PREFACE。
Theprotractedstrugglebetweenscienceandtheclassicsappearstobedrawingtoaclose,withvictoryabouttoperchonthebannerofscience,asaperusalofalmostanyuniversityorcollegecatalogueshows。WhilealimitedknowledgeofbothGreekandLatinisimportantforthecorrectuseofourownlanguage,theamounttillrecentlyrequired,inmyjudgment,hasbeenabsurdlyoutofproportiontotheintrinsicvalueofthesebranches,orperhapsmorecorrectlyroots,ofstudy。Theclassicshavebeenthoroughlyandpainfullythreshedout,anditseemsimpossiblethatanythingnewcanbeunearthed。Wemayequaltheperformancesofthepast,butthereisnoopportunitytosurpassthemorproduceanythingoriginal。Eventhemuch—vaunted"mentaltraining"argumentisbeginningtopall;forwouldnotanythingequallydifficultgiveasgooddevelopingresults,whilebylearningalivematterwekilltwobirdswithonestone？TherecanbenoquestionthattherearemanyforcesandinfluencesinNaturewhoseexistenceweasyetlittlemorethansuspect。Howmuchmoreinterestingitwouldbeif,insteadofreiteratingourpastachievements,themagazinesandliteratureoftheperiodshoulddevotetheirconsiderationtowhatwedoNOTknow！Itisonlythroughinvestigationandresearchthatinventionscome;wemaynotfindwhatweareinsearchof,butmaydiscoversomethingofperhapsgreatermoment。
Itisprobablethattheprincipalgloriesofthefuturewillbefoundinasyetbutlittletroddenpaths,andasProf。Cortlandtjustlysaysatthecloseofhishistory,"Nexttoreligion,wehavemosttohopefromscience。"
CHAPTER1。
JUPITER。
Jupiter——themagnificentplanetwithadiameterof86,500
miles,having119timesthesurfaceand1,300timesthevolumeoftheearth——laybeneaththem。
Theyhadoftenseenitintheterrestrialsky,emittingitsstrong,steadyray,andhadthoughtofthatfar—awayplanet,aboutwhichtillrecentlysolittlehadbeenknown,andaburningdesirehadpossessedthemtogotoitandexploreitsmysteries。
Now,thankstoAPERGY,theforcewhoseexistencetheancientssuspected,butofwhichtheyknewsolittle,allthingswerepossible。
Ayraultmanipulatedthesilk—coveredglasshandles,andtheCallistomovedonslowlyincomparisonwithitsrecentspeed,andallremainedgluedtotheirtelescopesastheypeeredthroughtherushingclouds,nowformingandnowdissolvingbeforetheireyes。Whattransportsofdelight,whatecstaticbliss,wastheirs！Menhaddiscoveredandmasteredthesecretofapergy,andnow,"littlelowerthantheangels,"theycouldsoarthroughspace,leavingevenplanetsandcometsbehind。
"Isitnotstrange,"saidDr。Cortlandt,"thatthoughithasbeenknownforoveracenturythatbodieschargedwithunlikeelectricitiesattractoneanother,andthosechargedwithlikerepel,noonethoughtofutilizingthecounterpartofgravitation？Inthenineteenthcentury,savantsandIndianjugglersperformedexperimentswiththeirdisciplesandmassesofinertmatter,bycausingthemtoremainwithoutvisiblesupportatsomedistancefromtheground;andwhilemanyofthese,ofcourse,werequacks,somewereontherighttrack,thoughtheydidnotpushtheirresearch。"
PresidentBearwardenandAyraultassented。Theyweresteeringforanapparentlyhardpartoftheplanet'ssurface,aboutadegreeandahalfnorthofitsequator。
"SinceJupiter'saxisisalmostatrightanglestotheplaneofitsorbit,"saidthedoctor,"beinginclinedonlyaboutonedegreeandahalf,insteadoftwenty—threeandahalf,aswastheearth'stillnearlysorecently,itwillbepossibleforustohaveanyclimatewewish,fromconstantlywarmattheequatortoconstantlycoolorcoldasweapproachthepoles,withoutbeingtroubledbyextremesofwinterandsummer。"
