"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。"
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