\"Limestoneandclarifiedacidaretheprincipalpartsofthesebatteries。Itwasknownlongagothattherewasaboutasmuchimprisonedsolarenergyinlimestoneasincoal,butitwasonlyrecentlythatwediscoveredthiswayofreleasingandusingit。
\"Commonsaltplaysanimportantpartinmanyofourchemicalreactions。Bycombiningitwithlimestone,andtreatingthiswithacidjelly,wealsogetgoodresultsonraisingtotheboiling—point。
\"Howeverenjoyablethemanlysportofyachtingisonwater,howvastlymoreinterestingandfascinatingitisforamantohaveayachtinwhichhecanflytoEuropeinoneday,andwithwhichtheexplorationoftropicalAfricaortheregionsaboutthepolesismerechild\'splay,whilegivinghimsomagnificentabird\'s—eyeview！Manyseeminglyinsolubleproblemsaresolvedbytheadventofthesebirds。Havingastheirhalotheenforcementofpeace,theyhaveintruthtakenusalongsteptowardsheaven,andtotheco—operationandhighercivilizationthatfollowedweshallowemuchofthesuccessofthegreatexperimentonMotherEarthnowabouttobetried。
\"Anotherchangethatcameinwitharushuponthediscoveryofabatterywithinsignificantweight,compactform,andgreatcapacity,wasthesubstitutionofelectricityforanimalpowerforthemovementofallvehicles。This,ofnecessitybroughtingoodroads,theresultsobtainableonsuchbeingsomuchgreaterthanonbadonesthatauniversaldemandforthemarose。Thiswasinasensecumulative,sincethebetterthestreetsandroadsbecame,thegreatertheinducementtohaveanelectriccarriage。
Theworkofopeningupthecountryfarandnear,bystraighteningandimprovingexistingroads,andlayingoutnewonesthatcombinethesolidityoftheAppianWaywiththesmoothnessofmodernasphalt,waslargelydonebyconvicts,workingunderthedirectionofStateandGovernmentengineers。EveryStatecontainedahordeoftheseunprofitableboarders,who,astheyformerlyworked,interferedwithhonestlabour,andwhenidlegotintotrouble。Citystreetshadbeenpavedbythemunicipality;
countryroadsattendedtobythefarmers,usuallyveryunscientifically。Herewasafieldinwhichconvictlabourwouldnotcompete,andanimportantworkcouldbedone。Whenoncethiswasmadethelaw,everyyearshowedimprovement,whiletheconvictshadusefulandhealthfuloccupation。
\"Theelectricphaetons,asthoseforhighspeedarecalled,havethreeandfourwheels,andweigh,includingbatteryandmotor,fivehundredtofourthousandpounds。Withhollowbutimmenselystronggalvanicallytreatedaluminumframesandpneumaticorcushiontires,theyrunatthirty—fiveandfortymilesanhouroncountryroads,andattainaspeedoverfortyoncitystreets,andcanmaintainthisratewithoutrechargingforseveraldays。Theycanthereforeroamovertheroadsoftheentirehemisphere,fromthefertilevalleyofthePeaceandgreyshoresofHudsonBay,tobeautifulLakeNicaragua,theRiverPlate,andPatagonia,improvingmanbybringinghimclosetoNature,whiletheycombinethesensationsofcoastingwiththeinterestofseeingthecountrywell。
\"Torechargethebatteries,whichcanbedoneinalmosteverytownandvillage,twocopperpinsattachedtoinsulatedcopperwiresareshovedintosmooth—boredholes。Thesedropoutofthemselvesbyfusingasmallleadribbon,owingtotheincreasedresistance,whentheacidinthebatteriesbeginsto\'boil,\'
thoughthereis,ofcourse,butlittleheatinthis,thefunctionofchargingbeingmerelytobringabouttheconditioninwhichpartofthelimestonecanbeconsumed,thebatteriesthemselves,wheninconstantuse,requiringtoberenewedaboutonceamonth。
Ahandleattheboxseatturnsonanypartoftheattainablecurrent,foreithergoingaheadorreversing,therebeingsixoreightdegreesofspeedforbothdirections,whilethesteeringisdonewithasmallwheel。
\"Lightbutpowerfulbatteriesandmotorshavealsobeenfittedonbicycles,whichcanacteitherasauxiliariesforhill—climbingorincaseofheadwind,ortheycanpropelthemachinealtogether。