UntiltheCallistoenteredtheplanet'satmosphere,itsfivemoonsappearedlikesilvershieldsagainsttheblacksky,butnowthingswerelookingmoreterrestrial,andtheybegantofeelathome。Bearwardenputdownhisnote—book,andAyraultreturnedaphotographtohispocket,whileallthreegazedattheirnewabode。Beneaththemwasavastcontinentvariegatedbychainsoflakesandriversstretchingawayinalldirectionsexcepttowardtheequator,wherelayaplacidoceanasfarastheirtelescopescouldpierce。Totheeastwardweretoweringandmassivemountains,andalongthesouthernborderofthecontinentsmokingvolcanoes,whiletowardthewesttheysawforests,gentlyrollingplains,andtable—landsthatwouldhavesatisfiedapoetorsetanagriculturist'sheartatrest。"HowIshouldliketominethosehillsforcopper,ordraintheswampstothesouth！"
exclaimedCol。Bearwarden。"TheLakeSuperiorminesandthereclamationoftheFloridaEvergladeswouldbenothingtothis。"
"Anyinhabitantswemayfindherehavesomuchlandattheirdisposalthattheywillnotneedtodrainswampsonaccountofpressureofpopulationforsometime,"putinthedoctor。
"Ihopewemayfindsomefour—leggedinhabitants,"saidAyrault,thinkingoftheirexplosivemagazinerifles。"IfJupiterispassingthroughitsJurassicorMesozoicperiod,theremustbeanyamountofsomekindofgame。"JustthenaquivershooktheCallisto,andglancingtotherighttheynoticedoneofthevolcanoesinviolenteruption。Smokefilledtheairinclouds,hotstonesandthenfloodsoflavapouredfromthecrater,whileeventhewallsofthehermeticallysealedCallistocouldnotarrestthethunderouscrashesthatmadetheinteriorofthecarresound。
"Hadwenotbettermoveon？"saidBearwarden,andaccordinglytheywenttowardthewoodstheyhadfirstseen。Findingafirmstripoflandbetweentheforestandanarmofthesea,theygentlygroundedtheCallisto,andnotbeingaltogethersurehowtheatmosphereoftheirnewabodewouldsuitterrestriallungs,orwhatitspressuretothesquareinchmightbe,theycautiouslyopenedaport—holeacrack,retainingtheirholduponitwithitsscrew。Instantlytherewasarushandawhistlingsoundasofescapingsteam,whileinafewmomentstheirbarometerstoodatthirty—sixinches,whereupontheyclosedtheopening。
"Ifancy,"saidDr。Cortlandt,"wehadbetterwaitnowtillwebecomeaccustomedtothispressure。Idonotbelieveitwillgomuchhigher,forthewindowmadebutlittleresistancewhenweshutit。"
Findingtheywerenotinconveniencedbyapressurebutlittlegreaterthanthatofadeepcoal—mine,theyagainopenedtheport,whereupontheirbarometershowedafurtherrisetoforty—two,andthenremainedstationary。Findingalsothatthechemicalcompositionoftheairsuitedthem,andthattheyhadnodifficultyinbreathing,thepressurebeingthesameasthatsustainedbyadiverinfourteenfeetofwater,theyopenedadoorandemerged。Theyknewfairlywellwhattoexpect,andwerenotdisturbedbytheirnewconditions。Thoughtheyhadapparentlygainedagooddealinweightasaresultoftheiretherealjourney,thisdidnotincommodethem;forthoughJupiter'svolumeisthirteenhundredtimesthatoftheearth,onaccountofitslesserspecificgravity,ithasbutthreehundredtimesthemass——i。e。,itwouldweighbutthreehundredtimesasmuch。Further,althoughacubicfootofwateroranythingelseweighs2。5asmuchasonearth,objectsneartheequator,onaccountofJupiter'srapidrotation,weighonefifthlessthantheydoatthepoles,byreasonofthecentrifugalforce。
Influencedbythisfact,andalsobecausetheywere483,000,000
milesfromthesun,insteadof92,000,000asonearth,theyhadsteeredforthenorthernlimitofJupiter'stropics。And,inadditiontothis,theycouldeasilyapplytheapergeticpowerinanydegreetothemselveswhenbeyondthelimitsoftheCallisto,andsobeattractedtoanyextent,fromtwicethepulltheyreceivefromgravitationonearthtoalmostnothing。
BearwardenandAyraultshoulderedtheirrifles,whileDr。
