round the moon-第31部分

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with　her　bowsprit　broken；　public　curiosity　was　greatly　roused。
A　dense　crowd　soon　assembled　on　the　quay；　waiting　for　them
to　disembark。

After　casting　anchor；　Captain　Blomsberry　and　Lieutenant
Bronsfield　entered　an　eight…pared　cutter；　which　soon　brought
them　to　land。

They　jumped　on　to　the　quay。

〃The　telegraph？〃　they　asked；　without　answering　one　of　the
thousand　questions　addressed　to　them。

The　officer　of　the　port　conducted　them　to　the　telegraph　office
through　a　concourse　of　spectators。　　Blomsberry　and　Bronsfield
entered；　while　the　crowd　crushed　each　other　at　the　door。

Some　minutes　later　a　fourfold　telegram　was　sent　outthe　first
to　the　Naval　Secretary　at　Washington；　the　second　to　the
vice…president　of　the　Gun　Club；　Baltimore；　the　third　to　the　Hon。
J。　T。　Maston；　Long's　Peak；　Rocky　Mountains；　and　the　fourth　to
the　sub…director　of　the　Cambridge　Observatory；　Massachusetts。

It　was　worded　as　follows：


In　20@　7'　north　latitude；　and　41@　37'　west　longitude；　on　the
12th　of　December；　at　seventeen　minutes　past　one　in　the　morning；
the　projectile　of　the　Columbiad　fell　into　the　Pacific。
Send　instructions。　BLOMSBERRY；　Commander　Susquehanna。


Five　minutes　afterward　the　whole　town　of　San　Francisco　learned
the　news。　　Before　six　in　the　evening　the　different　States　of　the
Union　had　heard　the　great　catastrophe；　and　after　midnight；　by
the　cable；　the　whole　of　Europe　knew　the　result　of　the　great
American　experiment。　　We　will　not　attempt　to　picture　the　effect
produced　on　the　entire　world　by　that　unexpected　denouement。

On　receipt　of　the　telegram　the　Naval　Secretary　telegraphed　to
the　Susquehanna　to　wait　in　the　bay　of　San　Francisco　without
extinguishing　her　fires。　　Day　and　night　she　must　be　ready
to　put　to　sea。

The　Cambridge　observatory　called　a　special　meeting；　and；　with
that　composure　which　distinguishes　learned　bodies　in　general；
peacefully　discussed　the　scientific　bearings　of　the　question。
At　the　Gun　Club　there　was　an　explosion。　　All　the　gunners
were　assembled。　　Vice…President　the　Hon。　Wilcome　was　in　the
act　of　reading　the　premature　dispatch；　in　which　J。　T。　Maston
and　Belfast　announced　that　the　projectile　had　just　been　seen　in
the　gigantic　reflector　of　Long's　Peak；　and　also　that　it　was　held
by　lunar　attraction；　and　was　playing　the　part　of　under　satellite
to　the　lunar　world。

We　know　the　truth　on　that　point。

But　on　the　arrival　of　Blomsberry's　dispatch；　so　decidely
contradicting　J。　T。　Maston's　telegram；　two　parties　were　formed
in　the　bosom　of　the　Gun　Club。　　On　one　side　were　those　who
admitted　the　fall　of　the　projectile；　and　consequently　the　return
of　the　travelers；　on　the　other；　those　who　believed　in　the
observations　of　Long's　Peak；　concluded　that　the　commander　of　the
Susquehanna　had　made　a　mistake。　　To　the　latter　the　pretended
projectile　was　nothing　but　a　meteor！　nothing　but　a　meteor；　a
shooting　globe；　which　in　its　fall　had　smashed　the　bows　of
the　corvette。　　It　was　difficult　to　answer　this　argument；　for
the　speed　with　which　it　was　animated　must　have　made　observation
very　difficult。　　The　commander　of　the　Susquehanna　and　her
officers　might　have　made　a　mistake　in　all　good　faith；　one　argument
however；　was　in　their　favor；　namely；　that　if　the　projectile　had
fallen　on　the　earth；　its　place　of　meeting　with　the　terrestrial
globe　could　only　take　place　on　this　27@　north　latitude；　and
（taking　into　consideration　the　time　that　had　elapsed；　and　the
rotary　motion　of　the　earth）　between　the　41@　and　the　42@　of
west　longitude。　　In　any　case；　it　was　decided　in　the　Gun　Club
that　Blomsberry　brothers；　Bilsby；　and　Major　Elphinstone　should
go　straight　to　San　Francisco；　and　consult　as　to　the　means　of
raising　the　projectile　from　the　depths　of　the　ocean。

These　devoted　men　set　off　at　once；　and　the　railroad；　which　will
soon　cross　the　whole　of　Central　America；　took　them　as　far　as　St。
Louis；　where　the　swift　mail…coaches　awaited　them。　　Almost　at　the
same　moment　in　which　the　Secretary　of　Marine；　the　vice…president
of　the　Gun　Club；　and　the　sub…director　of　the　Observatory　received
the　dispatch　from　San　Francisco；　the　Honorable　J。　T。　Maston　was
undergoing　the　greatest　excitement　he　had　ever　experienced　in　his
life；　an　excitement　which　even　the　bursting　of　his　pet　gun；　which
had　more　than　once　nearly　cost　him　his　life；　had　not　caused　him。
We　may　remember　that　the　secretary　of　the　Gun　Club　had　started
soon　after　the　projectile　（and　almost　as　quickly）　for　the　station
on　Long's　Peak；　in　the　Rocky　Mountains；　J。　Belfast；　director　of　the
Cambridge　Observatory；　accompanying　him。　　Arrived　there；　the　two
friends　had　installed　themselves　at　once；　never　quitting　the
summit　of　their　enormous　telescope。　　We　know　that　this　gigantic
instrument　had　been　set　up　according　to　the　reflecting　system；
called　by　the　English　〃front　view。〃　　This　arrangement　subjected
all　objects　to　but　one　reflection；　making　the　view　consequently
much　clearer；　the　result　was　that；　when　they　were　taking
observation；　J。　T。　Maston　and　Belfast　were　placed　in　the　_upper_
part　of　the　instrument　and　not　in　the　lower；　which　they　reached
by　a　circular　staircase；　a　masterpiece　of　lightness；　while　below
them　opened　a　metal　well　terminated　by　the　metallic　mirror；
which　measured　two　hundred　and　eighty　feet　in　depth。