\"Graduallythewidthofthestreetsbecameinsufficientforthetraffic,althoughtheeliminationofhorsesandtheconsequentincreaseinspeedgreatlyaugmentedtheircarryingcapacity,untilrecentlyanewsystemcamein。Thewholewidthoftheavenuesandstreetsinthebusinesspartsofthecity,includingtheformersidewalks,isgivenuptowheeltraffic,anironridgeextendingalongtheexactcentretocompelvehiclestokeeptotheright。Stripsofnickelpaintedwhite,andshowingabrightphosphorescenceatnight,areletintothemetalpavementflushwiththesurface,andrunparalleltothisridgeatdistancesoftentofifteenfeet,dividingeachhalfoftheavenueintofourorfivesections,theirwidthincreasingastheyapproachthemiddle。Alltrucksordraysmovingatlessthansevenmilesanhourareobligedtokeepinthesectionnearestthebuildingline,thoserunningbetweensevenandfifteeninthenext,fifteentotwenty—fiveinthethird,twenty—fivetothirty—fiveinthefourth,andeverythingfasterthanthatinthesectionnexttheridge,unlesstheavenueorstreetiswideenoughforfurthersubdivisions。Ifitiswideenoughforonlyfourorless,thefastestvehiclesmustkeepnextthemiddle,andlimittheirspeedtotherateallowedinthatsection,whichismarkedateverycrossinginwhiteletterssufficientlylargeforhimthatrunstoread。Itisthereforeonlyinthewidethoroughfaresthatveryhighspeedcanbeattained。Inadditiontothecrankthatcorrespondstoathrottle,thereisagaugeoneveryvehicle,whichshowsitsexactspeedinmilesperhour,bygearingoperatedbytherevolutionsofthewheels。
\"Thepolicemenondutyalsohaveinstantaneouskodaksmountedontripods,whichshowthepositionofanycarriageathalf—andquarter—secondintervals,bywhichitiseasytoascertaintheexactspeed,shouldtheofficersbeunabletojudgeitbytheeye;sothereisnodangerofavehicle\'sspeedexceedingthatallowedinthesectioninwhichithappenstobe;neithercanaslowoneremainonthefastlines。
\"Ofcourse,tomakesuchhighspeedforordinarycarriagespossible,aperfectpavementbecameasinequanon。Wehavesecuredthisbythehalf—inchsheetofsteelspreadoveracarefullylaidsurfaceofasphalt,withbutlittlebevel;andthoughthismightbeslipperyforhorses\'feet,itneverseriouslyaffectsourwheels。Therebeingnothingharderthantherubbertiesofcomparativelylightdraysuponit——fortheheavytrafficiscarriedbyelectricrailwaysunderground——itwillpracticallyneverwearout。
\"Withtheapplicationofsteeltotheentiresurface,car—tracksbecameunnecessary,ordinarywheelsansweringaswellasthosewithflanges,sothatnonewtrackswerelaid,andfinallythecarcompaniestoreuptheexistingones,sellingtheminmanyinstancestothemunicipalitiesasoldiron。Ourstreetsalsoneedbutlittlecleaning;neitheristhesurfacecontinuallyindented,astheoldcobble—stonesandBelgianblockswere,bythepoundingofthehorses\'feet,sothatthesubstitutionofelectricityforanimalpowerhasdonemuchtosolvetheproblemofattractivestreets。
\"ScarcelyatonofcoalcomestoManhattanIslandoritsvicinityinayear。Verylittleofitleavesthemines,atthemouthsofwhichitisconvertedintoelectricityandsenttothepointsofconsumptionbywire,whereitisemployedforallusestowhichfuelwasput,andmanyothers。Consequentlythereisnosmoke,andthestreetsarenotencumberedwithcoal—carts;theentirewidthbeinggivenuptocarriages,etc。Thegroundfloorsinthebusinesspartsareusedforlargewarehouses,trucksrunningintoloadandunload。Pedestriansthereforehavesidewalkslevelwiththesecondstory,consistingofglassfloorsletintoaluminumframes,whileallstreetcrossingsaremadeonbridges。