Cortlandttookarepeatingshot—gunwithNo。4shot,and,havingalsosomehunting—knivesandasextant,allthreesetoutinanorthwesterlydirection。Thegroundwasrathersoft,andawarmvaporseemedtorisefromit。Totheeasttheskywasveiledbydensecloudsofsmokefromthetoweringvolcanoes,whileontheirlefttheforestseemedtoextendwithoutlimit。Clumpsofhugefernswerescatteredabout,andthegroundwascoveredwithcurioustracks。
"JupiterisevidentlypassingthroughaCarboniferousorDevonianperiodsuchasexistedonearth,though,ifconsistentwithitssize,itshouldbeonavastlylargerscale,"saidthedoctor。
"Ineverbelievedinthetheory,"hecontinued,"thatthelargertheplanetthesmallershouldbeitsinhabitants,andalwaysconsidereditamakeshift,putforwardintheabsenceofdefiniteknowledge,theideabeingapparentlythattheweightofverylargecreatureswouldbetoogreatfortheirstrength。Ofthefactthatmastodonsandcreaturesfarlargerthananynowlivingonearthexistedthere,wehaveabsoluteproof,thoughgravitationmusthavebeenpracticallythesamethenasnow。"
Justheretheycameuponanumberofhugebones,evidentlytheremainsofsomesaurian,andmanytimesthesizeofagrowncrocodile。Onpassingagrowthofmostluxuriantvegetation,theysawahalf—dozensacklikeobjects,anddrawingnearernoticedthatthetopsbegantoswell,andatthesametimebecamelighterincolour。Justasthedoctorwasabouttoinvestigateoneofthemwithhisduck—shot,theenormouslyinflatedtopsofthecreaturescollapsedwithaloudreport,andtheentiregroupsoaredaway。Whenabouttoalight,fortyyardsoff,theydistendedmembranousfoldsinthemannerofwings,whichcheckedtheirdescent,andontouchingthegroundremainedwheretheywerewithoutrebound。
"Weexpectedtofindallkindsofreptilesandbirds,"exclaimedthedoctor。"ButIdonotknowhowweshouldclassthosecreatures。Theyseemtohavepneumaticfeetandlegs,fortheirmotionwascertainlynotproducedlikethatoffrogs。"
Whenthepartycameupwiththemtheheadsagainbegantoswell。
"Iwillperforatetheair—chamberofone,"saidCol。Bearwarden,withdrawingtheexplosivecartridgefromthebarrelofhisrifleandsubstitutingonewithasolidball。"Thiswilldoubtlessdisableonesothatwecanexamineit。"
Justastheywereabouttorise,heshotthelargestthroughtheneck。Allbutthewoundedone,soaredoff,whileBearwarden,Ayrault,andCortlandtapproachedtoexamineitmoreclosely。
"Yousee,"saidCortlandt,"thisvertebrate——forthatisasdefinitelyaswecanyetdescribeit——forcesagreatpressureofairintoitsheadandneck,which,bytheactionofvalves,itmustallowtorushintoitsveryrudimentarylowerextremities,distendingthemwithsuchviolencethatthebodyisshotupwardandforward。Youmayhavenoticedthetightlyinflatedportionunderneathastheylefttheground。"
Whilespeakinghehadmovedrathernear,whensuddenlyapartiallyconcealedmouthopened,showingtheunmistakabletongueandfangsofaserpent。Itemittedahissingsound,andthesmalleyesgleamedmaliciously。
"Doyoubelieveitisapoisonousspecies？"askedAyrault。
"Isuspectitis,"repliedthedoctor;"for,thoughitisdoubtlessabletoleapwithgreataccuracyuponitsprey,wesawittooksometimetorechargetheupperair—chamber,sothat,wereitnotarmedwithpoisonglands,itwouldfallaneasyvictimtoitsmorepowerfulandswiftercontemporaries,andwouldsoonbecomeextinct。"
"Asitwillbeunabletospringforsometime,"saidBearwarden,"wemightaswellsaveitthedisappointmentoftrying,"and,snappingtheusedshellfromhisrifle,hefiredanexplosiveballintothereptile,whereuponabouthalfthebodydisappeared,whileasickeningodourarose。Althoughthesunwasstillfarabovethehorizon,therapiditywithwhichitwasdescendingshowedthattheshortnightoflessthanfivehourswouldsoonbeuponthem;andthoughshortitmightbeverydark,fortheywereinthetropics,andthesun,goingdownperpendicularly,mustalsopasscompletelyaroundtheglobe,insteadof,asinnorthernlatitudesonearthinsummer,approachingthehorizonobliquely,andnotgoingfarbelowit。