by Jules Verne
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE PROJECTILE-VEHICLE.
On the completion of the Columbiad the public interest centred in theprojectile itself, the vehicle which was destined to carry the threehardy adventurers into space.
The new plans had been sent to Breadwill and Co., of Albany, with therequest for their speedy execution. The projectile was consequently caston the 2d November, and immediately forwarded by the Eastern Railway toStones Hill, which it reached without accident on the 10th of that month,where Michel Ardan, Barbicane, and Nicholl were waiting impatiently forit.
The projectile had now to be filled to the depth of three feet with abed of water, intended to support a watertight wooden disc, which workedeasily within the walls of the projectile. It was upon this kind ofraft that the travellers were to take their place. This body of waterwas divided by horizontal partitions, which the shock of the departurewould have to break in succession. Then each sheet of the water, fromthe lowest to the highest, running off into escape tubes toward the topof the projectile, constituted a kind of spring; and the wooden disc,supplied with extremely powerful plugs, could not strike the lowest plateexcept after breaking successively the different partitions. Undoubtedlythe travellers would still have to encounter a violent _recoil_ afterthe complete escapement of the water; but the first shock would be almostentirely destroyed by this powerful spring. The upper part of the wallswere lined with a thick padding of leather, fastened upon springs of thebest steel, behind which the escape tubes were completely concealed; thusall imaginable precautions had been taken for averting the first shock;and if they _did_ get crushed, they must, as Michel Ardan said, be madeof very bad materials.
Illustration: THE ARRIVAL OF THE PROJECTILE AT STONE'S HILL.
The entrance into this metallic tower was by a narrow aperture contrivedin the wall of the cone. This was hermetically closed by a plate ofaluminium, fastened internally by powerful screw-pressure. The travellerscould therefore quit their prison at pleasure, as soon as they shouldreach the moon.
Light and view were given by means of four thick lenticular glassscuttles, two pierced in the circular wall itself, the third in thebottom, the fourth in the top. These scuttles then were protected againstthe shock of departure by plates let into solid grooves, which couldeasily be opened outwards by unscrewing them from the inside. Reservoirsfirmly fixed contained water and the necessary provisions; and fire andlight were procurable by means of gas, contained in a special reservoirunder a pressure of several atmospheres. They had only to turn a tap,and for six hours the gas would light and warm this comfortable vehicle.
There now remained only the question of air; for allowing for theconsumption of air by Barbicane, his two companions, and two dogs whichhe proposed taking with him, it was necessary to renew the air of theprojectile. Now air consists principally of twenty-one parts of oxygenand seventy-nine of nitrogen. The lungs absorb the oxygen, which isindispensable for the support of life, and reject the nitrogen. The airexpired loses nearly five per cent. of the former and contains nearly anequal volume of carbonic acid, produced by the combustion of the elementsof the blood. In an air-tight enclosure, then, after a certain time, allthe oxygen of the air will be replaced by the carbonic acid--a gas fatalto life. There were two things to be done then--first, to replace theabsorbed oxygen; secondly, to destroy the expired carbonic acid; botheasy enough to do, by means of chlorate of potassium and caustic potash.The former is a salt which appears under the form of white crystals;when raised to a temperature of 400 deg. it is transformed into chlorateof potass, and the oxygen which it contains is entirely liberated. Nowtwenty-eight pounds of chlorate of potassium produce seven pounds ofoxygen, or 2400 _litres_--the quantity necessary for the travellersduring twenty-four hours.
Caustic potash has a great affinity for carbonic acid; and it issufficient to shake it in order for it to seize upon the acid and formbi-carbonate of potass. By these two means they would be enabled torestore to the vitiated air its life-supporting properties.
It is necessary, however, to add that the experiments had hitherto beenmade _in anima vili_. Whatever its scientific accuracy was, they were atpresent ignorant how it would answer with human beings. The honour ofputting it to the proof was energetically claimed by J. T. Maston.
"Since I am not to go," said the brave artillerist, "I may at least livefor a week in the projectile."
It would have been hard to refuse him; so they consented to his wish.A sufficient quantity of chlorate of potassium and of caustic potashwas placed at his disposal, together with provisions for eight days.And having shaken hands with his friends, on the 12th November, at sixo'clock a.m., after strictly informing them not to open his prison beforethe 20th, at six o'clock p.m., he slid down the projectile, the plateof which was at once hermetically sealed. What did he do with himselfduring that week? They could get no information. The thickness of thewalls of the projectile prevented any sound reaching from the insideto the outside. On the 20th of November, at six p.m. exactly, the platewas opened. The friends of J. T. Maston had been all along in a state ofmuch anxiety; but they were promptly reassured on hearing a jolly voiceshouting a boisterous hurrah.
Presently afterwards the secretary of the Gun Club appeared at the topof the cone in a triumphant attitude. He had grown fat!
Illustration: J. T. MASTON HAD GROWN FAT.