Privatehouseshaveafrontdooropeningonthesidewalk,andanotheronthegroundlevel,sothatladiespayingvisitsorleavingcardscandosoincarriages。Inbusinessstreetsthesecondstoryisusedforshops。Inplaceofsteelcovering,countryroadshaveathickcoatingofcementandasphaltoverafoundationofcrushedstone,givingacapitalsurface,andhaveawidthofthirty—threefeet（tworods）inthinlysettleddistricts,tosixty—sixfeet（fourrods）wherethepopulationisgreater。Allareplantedwithshadeandfruittrees,whilethewidedrivewayshaveoneortwobroadsidewalks。Thesameruleofmakingtheslow—movingvehicleskeepneartheoutsideprevails,thoughtherateofincreaseinspeedonapproachingthemiddleismorerapidthanincities,andthereisusuallynodividingridge。Onreachingthetopofalongandsteephill,ifwedonotwishtocoast,weconvertthemotorsintodynamos,whilerunningatfullspeed,andsochangethekineticenergyofthedescentintopotentialinourbatteries。Thistwentieth—centurystage—coachingisoneofthedelightstowhichweareheirs,thoughhorsesarestillusedbythosethatpreferthem。
Wehavebeenmuchaidedinourmaterialprogressbythefacilitywithwhichweobtainthemetals。Itwasobserved,sometimeago,thatwhenartesianandoilwellshadreachedaconsiderabledepth,whatappearedtobedropsofleadandantimonycameupwiththestream。Itfinallyoccurredtoawell—borerthatifhecouldmakehisdrillhardenoughandgetitdownfarenough,keepingitcoolbysolidifiedcarbonicacidduringtheproceeding,hewouldreachapointatwhichmostofthemetalswouldbeviscous,ifnotactuallymolten,andonbeingfreedfromthepressureofthecrusttheywouldexpand,andreachthesurfaceinastream。ThisexperimentheperformednearthehotgeysersinYellowstonePark,andwhatwashisdelight,onreachingadepthscarcelyhalfamilebeyondhisusualstopping—
place,toberewardedbyastreamofmetalthatheraldeditsapproachbyaloudexplosionandagreatrushofsuperheatedsteam！Itranforamonth,completelyfillingthebedofasmall,dried—upriver,andwhenitdidstopthereweretenmilliontonsinsight。Thisprovedthefeasibilityofthescheme,and,thoughmanysubsequentattemptswerelesssuccessful,wehavelearnedbyexperiencewhereitisbesttodrill,andcannowobtainalmostanymetalwewish。
\"\'Magneticeyes\'areofgreatusetominersandCivilengineers。
Theseinstrumentsaresomethinglikethemariner\'scompass,withthesensitivenessenormouslyincreasedbygalvaniccurrents。The\'eye,\'asitwere,seeswhatsubstancesareunderground,andatwhatdistances。Italsoshowshowmanypeopleareinanadjoiningroom——throughthemagneticpropertiesoftheironintheirblood——whethertheyaremoving,andinwhatdirectionsandatwhatspeedtheygo。Inconnectionwiththephonographandconcealedbydraperies,itisusefultodetectives,who,througharegisteringattachment,canobtainarecordofeverythingsaidanddone。
\"Ourpoliticalsystemremainswithbutlittlechange。EachStatehasstilltwoUnitedStatesSenators,thoughthepopulationrepresentedbyeachrepresentativehasbeengreatlyincreased,sothattheSenatehasgrownnumericallymuchmorethantheHouse。
ItisthedutyofeachmemberofCongresstounderstandtheconditionsexistingineveryothermember\'sStateordistrict,andthecountry\'sinterestalwaysprecedesthatofparty。Wehaveacomprehensiveexaminationsysteminthecivilservice,andeveryofficeholder,exceptmembersoftheCabinet,retainshisofficewhileefficientlyperforminghisduty,withoutregardtopolitics。ThePresidentcanalsobere—electedanynumberoftimes。TheCabinetmembers,asformerly,usuallyremaininofficewhilehedoes,andappearregularlyinCongresstodefendtheirmeasures。
\"ThereallyrapidtransitlinesinNewYorkareunderground,andhavesixtracks,twobeingusedforfreight。Atallstationsthelocaltracksriseseveralfeettowardsthestreetandslopeoffinbothdirections,whiletheexpresstracksdothisonlyatstationsatwhichthefastertrainsstop。Thisgivesthepassengersashorterdistancetodescendorriseintheelevators,andtheascentbeforethestationsaidsthebrakesinstopping,whilethedrophelpsthemotorstostartthetrainsquicklyingettingaway。
\"Photographyhasalsomadegreatstrides,andthereisnownodifficultyinreproducingexactlythecoloursoftheobjecttaken。
\"Telephoneshavebeensoimprovedthatonepersoncanspeakinhisnaturalvoicewithanotherinanypartoftheglobe,thewirethatenableshimtohearalsoshowinghimthefaceofthespeakerthoughhebeattheantipodes。Alltelephonewiresbeingundergroundandkeptbythemselves,theyarenotinterferedwithbyanyhigh—tensionelectric—lightorpowerwires,thunderstorms,oranythingelse。