Aslightanddiffusedsoundhereseemedtorisefromthegroundallaboutthem,forwhichtheycouldnotaccount。Presentlyitbecamelouder,andasthesuntouchedthehorizon,itpouredforthinprolongedstrains。Thelargetrumpet—shapedlilies,reeds,andheliotropesseemedfairlytothrobastheyraisedtheiranthemtotheskyandthesettingsun,whiletheairgrewdarkwithcloudsofbirdsthatgraduallyalightedontheground,until,asthechorusgrewfainterandgraduallyceased,theyflewbacktotheirnests。Thethreecompanionshadstoodastonishedwhilethisactwasplayed。Thedoctorthenspoke:
"ThisisthemostmarvellousdevelopmentofNatureIhaveseen,foritswonderfuldivergencefrom,andyetanalogyto,whattakesplaceonearth。Youknowourflowersofferhoney,asitwere,asbaittoinsects,thatineatingorcollectingittheymaycatchthepollenontheirlegsandsocarryittootherflowers,perhapsoftheoppositesex。Hereflowersevidentlyappealtothesenseofhearinginsteadoftaste,andmakeuseofbirds,ofwhichthereareenormousnumbers,insteadofwingedinsects,ofwhichIhaveseennone,onebeingperhapsthenaturalresultoftheother。Theflowershavebecomesingersbylongpractice,orelse,thosethatweremostmusicalhavinghadthebestchancetoreproduce,wehaveaneatillustrationofthe'survivalofthefittest。'Thesoundisdoubtlessproducedbyashrinkingofthefibresasthesunwithdrawsitsheat,inwhichcasewemayexpectanothersongatsunrise,whenthesameresultwillbeeffectedbytheirexpanding。"
Searchingforacamping—placeinwhichtopassthecominghours,theysawlightsflittingaboutlikewill—o'—the—wisps,butbrighterandintermittent。
"Theyseemtobeasbrightassixteen—candle—powerlamps,butthelightisyellower,andappearstoemanatefromacomparativelylargesurface,certainlynineorteninchessquare,"saidthedoctor。
Theysoongaveupthechase,however,forthelightswerecontinuallymovingandfrequentlywentout。Whilegropinginthegrowingdarkness,theycameuponabrownobjectaboutthesizeofasmalldogandclosetotheground。Itflewoffwithahumminginsectsound,andasitdidsoitshowedthebrilliantphosphorescentglowtheyhadobserved。
"Thatisagood—sizedfire—fly,"saidBearwarden。"Evidentlytheinsectshereareonthesamescaleaseverythingelse。Theyarelikethefire—fliesinCuba,whichtheCubansaresaidtoputintoaglassboxandgetlightenoughfromtoreadby。Heretheywouldneedonlyone,ifitcouldbeinducedtogiveitslightcontinuously。"
Havingfoundanopenspaceonhighground,theysatdown,andBearwardenstruckhisrepeater,which,forconvenience,hadbeenarrangedforJupitertime,dividingthedayintotenhours,beginningatnoon,midnightbeingthereforefiveo'clock。
"Twentyminutespastfour,"saidhe,"whichwouldcorrespondtoaboutaquartertoelevenonearth。Asthesunrisesathalf—pastseven,itwillbedarkaboutthreehours,forthetimebetweendawnanddaylightwill,ofcourse,beasshortasthatwehavejustexperiencedbetweensunsetandnight。"
"Ifwestayherelong,"saidthedoctor,"Isupposeweshallbecomeaccustomed,likesailors,totakingourfour,orinthiscasefive,hoursonduty,andfivehoursoff。"
"Or,"addedAyrault,"wecansleeptenconsecutivehoursandtakethenexttenforexploringandhunting,havingthesunforonehalfthetimeandthemoonsfortheother。"
BearwardenandCortlandtnowrolledthemselvesintheirblanketsandweresoonasleep,whileAyrault,whoseturnitwastowatchtillthemoonsrose——fortheyhadnotyetenoughconfidenceintheirnewdomaintosleepindarknesssimultaneously——leanedhisbackagainstarockandlightedhispipe。Inthedistancehesawthetorrentsoffierylavafromthevolcanoesreflectedinthesky,andfaintlyheardtheirthunderouscrashes,whilethefire—fliestwinkledunconcernedlyinthehollow,andthenightwindsswayedthefernlikebranches。Thenhegazedattheearth,which,butlittleabovethehorizon,shonewithafaintbutsteadyray,andhismind'seyeranbeyondhisnaturalvisionwhilehepicturedtohimselfthegirlofhisheart,wishingthatbysomecommunionofspiritshemightconveyhisthoughtstoher,andreceivehers。ItwasnowthefirstweekofJanuaryonearth。
