Jules Verne About Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (February 8, 1828–March 24, 1905) was a French author who pioneered the genre. He is best known for novels such as Journey To The Center Of The Earth (1864), Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea (1870), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873). Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before air travel and practical submarines were invented, and before practical means of space travel had been devised. He is the third most translated author in the world, according to Index Transla-tionum. Some of his books have been made into ...Read More

Chapter 2 President Barbicane's Communication On the 5th of October, at eight p.m., a dense crowd pressed to-ward the of the Gun Club at No. 21 Union Square. All the members of the association resident in Baltimore attended the invitation of their president. As regards the corresponding members, notices were delivered by hundreds throughout the streets of the city, and, large as was the great hall, it was quite inadequate to accommodate the crowd of savants. They over-flowed into the adjoining rooms, down the narrow passages, in-to the outer courtyards. There they ran against the vulgar herd who pressed ...Read More

Chapter 3 Effect of the President's Communication It is impossible to describe the effect produced by the last words the honorable president— the cries, the shouts, the succession of roars, hurrahs, and all the varied vociferations which the American language is capable of supplying. It was a scene of indescribable confusion and uproar. They shouted, they clapped, they stamped on the floor of the hall. All the weapons in the museum discharged at once could not have more violently set in motion the waves of sound. One need not be surprised at this. There are some cannoneers nearly as ...Read More

Chapter 4 Reply From the Observatory of Cambridge Barbicane, however, lost not one moment amid all the enthusi-asm of he had become the object. His first care was to reassemble his colleagues in the board-room of the Gun Club. There, after some discussion, it was agreed to consult the as-tronomers regarding the astronomical part of the enterprise. Their reply once ascertained, they could then discuss the mechanical means, and nothing should be wanting to ensure the success of this great experiment. A note couched in precise terms, containing special interrog-atories, was then drawn up and addressed to the Observatory ...Read More

Chapter 5 The Romance of the Moon An observer endued with an infinite range of vision, and placed in unknown center around which the entire world re-volves, might have beheld myriads of atoms filling all space during the chaotic epoch of the universe. Little by little, as ages went on, a change took place; a general law of attraction manifested itself, to which the hitherto errant atoms became obedient: these atoms combined together chemically according to their affinities, formed themselves into molecules, and com-posed those nebulous masses with which the depths of the heavens are strewed. These masses became ...Read More

Chapter 6 The Permissive Limits of Ignorance and Be-lief in the United States The immediate result of Barbicane's proposition to place upon the orders of the day all the astronomical facts relative to the Queen of the Night. Everybody set to work to study assidu-ously. One would have thought that the moon had just ap-peared for the first time, and that no one had ever before caught a glimpse of her in the heavens. The papers revived all the old anecdotes in which the "sun of the wolves" played a part; they recalled the influences which the ignorance of ...Read More

Chapter 7 The Hymn of the Cannon-Ball The Observatory of Cambridge in its memorable letter had treated the question a purely astronomical point of view. The mechanical part still remained. President Barbicane had, without loss of time, nominated a working committee of the Gun Club. The duty of this commit-tee was to resolve the three grand questions of the cannon, the projectile, and the powder. It was composed of four members of great technical knowledge, Barbicane (with a casting vote in case of equality), General Morgan, Major Elphinstone, and J. T. Maston, to whom were confided the functions of ...Read More

Chapter 8 History of the Cannon The resolutions passed at the last meeting produced a great ef-fect out of Timid people took fright at the idea of a shot weighing 20,000 pounds being launched into space; they asked what cannon could ever transmit a sufficient velocity to such a mighty mass. The minutes of the second meeting were destined triumphantly to answer such questions. The following evening the discussion was renewed. "My dear colleagues," said Barbicane, without further pre-amble, "the subject now before us is the construction of the engine, its length, its composition, and its weight. It is ...Read More

Chapter 9 The Question of the Powders There remained for consideration merely the question of powders. The public awaited interest its final decision. The size of the projectile, the length of the cannon being settled, what would be the quantity of powder necessary to produce impulsion? It is generally asserted that gunpowder was invented in the fourteenth century by the monk Schwartz, who paid for his grand discovery with his life. It is, however, pretty well proved that this story ought to be ranked among the legends of the middle ages. Gunpowder was not invented by any one; it ...Read More