\"Rain—makingisanothersubjectremovedfromtheuncertainties,andhasbecomeanabsolutescience。Weproducecloudsbyexplosionsintheatmosphere\'sheightsandbysurfaceairforcedbyblowersthroughlargepipesupthesideofamountainornaturalelevationandtheredischargedthroughanopeninginthetopofatowerbuiltonthehighestpart。Theaeriductisincasedinapoorheat—conductor,sothattheairretainsitswarmthuntildischarged,whenitiscooledbyexpansionandthesurroundingcoldair。Condensationtakesplaceandsoonservestostartarain。
\"Yet,untiltheearth\'saxisisstraightened,wemustbemoreorlessdependentontheeccentricitiesoftheweather,withextremesofheatandcold,droughtsandfloods,whichlastareofcourselargelytheresultofseveralmonths\'moistureheldonthegroundintheformofsnow,thecongestionbeingrelievedsuddenlybythewarmspringrains。
\"Medicineandsurgeryhavekeptpacewithotherimprovements——inoculationandantiseptics,asalreadyseen,renderingmostofthegermdiseasesandformerlydreadedepidemicsimpotent;whilethroughthepotencyofelectricalaffinityweformwholesomefood—productsrapidly,insteadofhavingtowaitfortheirproductionbyNature\'sslowprocesses。
\"Themetricsystem,nowuniversal,supersededtheold—fashionedarbitrarystandards,soprolificofmistakesandconfusion,aboutacenturyago。
\"English,aswehaveseen,isalreadythelanguageof600,000,000
people,andthenumberisconstantlyincreasingthroughitsadoptionbythenumerousracesofIndia,where,evenbeforethecloseofthelastcentury,itwasaboutasimportantasLatinduringthegreatnessofRome,andbythefactthattheSpanishandPortugueseelementsinMexicoandCentralandSouthAmericashowaconstanttendencytodieout,muchasthepopulationofSpainfellfrom30,000,000to17,000,000duringthenineteenthcentury。Asthisgoeson,intheWesternhemisphere,theplacesleftvacantaregraduallyfilledbythemoreprogressiveAnglo—Saxons,sothatitlooksasifthestudyofethnologyinthefuturewouldbeverysimple。
\"Thepeoplewithcultivationandleisure,whosenumberisincreasingrelativelytothepopulationateachgeneration,spendmuchmoreoftheiryearinthecountrythanformerly,wheretheyhavelargeandwell—cultivatedcountryseats,partsofwhicharealsopreservedforgame。Thisgrowingcustomonthepartofsociety,inadditiontobeingofgreatadvantagetotheout—of—towndistricts,hasdonemuchtosavetheforestsandpreservesomeformsofgamethatwouldotherwise,likethebuffalo,havebecomeextinct。
\"Inastronomywehavealsomadetremendousstrides。Theold—fashioneddouble—convexlensusedintelescopesbecamesoheavyasitssizegrew,thatitbentperceptiblyfromitsownweight,whenpointedatthezenith,distortingthevision;whilewhenitwasuseduponastarnearthehorizon,thoughtheglassonedgekeptitsshape,therewastoomuchatmospherebetweenitandtheobservedobjectforsuccessfulstudy。Ourrecenttelescopeshave,therefore,concaveplate—glassmirrors,twentymetresindiameter,likethoseusedforconvergingthesun\'sraysinsolarengines,butwithcurvesmoremathematicallyexact,whichcollectanimmenseamountoflightandfocusitonasensitiveplateorontheeyeoftheobserver,whosebackisturnedtotheobjectheisstudying。Anelectricalfieldalsoplaysanimportantpart,theelectricitybeingasgreatanaidtolightasinthetelephoneitistosound。Withtheseplacedgenerallyonhighmountainpeaks,beyondthereachofclouds,wehaveenormouslyincreasedthenumberofvisiblestars,thoughtherearestillprobablyboundlessregionsthatwecannotsee。
Thesetelescopeshaveseveralhundredtimesthepowerofthelargestlensesofthenineteenthcentury,andapparentlybringMarsandJupiter,wheninopposition,withinonethousandandtenthousandmiles,respectively,sothatwestudytheirphysicalgeographyandtopography;andwehavegoodmapsofJupiter,andevenofSaturn,notwithstandingtheirdistanceandatmosphericenvelopes,andweareabletoseethedisksofthird—magnitudestars。