Hecouldalmostseeherhouseandthesnow—cladtreesinthepark,andknewthatatthathourshewasdressingfordinner,andhopedandbelievedthathewasinherheart。Whilehethusmused,onemoonafteranotherrose,eachatadifferentphase,tillthreewereatonceinthesky。Adjustingtheelectricprotection—wiresthatweretoparalyzeanycreaturethatattemptedtocomewithinthecircle,andwouldarousethembyringingabell,heknockedtheashesfromhispipe,rolledhimselfinablanket,andwassoonasleepbesidehisfriends。
CHAPTERII。
ANTECEDENTAL。
"Comein！"soundedavoice,asDr。CortlandtandDickAyraulttappedatthedoorofthePresidentoftheTerrestrialAxisStraighteningCompany'sprivateofficeonthemorningofthe21stofJune,A。D。2000。Col。Bearwardensatathiscapaciousdesk,theshadowspassingoverhisfaceasAprilcloudsflitacrossthesun。Hewasahandsomeman,andyoungfortheimportantposthefilled——beingscarcelyforty——agraduateofWestPoint,withgreatexecutiveability,andawonderfulengineer。"Sitdown,chappies,"saidhe;"wehavestillahalfhourbeforeIbegintoreadthereportIamtomaketothestockholdersandrepresentativesofallthegovernments,whichisnowready。I
knowYOUsmoke,"passingaboxofHavanastotheprofessor。
Prof。Cortlandt,LL。D。,UnitedStatesGovernmentexpert,appointedtoexaminethecompany'scalculations,wasaboutfifty,withahighforehead,greyishhair,andquick,greyeyes,ageologistandastronomer,andaltogetherasableaman,inhisownway,asCol。Bearwardeninhis。RichardAyrault,alargestockholderandoneofthehonoraryvice—presidentsinthecompany,wasaboutthirty,auniversityman,bynatureascientist,andengagedtooneoftheprettiestsocietygirls,whowasthenastudentatVassar,inthebeautifultownofPoughkeepsie。
"Knowingthewayyoucarrythingsinyourmind,andthedifficultyofrattlingyou,"saidCortlandt,"wehavedroppedinonourwaytohearthespeechthatIwouldnotmissforafortune。Letusknowifwebotheryou。"
"Impossible,dearboy,"repliedthepresidentgenially。"SinceI
survivedyourofficialinvestigations,IthinkIdeservesomeofyourattentioninformally。"
"Herearemyfinalexaminations,"saidCortlandt,handingBearwardenarollofpapers。"Ihavebeenoverallyourfigures,andtestifytotheiraccuracyintheappendixIhaveadded。"
SotheysatandchattedabouttheenterprisethatinterestedCortlandtandAyraultalmostasmuchasBearwardenhimself。Astheclockstruckeleven,thepresidentofthecompanyputonhishat,and,sayingaurevoirtohisfriends,crossedthestreettotheOperaHouse,inwhichhewastoreadareportthatwouldbecopiedinallthegreatjournalsandheardoverthousandsofmilesofwireineverypartoftheglobe。Whenhearrived,thevastbuildingwasalreadyfilledwithadistinguishedcompany,representingthegreatestintelligence,wealth,andpowersoftheworld。Bearwardenwentinbythestageentrance,exchanginggreetingsashedidsowithofficersofthecompanyanddirectorswhohadcometohearhim。CortlandtandAyraultenteredbytheregulardoor,theformergoingtotheGovernmentrepresentatives'
box,thelattertojoinhisfiancee,SylviaPreston,whowastherewithhermother。Bearwardenhadarollofmanuscriptathand,butsowelldidheknowhisspeechthathescarcelyglancedatit。Afterbeingintroducedbythechairmanofthemeeting,andseeingthathisaudiencewasallattention,hebegan,holdinghimselferect,hisclear,powerfulvoicemakingeverypartofthebuildingring。
CHAPTERIII。
PRESIDENTBEARWARDEN'SSPEECH。
"TotheBondholdersandStockholdersoftheTerrestrialAxisStraighteningCompanyandRepresentativesofEarthlyGovernments。
