登陆注册
5302100000024

第24章 BOOK I.(23)

Just one minute before the starting-time Ayrault took Sylvia back to her mother,and,after pressing her hand and having one last long look into her--or,as he considered them,HIS--deep-sea eyes,he returned to the Callisto,and was standing at the foot of the telescopic aluminum ladder when his friends arrived.As all baggage and impedimenta bad been sent aboard and properly stowed the day before,the travellers had not to do but climb to and enter by the second-story window.It distressed Bearwarden that the north pole's exact declination on the 21st day of December,when the axis was most inclined,could not be figured out by the hour at which they were to start,so as to show what change,if any,had already been brought about,but the astronomers were working industriously,and promised that,if it were finished by midnight,they would telegraph the result into space by flash-light code.

Raising his hat to his fiancee and his prospective parents-in-law,Ayrault followed them up.To draw in and fold the ladder was but the work of a moment.As the clocks in the neighbouring steeples began to strike eleven,Ayrault touched the switch that would correspond to the throttle of an engine,and the motors began to work at rapidly increasing speed.Slowly the Callisto left her resting-place as a Galatea might her pedestal,only,instead of coming down,she rose still higher.

A large American flag hanging from the window,which,as they started,fluttered as in a southern zephyr,soon began to flap as in a stiff breeze as the car's speed increased.With a final wave,at which a battery of twenty-one field-pieces made the air ring with a salute,and the multitude raised a mighty cheer,they drew it in and closed the window,sealing it hermetically in order to keep in the air that,had an opening remained,would soon have become rarefied.

Sylvia had waved her handkerchief with the utmost enthusiasm,in spite of the sadness at her heart.But she now had other use for it in trying to hide her tears.The Callisto was still going straight up,with a speed already as great as a cannon ball's,and was almost out of sight.The multitude then began to disperse,and Sylvia returned to her home.

Let us now follow the Callisto.The earth and Jupiter not being exactly in opposition,as they would be if the sun,the earth,and Jupiter were in line,with the earth between the two,but rather as shown in the diagram,the Callisto's journey was considerably more than 380,000,000miles,the mean opposition distance.As they wished to start by daylight--i.e.,from the side of the earth turned towards the sun--they could not steer immediately for Jupiter,but were obliged to go a few hundred miles in the direction of the sun,then change their course to something like a tangent to the earth,and get their final right direction in swinging near the moon,since they must be comparatively near some material object to bring apergy into play.

The maximum power being turned on,the projectile shot from the earth with tremendous and rapidly increasing speed,by the shortest course--i.e.,a straight line--so that for the present it was not necessary to steer.Until beyond the limits of the atmosphere they kept the greatest apergetic repulsion focused on the upper part of their cylinder,so that its point went first,and they encountered least possible resistance.Looking through the floor windows,therefore,the travellers had a most superb view.The air being clear,the eastern border of North America and the Atlantic were outlined as on a map,the blue of the ocean and brownish colour of the land,with white snow-patches on the elevations,being very marked.The Hudson and the Sound appeared as clearly defined blue ribbons,and between and around the two they could see New York.They also saw the ocean dotted for miles with points in which they recognized the marine spiders and cruisers of the North Atlantic squadron,and the ships on the home station,which they knew were watching them through their glasses.

"I see,"said Cortlandt,"that Deepwaters has been as good as his word,and has his ships on the watch to rescue us in case we fail.""Yes,"replied Bearwarden,"he is the right sort.When he gave that promise I knew his men would be there."They soon perceived that they had reached the void of space,for,though the sun blazed with a splendour they had never before seen,the firmament was intensely black,and the stars shone as at midnight.Here they began to change their course to a curve beginning with a spiral,by charging the Callisto apergetically,and directing the current towards the moon,to act as an aid to the lunar attraction,while still allowing the earth to repel,and their motion gradually became the resultant of the two forces,the change from a straight line being so gradual,however,that for some minutes they scarcely perceived it.The coronal streamers about the sun,such as are visible on earth during a total eclipse,shone with a halo against the ultra-Cimmerian background,bursting forth to a height of twenty or thirty thousand miles above the surface in vast cyclonic storms,producing so rapid a motion that a column of incandescent gas may move ten thousand miles in less than ten minutes.