\"Itseemsasif,whenwewishanyparticulardiscoveryorinvention,inwhateverfield,wehadbuttoturnoureffortsinitsdirectiontoobtainourdesire。Weseem,infact,tohaveawakenedinthescenesoftheArabianNights;yetthemysteriousgeniuswhichwecontrol,andwhichdimsAladdin\'slamp,isthegiftofnofairygodmothersustainedbythehazeofdreams,butshinesasthechildofsciencewithfadelessandgrowingsplendour,andmayyetbringusandourlittleplanetmuchclosertoGod。
\"Weshouldindeedbehappy,livingaswedoatthisapexofattainedcivilization,withtheboundlesspossibilitiesofthefutureunfoldingbeforeus,onthehorizonofwhichwemayfairlybesaidtostand。
\"Wearefreedfromtherattlinggranitepavementofonlyacenturyago,whichmadetheoccupantofanomnibusfeellikeaflyinsideofadrum;fromthedominationofourlocalpoliticsbyignorantforeigners;andfromcountryroadsthateitherfilledtheeyes,lungs,andhairoftheunfortunatestravellinguponthemwithdust,or,resemblingploughedandfertilizedfields,saturatedandplasteredthemwithmud。Thesemiseries,togetherwithsea—sicknessinoceantravelling,areforeverpassed,andwefeelthat\'Excelsior！\'isindeedourmotto。Ournewandincreasingsourcesofpowerhavesostimulatedproductionandmanufacturingthatpovertyorwantisscarcelyknown;whilethedevelopmentofthepopulardemand,asaresultofthesuppliedneed,issogreatthatthereisnovisiblelimittothediversificationofindustryorthepossibilitiesofthearts。
\"Itmayseemstrangetosomethatapparentlysodisproportionateanumberofinventionshavebeenmadeinthelastcentury。Thereareseveralreasons。Sinceeverydiscoveryoradvanceinknowledgeincreasesourchanceofobtainingmore,itbecomescumulative,andourprogressisingeometricinsteadofarithmeticalratio。Publicinterestandgeneralappreciationofthevalueoftimehavealsoeffectivelyassistedprogress。AtthebeginningofeachyearthePresident,theGovernorsoftheStates,andtheMayorsofcitiespublishaprospectusofthegreatimprovementsneeded,contemplated,andunderwaywithintheirjurisdiction——itmaybeplanninganewboulevard,anewpark,oranimprovedsystemofsewers;andattheyear\'sendtheyissuearesumeofeverythingcompleted,andtheprogressineverythingelse;andthoughthereisusuallyagreatdifferencebetweentheresultshopedforandthoseattained,theeffectisgood。ThenewspaperspublishatlengththerecommendationsoftheExecutives,andalsotheresultsobtained,andkeepuppublicinterestinallimportantmatters。
\"Freetodelveintheallurementandfascinationofscience,emancipatedmangoesonsubduingNature,ashisMakersaidheshould,andturninghergiantforcestohisserviceinhisconstantstruggletoriseandbecomemorelikeHimwhogavethecommandmentsandshowedhimhowheshouldgo。
\"Notwithstandingourstridesinmaterialprogress,wearenotentirelycontent。Astherequirementsoftheanimalbecomefullysupplied,wefeelaneedforsomethingelse。Somesaythisislikeachildthatcriesforthemoon,butothersbelieveittheawakeningandcravingofoursouls。Thehistoriannarratesbutthesignsofthetimes,andstrivestoeffacehimself;yetthereisclearlyavoid,becomingyearlymoreapparent,whichmaterialismcannotfill。Isitsomenewsubtleforceforwhichwesigh,orwouldwecommunewithspirits？Thereis,sofaraswecansee,nolimittoourjourney,andIwilladd,inclosing,that,withtheexceptionofreligion,wehavemosttohopefromscience。\"
CHAPTERVI。
FAR—REACHINGPLANS。
Knowingthattherectificationoftheearth\'saxiswassatisfactorilybegun,andthateachyearwouldshowanincreasingimprovementinclimate,manyofthedelegates,afterhearingBearwarden\'sspeech,setoutfortheirhomes。ThosefromthevalleyoftheAmazonandtheeasterncoastofSouthAmericaboardedalightningexpressthatrushedthemtoKeyWestattherateofthreehundredmilesanhour。Therailroadhadsixtracks,twoforthroughpassengers,twoforlocals,andtwoforfreight。Theretheytooka\"water—spider,\"sixhundredfeetlongbythreehundredinwidth,thedeckofwhichwasonehundredfeetabovethesurface,whichcarriedthemoverthewaterattherateofamileaminute,aroundtheeasternendofCuba,throughWindwardPassage,andsototheSouthAmericanmainland,wheretheycontinuedtheirjourneybyrail。