It　was　on　a　narrow　platform　placed　above　the　telescope　that　the
two　savants　passed　their　existence；　execrating　the　day　which　hid
the　moon　from　their　eyes；　and　the　clouds　which　obstinately
veiled　her　during　the　night。

What；　then；　was　their　delight　when；　after　some　days　of　waiting；
on　the　night　of　the　5th　of　December；　they　saw　the　vehicle　which
was　bearing　their　friends　into　space！　　To　this　delight　succeeded
a　great　deception；　when；　trusting　to　a　cursory　observation；　they
launched　their　first　telegram　to　the　world；　erroneously
affirming　that　the　projectile　had　become　a　satellite　of　the
moon；　gravitating　in　an　immutable　orbit。

From　that　moment　it　had　never　shown　itself　to　their　eyes　a
disappearance　all　the　more　easily　explained；　as　it　was　then
passing　behind　the　moon's　invisible　disc；　but　when　it　was　time
for　it　to　reappear　on　the　visible　disc；　one　may　imagine　the
impatience　of　the　fuming　J。　T。　Maston　and　his　not　less
impatient　companion。　　Each　minute　of　the　night　they　thought
they　saw　the　projectile　once　more；　and　they　did　not　see　it。
Hence　constant　discussions　and　violent　disputes　between　them；
Belfast　affirming　that　the　projectile　could　not　be　seen；　J。　T。
Maston　maintaining　that　〃it　had　put　his　eyes　out。〃

〃It　is　the　projectile！〃　repeated　J。　T。　Maston。

〃No；〃　answered　Belfast；　〃it　is　an　avalanche　detached　from　a
lunar　mountain。〃

〃Well；　we　shall　see　it　to…morrow。〃

〃No；　we　shall　not　see　it　any　more。　　It　is　carried　into　space。〃

〃Yes！〃

〃No！〃

And　at　these　moments；　when　contradictions　rained　like　hail；　the
well…known　irritability　of　the　secretary　of　the　Gun　Club
constituted　a　permanent　danger　for　the　Honorable　Belfast。
The　existence　of　these　two　together　would　soon　have　become
impossible；　but　an　unforseen　event　cut　short　their
everlasting　discussions。

During　the　night；　from　the　14th　to　the　15th　of　December；　the　two
irreconcilable　friends　were　busy　observing　the　lunar　disc；　J。　T。
Maston　abusing　the　learned　Belfast　as　usual；　who　was　by　his
side；　the　secretary　of　the　Gun　Club　maintaining　for　the
thousandth　time　that　he　had　just　seen　the　projectile；　and　adding
that　he　could　see　Michel　Ardan's　face　looking　through　one　of　the
scuttles；　at　the　same　time　enforcing　his　argument　by　a　series　of
gestures　which　his　formidable　hook　rendered　very　unpleasant。

At　this　moment　Belfast's　servant　appeared　on　the　platform　（it
was　ten　at　night）　and　gave　him　a　dispatch。　　It　was　the　commander
of　the　Susquehanna's　telegram。

Belfast　tore　the　envelope　and　read；　and　uttered　a　cry。

〃What！〃　said　J。　T。　Maston。

〃The　projectile！〃

〃Well！〃

〃Has　fallen　to　the　earth！〃

Another　cry；　this　time　a　perfect　howl；　answered　him。　　He　turned
toward　J。　T。　Maston。　　The　unfortunate　man；　imprudently　leaning
over　the　metal　tube；　had　disappeared　in　the　immense　telescope。
A　fall　of　two　hundred　and　eighty　feet！　　Belfast；　dismayed；
rushed　to　the　orifice　of　the　reflector。

He　breathed。　　J。　T。　Maston；　caught　by　his　metal　hook；　was
holding　on　by　one　of　the　rings　which　bound　the　telescope
together；　uttering　fearful　cries。

Belfast　called。　　Help　was　brought；　tackle　was　let　down；　and　they
hoisted　up；　not　without　some　trouble；　the　imprudent　secretary　of
the　Gun　Club。

He　reappeared　at　the　upper　orifice　without　hurt。

〃Ah！〃　said　he；　〃if　I　had　broken　the　mirror？〃

〃You　would　have　paid　for　it；〃　replied　Belfast　severely。

〃And　that　cursed　projectile　has　fallen？〃　asked　J。　T。　Maston。

〃Into　the　Pacific！〃

〃Let　us　go！〃

A　quarter　of　an　hour　after　the　two　savants　were　descending　the
declivity　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　and　two　days　after；　at　the
same　time　as　their　friends　of　the　Gun　Club；　they　arrived　at　San
Francisco；　having　killed　five　horses　on　the　road。

Elphinstone；　the　brothers　Blomsberry；　and　Bilsby　rushed　toward
them　on　their　arrival。

〃What　shall　we　do？〃　they　exclaimed。

〃Fish　up　the　projectile；〃　replied　J。　T。　Maston；　〃and　the　sooner
the　better。〃




CHAPTER　XXII


RECOVERED　FROM