Whether these great streaks were in part electrical phenomena similar to the aurora borealis,or entirely of intensely heated material thrown up by explosions within the sun's mass,they could not tell even from their point of vantage.

"I believe,"said Cortlandt,pointing to the streamers,"that they are masses of gas thrown beyond the sun's atmosphere,which expand enormously when the pressure to which they are subjected in the sun is removed--for only in space freed from resistance could they move at such velocities,and that their brilliancy is increased by great electrical disturbance.If they were entirely the play of electrical forces,their change of place would be practically instantaneous,which,however rapid their movement,is not the case."

同类推荐
  • 针灸节要

    针灸节要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 度世品经卷第一

    度世品经卷第一

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大方广佛华严经搜玄分齐通智方轨

    大方广佛华严经搜玄分齐通智方轨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg

    The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 山居新话

    山居新话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 妖尊人皇

    妖尊人皇

    妖庭霸世,人族退居地界洪荒,某一日,上古大劫重启,上古百族争霸,而人族当何去何从,看轩辕古重生而来,如何称霸妖族众国度。地界,冥界,妖神界,三界大战,再次开启,轩辕古将如何带领人族建轩辕神庭,杀上妖神界,寻觅那混沌之秘。
  • 极品呆夫

    极品呆夫

    十六岁那年,我为了成全姐姐与姐夫,用一记掉包计嫁给了王朝的羽王爷。传闻:羽王乃天下第一美男子传闻:羽王是个哑巴传闻:羽王病入膏肓传闻:羽王五岁封王当我嫁了他之后,明白传言不可尽信,也不可不信。不过,我家夫君呆呆的,却很讨我喜欢。从此我走上了调教呆夫之路,一路风生水起,除奸去恶,却也收获了意外的快乐。小呆子每日里都粘着我,心里眼里只有我一个,对其他一干人等包括他父王无视之。小呆子白日可爱纯真的像个孩子,夜里热情如火的耕耘播种,非常的男人。小呆子无害的外表下竟然隐藏着惊人秘密,原来我家小呆子也挺有本事。小呆子的世界色彩斑斓,只允许我一人走进他的小千世界。我呢?本来我只是专心的疼爱调教小呆子,本来我只是识趣的在山庄里耍威风,本来我只是开心的与小呆子过日子,本来我只是低调的埋没小呆子才华,可是,小呆子到底是个王爷呢。江山飘摇,小呆子这个逍遥王爷也被搅得不清闲了呢。我家小呆子,虽然不傻,还很聪明,可那呆呆的小模样如何应对这血染江山?既然逃脱不了天命,那么就让我们一起拿起武器,夫妻双修,所向披靡,共普佳话。本文不白,绝对正剧,呆子不呆,相信会给大家耳目一新之感,请各位多多指教。——强烈推荐自己的文文,是压箱之宝哦,我自己最喜欢《禁恋之冷少宠妻》简介十九岁,青春萌动的时候,我对家里那个黑心哥哥产生了不伦之情谁知道,鬼混厮混的时候,才知道原来冰山哥哥早就把我捧在手心于是,我冒着被老妈拿刀追杀的危险上了萧昱这条贼船,被他吃的死死。当然,嘻嘻,他被我吃的更死。原来,冷冰冰的萧昱也挺腹黑,还会撒娇,有点小邪恶。情萌篇:某日,我同学来看我,问这是谁的家。我跑到书房,问,“萧昱,我怎么说,这是谁的家?”萧昱想了想,说,“林越,你为什么犹豫?”我扁了扁嘴,难道说对你有意思,所以不甘心说是我哥吗?商量无果,我灰溜溜的回到客厅,想到一个绝妙点子。“这是我……”表哥的家。“老婆,我的咖啡怎么还没泡好?”说完,萧昱“才发现”有外人,抱歉说,“哦……我老婆比较脱线,没告诉我,有客人。”我无语,望着那些大跌眼镜的童鞋,只知道被他阴了一招。我的身份就这样被他给确定了。情人篇:某日小别胜新婚,萧昱问,“是先回家还是陪我在公司待着一起下班?”我说,“先回家。”
  • 末日之翻滚吧丧尸