TheSiberianandRussiandelegates,who,ofcourse,feltakeeninterestinthecompany\'sproceedings,tookamagneticdouble—endercartoBeringStrait。Itwaseighteenfeethigh,onehundredandfiftyfeetlong,andhadtwostories。Theupper,withatoughenedglassdomerunningtheentirelength,descendedtowithinthreefeetofthefloor,andaffordedanunobstructedviewoftherushingscenery。Therailsonwhichitranweretenfeetapart,thewheelsbeingbeyondthesides,likethoseofacarriage,andfittedwithballbearingstoridgedaxles。Thecar\'sflexibilityallowedittofollowslightirregularitiesinthetrack,whilethefree,independentwheelsgaveitagreatadvantageinroundingcurvesovercarswithwheelsandaxleinonecasting,inwhichonemustslipwhiletraversingagreaterorsmallerarcthantheother,exceptwhentheslopeofthetreadandthecentrifugalforcehappentocorrespondexactly。Thefactofhavingitssupportsoutsideinsteadofunderneath,whileincreasingitsstability,alsoenabledthelowerfloortocomemuchnearertheground,whilestillthewheelswerelarge。
Arrivinginjusttwentyhours,theyranacrossonanelectricferry—boat,capableofcarryingseveraldozencars,toEastCape,Siberia,andthen,byrunningasfarnorthaspossible,hadashortcuttoEurope。
ThePatagonianswentbytheall—railIntercontinentalLine,withoutchangeofcars,makingtherunoftenthousandmilesinfortyhours。TheAustraliansenteredaflyingmachine,andweresoonoutofsight;whiletheCentralAmericansandmembersfromotherStatesoftheUnionreturnedforthemostpartintheirmechanicalphaetons。
\"Aprospectiveimprovementintravelling,\"saidBearwarden,asheandhisfriendswatchedthecrowddisperse,\"willbewhenwecanrisebeyondthelimitsoftheatmosphere,waittilltheearthrevolvesbeneathus,anddescendintwelvehoursontheotherside。\"
\"True,\"saidCortlandt,\"butthenwecantravelwestwardonly,andshallhavetomakeacompletecircuitwhenwewishtogoeast。\"
AfewdayslatertherewasaknockatPresidentBearwarden\'sdoor,whilehewasseatedathisdesklookingoversomepapersandothermatters。Takinghisfootfromapartlyopeneddeskdrawerwhereithadbeenresting,heplacedituponthehandleofahandsomebrass—mountedbellows,whichprovedtobearticulating,for,ashepressed,itcalledlustily,\"Comein！\"
Thedooropened,andinwalkedSecretaryofStateStillman,SecretaryoftheNavyDeepwaters,whowashimselfanoldsailor,Dr。Cortlandt,Ayrault。Vice—PresidentDumby,oftheT。A。S。
Co。,andtwoofthecompany\'sdirectors。
\"Good—morning,\"saidBearwarden,asheshookhandswithhisvisitors。\"Charmedtoseeyou。\"
\"That\'sagreatinvention,\"saidSecretaryStillman,examiningthebellows。\"WemustgetCongresstomakeanappropriationforitsintroductioninthedepartmentbuildingsinWashington。Youhavenoideahowitdriesmythroattobeallthetimeshouting,\'Comein！\'\"
\"Doyouknow,Bearwarden,\"saidSecretaryDeepwaters,\"I\'mafraidwhenwehavethismillenniumofclimateeveryonewillbesowellsatisfiedthatourfriendhere（pointingtoSecretaryStillmanwithhisthumb）willhavenothingtodo。\"
\"Ihavesometimesthoughtsomeoftheexcitementwillbegone,andthestruggleofthe\'survivalofthefittest\'willbecomelessproblematical,\"saidBearwarden。
\"Theearthseemsdestinedtohaveacalmoldage,\"saidCortlandt,\"unlesswecanlooktotheCabinettopreventit。\"
\"Thisworldwillsoonbeadullplace。Iwishwecouldleaveitforachange,\"saidAyrault。\"Idon\'tmeanforever,ofcourse,butjustaspeoplehavegrowntiredofremaininglikeplantsintheplacesinwhichtheygrew。Alanhasbeenacaterpillarforuntoldages;canhenotbecomethebutterfly？\"
