy," and which counteracts the
| force of gravitation. BY employing this
| force on an aerial ship he shoots into air
| at the rate of million miles an hour, ana
after passing through the tail of comet
he pays 8 visit to Jupiter. The planet, as
the literary critics say, we'll repays the
call. 1t is 1880 times as big as the earth.
and has lakes, rivers, mountains, smoking
volcanoes, gently rolling plains and table
lands which are delightful to behold. Its
fauna are in proportion 10 lis size. Ii 0aS
/ boa constructors of enormous length,
monstrous vampire bats. mastodons, huge
tortoises, and generally all the extinct
creatures of our preadamite era. These
animals do not take kindly to the terres-
trial visitors; but the party are provided
with miles of wire; they stretch this
around their camp, charge It with cleo
triclty, and every creature which touches
the wire falls dead on the spot. The air
of Jupiter is singularly invlgorating to the
senses. The eyes of the visitors enable
them to see the smallest microbs. and to
hear the action of a poison on the blood
or the step of fly. Jupiter appears to be
inhabited largely by disembodied spirits
One of them accosts the party and says he
was an American Bishop in mis- life; he
now spends his time in travelling from
planet to planet.
This remarkable voyage is supposed to
take place in the year 1000. and by that
time the world in which we live has under
gone changes. as might be expected.
Ships are driven by wiDdmills inserted in
hollow masts. Railroad trains fiy over the
ground In obedience to the attraction of
large fixed magnets. But travel generally
is conducted in flying machines. which en-
able a man TO breakfast In New York, to
turn to Delmonico's in time for dinner.
People converse with their friends across
the ocean by telephone, and by means of
new invention q mirror shows the face of
the friends while they are talking. The
business OF moving coal from the mines
will be at an end. All coal will be con-
verified into electricity at the mouth Of the
pit, and will be shipped in storage boxes
to points where force is needed. A machine
is invented TO Strengthen the axis or the
earth, and put an end to the inclinat of
the ecliptic. This would produce uni
formity of climate everywhere.
1t will occur to the reader of Jules
Verne's delightful books that he has heard
something like this before. But so long
as the human fancy loves to roam people
will not object to hearing Of such marvels
again. With the exception perhaps of
some miserable Gradgrinds who grub
through life without a ray Of sunlight to
| brighten their daily toll. every one, at one
time OF other, has given the rein to his
i'm agin alton and dreamed dreams of being
| twenty feet tall or of being invisible or
of being able to foresee the future as uni
! formly and more accurately than Nostra-
! damus. Such books as this of Mr.. Astor's
| give whet 10 the dream power. There
is Jupiter staring us in the face night
after night and shining with pure
refulgent light. Lying on their backs in
the Arabian desert the wise men of the
East watched the serene orb and built up
| the sciences of astrology and astronomy.
Except that we do not lie on our backs In a
desert, but rather prefer to contemplate
the skies from the vantage ground of a
hilltop or comfortable armchair, we 10
the same, and though we do not calculate
nativitles nor cast horoscopes, we wonder
what mysteries in that distant planet are
hidden from US by distance. what man.
ner of men and brutes live there,
what lives they lead. what passions they
cherish, what philosophers they evolve
and whether they or we ars nearer to the
heights of knowledge and wisdom. To
lovers of such speculations fanciful works
like Mr. Astor's will always beguile an
idle afternoon.
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