Chapter 10 One Enemy Vs Twenty-Five Millions of Friends The American public took a lively interest in the smallest of the enterprise of the Gun Club. It followed day by day the discussion of the committee. The most simple preparations for the great experiment, the questions of figures which it involved, the mechanical difficulties to be resolved— in one word, the entire plan of work— roused the popular excitement to the highest pitch. The purely scientific attraction was suddenly intensified by the following incident: We have seen what legions of admirers and friends Barbicane's project had rallied round its ...Read More

Chapter 11 Florida and Texas One question remained yet to be decided; it was necessary to choose a favorable for the experiment. According to the advice of the Observatory of Cambridge, the gun must be fired perpendicularly to the plane of the horizon, that is to say, to-ward the zenith. Now the moon does not traverse the zenith, except in places situated between 0@ and 28@ of latitude. It became, then, necessary to determine exactly that spot on the globe where the immense Columbiad should be cast. On the 20th of October, at a general meeting of the Gun ...Read More

Chapter 12 Urbi et Orbi The astronomical, mechanical, and topographical difficulties resolved, finally came the question of finance. The re-quired was far too great for any individual, or even any single State, to provide the requisite millions. President Barbicane undertook, despite of the matter being a purely American affair, to render it one of universal interest, and to request the financial co-operation of all peoples. It was, he maintained, the right and duty of the whole earth to inter-fere in the affairs of its satellite. The subscription opened at Baltimore extended properly to the whole world— Urbi et orbi. ...Read More

Chapter 13 Stones Hill When the decision was arrived at by the Gun Club, to the dis-paragement of Texas, one in America, where reading is a universal acquirement, set to work to study the geography of Florida. Never before had there been such a sale for works like "Bertram's Travels in Florida," "Roman's Natural History of East and West Florida," "William's Territory of Florida," and "Cleland on the Cultivation of the Sugar-Cane in Florida." It be-came necessary to issue fresh editions of these works. Barbicane had something better to do than to read. He de-sired to see things with ...Read More

Chapter 14 Pickaxe and Trowel The same evening Barbicane and his companions returned to Tampa Town; and Murchison, the re-embarked on board the Tampico for New Orleans. His object was to enlist an army of workmen, and to collect together the greater part of the materials. The members of the Gun Club remained at Tampa Town, for the purpose of setting on foot the preliminary works by the aid of the people of the country. Eight days after its departure, the Tampico returned into the bay of Espiritu Santo, with a whole flotilla of steamboats. Murchison had succeeded in ...Read More

Chapter 15 The Fete of the Casting During the eight months which were employed in the work of excavation preparatory works of the casting had been car-ried on simultaneously with extreme rapidity. A stranger arriving at Stones Hill would have been surprised at the spectacle offered to his view. At 600 yards from the well, and circularly arranged around it as a central point, rose 1,200 reverberating ovens, each six feet in diameter, and separated from each other by an interval of three feet. The circumference occupied by these 1,200 ovens presented a length of two miles. Being all ...Read More

Chapter 16 The Columbiad Had the casting succeeded? They were reduced to mere con-jecture. There was indeed every reason expect success, since the mould has absorbed the entire mass of the molten metal; still some considerable time must elapse before they could arrive at any certainty upon the matter. The patience of the members of the Gun Club was sorely tried during this period of time. But they could do nothing. J. T. Maston escaped roasting by a miracle. Fifteen days after the casting an immense column of smoke was still rising in the open sky and the ground ...Read More

Chapter 17 A Telegraphic Dispatch The great works undertaken by the Gun Club had now virtually come to an and two months still remained before the day for the discharge of the shot to the moon. To the general impa-tience these two months appeared as long as years! Hitherto the smallest details of the operation had been daily chronicled by the journals, which the public devoured with eager eyes. Just at this moment a circumstance, the most unexpected, the most extraordinary and incredible, occurred to rouse afresh their panting spirits, and to throw every mind into a state of ...Read More

Chapter 18 The Passenger of the Atlanta If this astounding news, instead of flying through the electric wires, had arrived by post in the ordinary sealed envel-ope, Barbicane would not have hesitated a moment. He would have held his tongue about it, both as a measure of prudence, and in order not to have to reconsider his plans. This telegram might be a cover for some jest, especially as it came from a Frenchman. What human being would ever have conceived the idea of such a journey? and, if such a person really existed, he must be an idiot, ...Read More

Chapter 19 A Monster Meeting On the following day Barbicane, fearing that indiscreet ques-tions might be put to Michel was desirous of reducing the number of the audience to a few of the initiated, his own colleagues for instance. He might as well have tried to check the Falls of Niagara! he was compelled, therefore, to give up the idea, and let his new friend run the chances of a public conference. The place chosen for this monster meeting was a vast plain situated in the rear of the town. In a few hours, thanks to the help of ...Read More