\"Sincewehavefoundouthowtostraightentheaxis,\"saidDeepwaters,\"mightwenotgoonebetter,andimprovetheorbitaswell？——increasethedifferencebetweenaphelionandperihelion,andgivethosethatstilllikeachangingclimateachance,whileincidentallyweshouldseemoreoftheworld——Imeanthesolarsystem——and,byenlargingtheparallax,beabletomeasurethedistanceofagreaternumberoffixedstars。Putyourhelmharddownandshout\'Hard—a—lee！\'Yousee,thereisnothingsimpler。
Youkeepheroffnow,andsixmonthshenceyouletherluff。\"
\"That\'sanidea！\"saidBearwarden。\"OurorbitcouldbeenoughlikethatofacomettocrosstheorbitsofbothVenusandMars;
andtheclimaticextremeswouldnotbeinconvenient。Thewholeearthbeingsimultaneouslywarmedorcooled,therewouldbenoequinoctialsorstormsresultingfromchangesononepartofthesurfacefromintenseheattointensecold;everypartwouldhaveatwelve—hourdayandnight,andnonewouldbeturnedtowardsorfromthesunforsixmonthsatatime;for,howevereccentrictheorbit,weshouldkeeptheaxisabsolutelystraight。Atperiheliontherewouldsimplybeincreasedevaporationandcloudsneartheequator,whichwouldshieldthoseregionsfromthesun,onlytodisappearagainastheearthreceded。
\"Theonlytrouble,\"saidCortlandt,\"isthatweshouldhavenofulcrum。Straighteningtheaxisissimpleenough,forwehavetheattractionofthesunwithwhichtowork,andwehavebuttoincreaseitatoneendwhiledecreasingitattheother,andchangethisasthepoleschangetheirinclinationtowardsthesun,tobringitabout。Ifacometwithasufficientlylargeheadwouldbutcomealongandretardus,oropportunelygiveusapull,orifwecouldincreasetheattractionoftheotherplanetsforus,ordecreaseitattimes,itmightbedone。Iftheforce,thecontrolofwhichwasdiscoveredtoolatetohelpusstraightentheaxis,couldbeappliedonasufficientlylargescale;ifapergy————\"
\"Ihaveit！\"exclaimedAyrault,jumpingup。\"Apergywilldoit。
Wecanbuildanairtightprojectile,hermeticallysealourselveswithin,andchargeitinsuchawaythatitwillberepelledbythemagnetismoftheearth,anditwillbeforcedfromitwithequalorgreaterviolencethanthatwithwhichitisordinarilyattracted。Ibelievetheearthhasbutthesamerelationtospacethattheindividualmoleculehastoanysolid,liquid,orgaseousmatterweknow;andthat,justasmoleculesstrivetoflyapartontheapplicationofheat,thisearthwillrepelthatprojectilewhenelectricity,whichwearecomingtolookuponasanotherformofheat,isproperlyapplied。Itmustbeso,anditisthemanifestdestinyoftheracetoimproveit。Manisaspiritcursedwithamortalbody,whichglueshimtotheearth,andhisyearningtorise,whichisinnate,is,Ibelieve,onlyapartofhisprobationandtrial。\"
\"Showushowitcanbedone,\"shoutedhislistenersinchorus。
\"Apergyisandmustbeabletodoit,\"Ayraultcontinued。
\"ThroughoutNaturewefindasystemofcompensation。Thecentripetalforceisoffsetbythecentrifugal;andwhen,accordingtothefable,thecrystalcomplainedofitshardlotinbeingunabletomove,whiletheeaglecouldsoarthroughtheupperairandseeallthegloriesoftheworld,thebirdreplied,\'Mylifeisbutforamoment,whileyou,setintherock,willliveforever,andwillseethelastsunrisethatflashesupontheearth。\'
\"WeknowthatChrist,whilewalkingonthewaves,didnotsink,andthatheandElijahwerecarriedupintoheaven。Whatbecameoftheirmaterialbodieswecannottell,buttheywerecertainlysuperiortotheforceofgravitation。Wehavenoreasontobelievethatinmiraclesanynaturallawwasbroken,orevensetaside,butsimplythatsomeotherlaw,whoseworkingswedonotunderstand,becameoperativeandmodifiedthelawthatotherwisewouldhavehadthingsitsownway。Inapergyweundoubtedlyhavethecounterpartofgravitation,whichmustexist,orNature\'ssystemofcompensationisbroken。MaywenotbelievethatinChrist\'stransfigurationonthemount,andintheappearanceofMosesandEliaswithhim——doubtlessintheflesh,sinceotherwisemortaleyescouldnothaveseenthem——apergycameintoplayandupheldthem;thatotherwise,andifnoothermodificationhadintervened,theywouldhavefallentotheground;andthatapergywas,inotherwords,theworkingprincipleofthosemiracles？\"