    末日之翻滚吧丧尸

    是什么让一个高中女生头破血流,是什么让高中女生变成开脑壳狂魔,是是什么让神秘女纸在深夜的高楼哭泣。是爱吗?是责任吗,(麻烦帮我解封一下已经快5个月了一点动静都没有)
  • 最美的流年里

    最美的流年里

    在那些最美的年华里,我们经历过,得到过,失去过,回忆起来,却都是无比的美好。不求永远,只求曾经拥有。有些温柔,只要一瞬间,就足够化解所有的凄风苦雨冰冻容颜。
  • 跟上巨人的脚步

    跟上巨人的脚步

    在巨人的背后,绵亘着一道什么样的历史与精神的地平线?古今中外纷繁驳杂的思想资源,开阔着青年毛泽东的思想理路。早期大力倡导精神上的个人主义和现实主义;五四运动后则从个体自觉延伸到了群体联合和民主自治,激情主张“民众大联合”和建立“湖南共和国”,他的思想探索显得蹒跚而又坚毅...
  • 麻醉师

    麻醉师

    春天的夜晚弥漫着丝丝温暖和不安,纷乱的思绪在马超越的脑子里疯狂蠕动。他坐在电脑前,脸上布满了焦虑和凝重。有一个小说,构思早已成竹在胸,但是,每当马超越坐在电脑前准备写时,他却像中了邪似的失去了语言表达能力,一个字也憋不出来。想写而写不出的矛盾,在马超越心中沉积已经很久了,他心急如焚,可效果并没有因为着急而有丝毫的改善。尽管如此,他也没打算放弃这次注定要经历磨难的写作。马超越默默地在心里发了誓,事在人为,一定要将构思变成震撼人心的作品。在马超越的构思中,这是一部非常奇特的小说,与他自己有着复杂而神秘的关联。
  • 半姗沧澜半姗迟

    半姗沧澜半姗迟

    若有来世万丈红尘,锦绣河山允我一生,可好?
  • 风雨狂吼

    风雨狂吼

    雨,紧一阵慢一阵下了半个多月。四面八方的雨水涌进淮河里,王家坝水位早已超过警戒线,防汛形势严峻。淮河两岸军民日夜在堤上巡逻,备足沙石器材,加固险堤险坝,以应付可能到来的、更大的洪水。S省广播电台记者蔚思萍和军民一道,日夜战斗在淮河大堤上。她自己也记不清采访了多少人,发了多少个连线。衣服湿了干,干了湿,鞋里灌满了水,走起路来呱叽呱叽直响。两眼长时间被雨水和汗水浸泡,布满了血丝,酸溜溜地胀痛。被雨水打湿的头发,一缕一缕的,像小辫一样。蔚思萍倚仗自己健康的身体和对记者工作的敬业,顽强支撑着。天放亮时,雨终于停了。
  • 老公大人,情深入骨

    老公大人,情深入骨

    暖男总裁撒下情网,只为将她困在身边。当她以为自己身处天堂,他却化身渣男,将她伤得遍体鳞伤。五年后,她以全新的姿态回来复仇,没料到,他故技重施,手段用尽,索取她的身与心……为了不再被渣男伤害,她守住自己的身却守不住自己的心,在她决定放下过往和他重修旧好,却发现两人之间隔着一道无法跨越的鸿沟……
  • 有效沟通(大全集)

    有效沟通(大全集)

    生活中有时会充斥着许多不和谐的音符,人性的弱点把美好误为丑恶,把善意误为恶意,把真诚误为虚伪,把正确误为错误,把鲜花误为毒草……都会给人与人之间的心灵交流蒙上一层阴影,制造一种难堪甚至痛苦。所有这一切的不和谐,最需要的就是沟通。沟通让世界更加和谐,让人性更加美好。《有效沟通大全集(超值金版)》为大家提供及时有效的沟通指导,帮助读者在增强沟通能力的时候迈出最为关键的一步。