Chapter 20 Attack and Riposte As soon as the excitement had subsided, the following words were heard uttered in strong and determined voice: "Now that the speaker has favored us with so much imagina-tion, would he be so good as to return to his subject, and give us a little practical view of the question?" All eyes were directed toward the person who spoke. He was a little dried-up man, of an active figure, with an American "goatee" beard. Profiting by the different movements in the crowd, he had managed by degrees to gain the front row of spectators. ...Read More

Chapter 21 How A Frenchman Manages An Affair While the contract of this duel was being discussed by the and the captain— this dreadful, savage duel, in which each adversary became a man-hunter— Michel Ardan was resting from the fatigues of his triumph. Resting is hardly an appropriate expression, for American beds rival marble or granite tables for hardness. Ardan was sleeping, then, badly enough, tossing about between the cloths which served him for sheets, and he was dreaming of making a more comfortable couch in his projectile when a frightful noise disturbed his dreams. Thundering blows shook his ...Read More

Chapter 22 The New Citizen of the United States That same day all America heard of the affair of Nicholl and President Barbicane, as well as its singular denouement. From that day forth, Michel Ardan had not one moment's rest. Deputations from all corners of the Union harassed him without cessation or intermission. He was compelled to receive them all, whether he would or no. How many hands he shook, how many people he was "hail-fellow-well-met" with, it is impossible to guess! Such a triumphal result would have intoxicated any other man; but he managed to keep himself in ...Read More

Chapter 23 The Projectile-Vehicle On the completion of the Columbiad the public interest centered in the projectile itself, the which was destined to carry the three hardy adventurers into space. The new plans had been sent to Breadwill and Co., of Albany, with the request for their speedy execution. The projectile was consequently cast on the 2nd of November, and immediately forwarded by the Eastern Railway to Stones Hill, which it reached without accident on the 10th of that month, where Michel Ardan, Barbicane, and Nicholl were waiting impatiently for it. The projectile had now to be filled to ...Read More

Chapter 24 The Telescope of the Rocky Mountains On the 20th of October in the preceding year, after the of the subscription, the president of the Gun Club had credited the Observatory of Cambridge with the necessary sums for the construction of a gigantic optical instrument. This instrument was designed for the purpose of rendering visible on the sur-face of the moon any object exceeding nine feet in diameter. At the period when the Gun Club essayed their great experi-ment, such instruments had reached a high degree of perfec-tion, and produced some magnificent results. Two telescopes in particular, at ...Read More

Chapter 25 Final Details It was the 22nd of November; the departure was to take place in ten days. operation alone remained to be accomplished to bring all to a happy termination; an operation delicate and perilous, requiring infinite precautions, and against the suc-cess of which Captain Nicholl had laid his third bet. It was, in fact, nothing less than the loading of the Columbiad, and the introduction into it of 400,000 pounds of gun-cotton. Nicholl had thought, not perhaps without reason, that the handling of such formidable quantities of pyroxyle would, in all probability, involve a grave catastrophe; ...Read More

Chapter 26 Fire! The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged very night at 10h. 48m. 40s. P.M., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee. The weather was magnificent. Despite the approach of winter, the sun shone brightly, and bathed in its radiant light that earth which three of its denizens were about to abandon for a new world. How many persons lost their rest on the night which pre-ceded this long-expected day! All hearts beat ...Read More

Chapter 27 Foul Weather At the moment when that pyramid of fire rose to a prodigious height into the the glare of flame lit up the whole of Flor-ida; and for a moment day superseded night over a consider-able extent of the country. This immense canopy of fire was perceived at a distance of one hundred miles out at sea, and more than one ship's captain entered in his log the appearance of this gigantic meteor. The discharge of the Columbiad was accompanied by a per-fect earthquake. Florida was shaken to its very depths. The gases of the powder, ...Read More

Chapter 28 A New Star That very night, the startling news so impatiently awaited, burst like a thunderbolt over United States of the Union, and thence, darting across the ocean, ran through all the tele-graphic wires of the globe. The projectile had been detected, thanks to the gigantic reflector of Long's Peak! Here is the note received by the director of the Observatory of Cambridge. It contains the scientific conclusion regarding this great exper-iment of the Gun Club. LONG'S PEAK, December 12. To the Officers of the Obser-vatory of Cambridge. The projectile discharged by the Columbiad at Stones Hill ...Read More