\"Maywenotalsobelieve,\"addedCortlandt,\"thatinthetransfigurationChrist\'scompanionstookthesubstanceoftheirmaterialbodies——theoxygen,hydrogen,nitrogen,andcarbon——fromtheairandthemoistureitcontained;for,thoughspiritualbodies,betheiractivitymagneticoranyother,couldofcoursepasstheabsolutecoldandvoidofspacewithoutbeingaffected,nomortalbodycould;andthatinthesamemannerElijah\'sbodydissolvedintoairwithouttheusualinterventionofdecomposition;forweknowthat,thoughmattercaneasilychangeitsform,itcanneverbedestroyed。\"
Allassentedtothis,andAyraultcontinued:\"Ifapergycanannulgravitation,Idonotseewhyitshouldnotdomore,fortoannulittherepulsionoftheearththatitproducesmustbeasgreatasitsattraction,unlesswesupposegravitationforthetimebeingtobesuspended;butwhetheritisornot,doesnotaffecttheresultinthiscase,for,aftertheapergeticrepulsionisbroughttothedegreeatwhichabodydoesnotfall,anyincreaseinthecurrent\'sstrengthwillcauseittorise,andinthecaseofelectro—magnetsweknowthattheattractionorrepulsionhaspracticallynolimit。Thiswillbeofgreatadvantagetous,\"hecontinued,\"forifaprojectilecouldmoveawayfromtheearthwithnomorerapidaccelerationthanthatwithwhichitapproaches,itwouldtaketoolongtoreachthenearestplanet,butthemaximumrepulsionbeingatthestartbyreasonofitsproximitytotheearth——forapergy,beingthecounterpartofgravitation,issubjecttoNewton\'sandKepler\'slaws——theaccelerationofabodyapergeticallychargedwillbegreatestatfirst。Twoinclinedplanesmayhavethesamefall,butaballwillreachthebottomofonethatissteepestnearthetopinlesstimethanonanyother,becausethemaximumaccelerationisatthestart。Wearealltiredofbeingstucktothiscosmicalspeck,withitsmonotonousocean,leadensky,andsinglemoonthatisuselessmorethanhalfthetime,whileitssizeissomicroscopiccomparedwiththeuniversethatwecantraverseitsgreatcircleinfourdays。Itspossibilitiesareexhausted;andjustasGreecebecametoosmallforthecivilizationoftheGreeks,andasreproductionisgrowthbeyondtheindividual,soitseemstomethatthefuturegloryofthehumanraceliesinexploringatleastthesolarsystem,withoutwaitingtobecomeshades。\"
\"ShouldyouproposetogotoMarsorVenus？\"askedCortlandt。
\"No,\"repliedAyrault,\"weknowallaboutMars;itisbutonesevenththesizeoftheearth,andastheaxisisinclinedmorethanours,itwouldbealesscomfortableglobethanthis;while,asourpresidentheretoldusinhisT。A。S。Company\'sreport,theaxisofVenusisinclinedtosuchadegreethatitwouldbealmostuninhabitableforus。ItwouldbeasifcoloniststriedtosettleGreenland,orhadcometoNorthAmericaduringitsGlacialperiod。NeitherVenusnorMarswouldbeagoodplacenow。\"
\"Whereshouldyouproposetogo？\"askedStillman。
\"ToJupiter,and,ifpossible,afterthattoSaturn,\"repliedAyrault;\"theformer\'smeandistancefromthesunis480,000,000
miles;but,asourpresidentshowedus,itsaxisissonearlystraightthatIthink,withitsinternalwarmth,therewillbenothingtofearfromcold。Though,onaccountoftheplanet\'svastsize,objectsonitssurfaceweighmorethantwiceasmuchashere,ifIamabletoreachitbymeansofapergy,thesameforcewillenablemetoregulatemyweight。Willanyonegowithme？\"
\"Splendid！\"saidBearwarden。\"IfMr。Dumby,ourvice—president,willtemporarilyassumemyoffice,nothingwillgivemegreaterpleasure。\"
\"SowillIgo,ifthereisroomforme,\"saidCortlandt。\"IwillatonceresignmyplaceasGovernmentexpert,andconsideritthegrandesteventofmylife。\"
\"IfIwerenotafraidofleavingStillmanheretohisowndevices,I\'daskforaberthaswell,\"saidDeepwaters。
\"Iamafraid,\"saidStillman,\"ifyoutakeanymore,youwillbeovercrowded。\"