"GENTLEMEN:Youknowthattheobjectsofthiscompanyare,tostraightentheaxisoftheearth,tocombinetheextremeheatofsummerwiththeintensecoldofwinterandproduceauniformtemperatureforeachdegreeoflatitudetheyearround。Atpresenttheearth'saxis——thatis,thelinepassingthroughitscentreandthetwopoles——isinclinedtotheeclipticabouttwenty—threeandahalfdegrees。Oursummerisproducedbythenorthernhemisphere'sleaningatthatangletowardsthesun,andourwinterbyitsturningthatmuchfromit。Inonecasethesun'sraysarecausedtoshinemoreperpendicularly,andintheothermoreobliquely。Thiswabbling,likethatofatop,isthesolecauseoftheseasons;since,owingtotheeccentricityofourorbit,theearthisactuallyfifteenhundredthousandmilesnearerthesunduringourwinter,inthenorthernhemisphere,thaninsummer。Thatthereisnolimittoaplanet'sinclination,andthatinclinationisnotessential,wehaveastronomicalproof。Venus'saxisisinclinedtotheplaneofherorbitseventy—fivedegrees,sothatthearcticcirclecomeswithinfifteendegreesoftheequator,andthetropicsalsoextendtolatitudeseventy—fivedegrees,orwithinfifteendegreesofthepoles,producinggreatextremesofheatandcold。
"Venusismadestillmoredifficultofhabitationbythefactthatsherotatesonheraxisinthesametimethatsherevolvesaboutthesun,inthesamewaythatthemoondoesabouttheearth,sothatonesidemustbeperpetuallyfrozenwhiletheotherisparched。
"InUranusweseetheaxistiltedstillfurther,sothatthearcticcircledescendstotheequator。Themostvariedclimatemustthereforeprevailduringitsyear,whoselengthexceedseighty—oneofours。
TheaxisofMarsisinclinedabouttwenty—eightandtwothirdsdegreestotheplaneofitsorbit;consequentlyitsseasonsmustbeverysimilartoours,theextremesofheatandcoldbeingsomewhatgreater。
"InJupiterwehaveanillustrationofaplanetwhoseaxisisalmostatrightanglestotheplaneofitsorbit,beinginclinedbutaboutadegreeandahalf。Thehypotheticalinhabitantsofthismajesticplanetmustthereforehaveperpetualsummerattheequator,eternalwinteratthepoles,andinthetemperateregionseverlastingspring。Onaccountofthestraightnessoftheaxis,however,eventhepolarinhabitants——ifthereareany——arenotoppressedbyasixmonths'night,forallexceptthoseattheVERYpolehaveasunriseandasunseteverytenhours——theexactdaybeingninehours,fiftyfiveminutes,andtwenty—eightseconds。Thewarmthofthetropicsisalsotemperedbythehighwindsthatmustresultfromtherapidwhirlonitsaxis,everyobjectattheequatorbeingcarriedaroundbythisattherateof27,600milesanhour,oroverthreethousandmilesfartherthantheearth'sequatormovesintwenty—fourhours。
"TheinclinationoftheaxisofourownplanethasalsofrequentlyconsiderablyexceededthatofMars,andagainhasbeenbutlittlegreaterthanJupiter'satleast,thisisbyalloddsthemostreasonableexplanationofthenumerousGlacialperiodsthroughwhichourglobehaspassed,andoftherecurringmildspells,probablylastingthousandsofyears,inwhichelephants,mastodons,andothersemi—tropicalvertebratesroamedinSiberia,someofwhichdiedsorecentlythattheirflesh,preservedbythecold,hasbeendevouredbythedogsofmodernexplorers。
"ItisnottobesupposedthattheincliningoftheaxesofJupiter,Venus,theEarth,andtheotherplanets,isnowfixed;
insomecasesitisknowntobechanging。Aslongagoas1890,Major—Gen。A。W。Drayson,oftheBritishArmy,showed,inaworkentitledUntroddenGroundinAstronomyandGeology,that,asaresultofthesecondrotationoftheearth,theinclinationofitsaxiswaschanging,ithavingbeen23@28'23"onJanuary1,1750,23@27'55。3"onJanuary1,1800,and23@27'30。9"onJanuary1,1850;andbycalculationonehundredandtenyearsagoshowedthatin1900（onehundredyearsago）itwouldbe23@27'
08。8"。Thisnaturalstraighteningis,ofcourse,goingon,andwearemerelyabouttoanticipateit。Whenthisimprovementwasmooted,allagreedthattheEXTREMESofheatandcoldcouldwellbespared。'Balancethoseofsummeragainstthoseofwinterbypartiallystraighteningtheaxis;reducetheinclinationfromtwenty—threedegrees,thirtyminutes,toaboutfifteendegrees,butletusstopthere,'manysaid。Beforewehadgonefar,however,wefounditwouldbebesttomaketheworkcomplete。
ThiswillreclaimandmakeproductivethevastareasofSiberiaandthenorthernpartofthiscontinent,andwilldomuchfortheantarcticregions;buttherewillstillbechangeintemperature;
awindblowingtowardstheequatorwillalwaysbecolderthanoneblowingfromit,whiletheslighteccentricityoftheorbitwillsupplyenoughchangetoawakenrecollectionsofseasonsinoureternalspring。
"Thewaytoaccomplishthisistoincreasetheweightofthepoleleavingthesun,byincreasingtheamountofmaterialthereforthesuntoattract,andtolightenthepoleapproachingorturningtowardsthesun,byremovingsomeheavysubstancefromit,andputtingitpreferablyattheoppositepole。Thisshiftingofballastismosteasilyaccomplished,asyouwillreadilyperceive,byconfiningandremovingwater,whichiseasilymovedandhasaconsiderableweight。Howwepurposetoapplytheseaqueousbrakestocheckthewabblingoftheearth,bymeansoftheattractionofthesun,youwillnowsee。
"FromCommanderFillmore,oftheArcticShadeandtheCommitteeonBulkheadsandDams,Ihavejustreceivedthefollowingbycabletelephone:'TheArcticOceanisnowinconditiontobepumpedoutinsummerandtohaveitsaveragedepthincreasedonehundredfeetbythedamsinwinter。Wehavealreadyfiftymillionsquareyardsofwindmillturbinesurfaceinpositionandreadytomove。ThecablesbringinguscurrentsfromthedynamosatNiagaraFallsareconnectedwithourmotors,andthosefromthetidaldynamosattheBayofFundywillbeincontactwhenthisreachesyou,atwhichmomentthepumpswillbegin。Inseveralofthelandlockedgulfsandbaysoursystemofconfiningissocomplete,thatthesurfaceofthewatercanberaisedtwohundredfeetabovesea—level。Thepolarbearswillsoonhavetouseartificialice。Perhapsthecheersnowringingwithoutmayreachyouoverthetelephone。'"
Theaudiencebecamegreatlyinterested,andwhentheendofthetelephonewasappliedtoamicrophonetheroomfairlyrangwithexultantcheers,andthoselookingthroughakintograph（visualtelegraph）terminatinginacameraobscuraontheshoresofBaffinBaywereabletoseeengineersandworkmenwavingandthrowinguptheircapsandfallingintooneanother'sarmsinecstasiesofdelight。Whentheexcitementsubsided,thepresidentcontinued:
"ChairmanWetmore,oftheCommitteeonExcavationsandEmbankmentsinWilkeslandandtheAntarcticContinent,reports:
'Twohundredandfiftythousandsquaremilesarenowhollowedoutandenclosedsufficientlytoholdwatertoanaveragedepthoffourhundredfeet。Everysummer,whenthebasinisallowedtodrain,wecan,ifnecessary,extendourreservoir,andshallhavethebestseasonoftheyearfordoingworkuntiltheearthhaspermanentspring。Thoughwehavecomparativelylittlewaterortidalpower,theearth'scrustissothinatthislatitude,onaccountoftheflattening,thatbysinkingourtubularboilersandpipestoadepthofafewthousandfeetwehavesecuredsoterrificavolumeofsuperheatedsteamthat,inconnectionwithourwindturbines,weshallhavenodifficultyinraisinghalfacubicmileofwateraminutetoourenclosure,whichisbutlittleabovesea—level,andintowhich,tillthepressureincreases,wecanfanorblowthewater,sothatitcanbefullthreeweeksafterourlongestday,or,sincethepresentunimprovedarrangementgivestheindigenesbutonedayandnightayear,Iwilladdthe21stdayofDecember。
"'WeshallbeabletofinduseformuchofthepotentialenergyofthewaterinthereservoirwhenweallowittoescapeinJune,inmeltingsomeoftheaccumulatedpolarice—cap,therebydecreasingstillfurthertheweightofthispole,inlightingandwarmingourselvesuntilwegetthesun'slightandheat,inextendingtheexcavations,andinchargingthestoragebatteriesoftheshipsatthisendoftheline。Everythingwillbereadywhenyousignal"Raisewater。"'"
"Letmeaddparenthetically,"saidBearwarden,"thatthismeansofobtainingpowerbysteamboilerssunktoagreatdepthismuchtobecommended;for,thoughtheamountofheatwecanwithdrawistoosmalltohavemucheffect,thefarthertowardsthecentreourglobecanbecooledthedeeperwillthewateroftheoceansbeabletopenetrate——sinceitisitsconversionintosteamthatpreventsthewaterfromworkingitswayinfarther——andthemoredrylandweshallhave。"
"Yousee,"thepresidentcontinued,"thestoragecapacityatthesouthpoleisnotquiteasgreatasatthenorth,becauseitismoredifficulttoexcavateabasinthantoclosetheexitsofonethatalreadyexists,whichiswhatwehavedoneinthearctic。
Theworkisalsonotsonearlycomplete,sinceitwillnotbenecessarytousethesouthernreservoirforstoringweightforsixmonths,oruntilthesouthpole,whichisnowatitsmaximumdeclinationfromthesun,isturnedtowardsitandbeginstomoveaway;then,byincreasingtheamountofmatterthere,andatthesametimelighteningthenorthpole,andreversingtheprocesseverysixmonths,wedecreasethespeedatwhichthedepartingpoleleavesthesunandatwhichtheapproachingpoleadvances。
Thenorthpole,wesee,willbeasomewhatmorepowerfulleverthanthesouthforworkingtheglobetoastraightposition,butwemaybesurethatthelatter,inconnectionwiththeformer,willbeabletoholdupitsend。"
[Thebuildingherefairlyshookwithapplause,sothat,hadthearcticworkersusedthemicrophone,theymighthaveheardintheenthusiasticuproaragoodcounterpartoftheirownperiod。]
"Ionlyregret,"thepresidentcontinued,"thatwhenwebeganthisworkthemostmarvellousforceyetdiscovered——apergy——wasnotsufficientlyunderstoodtobeutilized,foritwouldhaveeasedourlabourstothepointofalmosteliminatingthem。Butwehavethisconsolation:itwasinconnectionwithourworkthatitsapplicabilitywasdiscovered,sothathadweandallotherspostponedourgreatundertakingonthepretextofwaitingforanewforce,apergymighthavecontinuedtoliedormantforcenturies。Withthisforce,obtainedbysimplyblendingnegativeandpositiveelectricitywithelectricityofthethirdelementorstate,andchargingabodysufficientlywiththisfluid,gravitationisnullifiedorpartlyreversed,andtheearthrepelsthebodywiththesameorgreaterpowerthanthatwithwhichitstillattractsorattractedit,sothatitmaybesuspendedorcausedtomoveawayintospace。Sicituradastra,wemaysay。
Withthisforceandeverlastingspringbeforeus,whatmaywenotachieve？Wemaysomedaybeabletovisittheplanets,thoughmanymaysaythat,sincetheaxesofmostofthosewehaveconsideredaremoreinclinedthanours,theywouldratherstayhere。'Blessedaretheythatshallinherittheearth,'"hewenton,turningafour—footglobewithitsaxissetverticallyandatrightanglestoayellowglobelabelled"Sun";andagainwaxingeloquent,headded:"Wearetheinstrumentsdestinedtobringabouttheaccomplishmentofthatprophecy,forneverinthehistoryoftheworldhasmanrearedsosplendidamonumenttohisowngeniusashewillinstraighteningtheaxisoftheplanet。
"Nooneneedhenceforthbetroubledbysuddenchange,andeverymancanhaveperpetuallytheclimatehedesires。NorthernEuropewillagainluxuriateinaclimatethatfavouredtheelephantsthatroamedinnorthernAsiaandSwitzerland。Toproducetheseanimalsandthefoodtheyneed,itisnotnecessarytohavegreatheat,butmerelytopreventgreatcold,halfthesummer'ssunbeingabsorbedinmeltingthewinter'saccumulationofice。
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