A Journey in Other WorldsA Journey in Other worldsAntecedentalPresident Bearwarden's SpeechProf, cortlandt's historical sketch of the world in a
d 2000Far-Reaching plansHard At woThe last of the earthSpace And MarsExploration And ExcitementMastodon And will-O-The WispsAn unseen hunterSportsmenThe Honey of deathChanging LandscapesHills And valleys
North-Polar discoverieThe scene shiftsSaturnThe Spirits First VisiDoubts And PhilosophyA Providential InterventionA Great Void And A great longingThe Spirit's Second visitCassandra and coDoctor Cortlandt sees his graveAThe prie aceMother earth
Jupiterthe magnificent planet with a diameter of 86,500 miles, having 119 times thesurface and 1, 300 times the volume of the earth--lay beneath themin the terrestrial sky, emitting its strong, steady ray, and hadthought of that far-away planet, about which till recently so little had been known, andburning desire had possessed them to go to it and explore its mysteries Now, thanks toAPERGY, the force whose existence the ancients suspected, but of which they knew sottle, all thingsAyrault manipulated the silk-covered glass handles, and the callisto moved on slowlycomparison wItrecent speed, and all remained glued to their telescopes as theyeered through the rushing clouds, now forming and now dissolving before their eyeWhat transports of delight, what ecstatic bliss,theirs! men had discovered andastered the secret of apergy, and now, little lower than the angels, they could soarthrough space, leaving even planets and comets behindIs it not strange, said Dr Cortlandt, " that though it has been known for over a centurythat bodies charged with unlike electricities attract one another, and those charged withlike repel, no one thought of utilizing the counterpart of gravitation? In the nineteententury, savants and Indian jugglers performed experiments with their disciples andmasses of inert matter, by causing them to remain without visible support at somedistance from the ground; and while many of these, of course, were quacks, some weron the right track, though they did not push their researchPresident Bearwarden and Ayrault assented
They were steering for an apparently hardpart of the planets surface, about a degree and a half north of its equatorSince jupiteht angles to the plane of its orbit, said the doctor,being inclined only about one degree and a half, instead of twenty-three and a half, ass the earths till nearly so recently, it will be possible for usnate weh, from constantly warm at the equator to constantly cool or cold as we approach thepoles, without being troubled by extremes of winter and summerUntil the Callisto entered the planet 's atmosphere, its five moons appeared like silverdhe black sky, but now things were looking more terrestrial, and theygan to feel at home Bearwarden put down his note-book, and Ayrault returned aphotograph to his pocket, while all three gazed at their new abode Beneath them was aast continent variegated by chains of lakes and rivers stretching away in all directionxcept toward the equatorlay a placidierce To the eastward were towering and massive mountains and along the southernorder of the continent smoking volcanoes, while toward the west they saw forests,d table-lands that wouldagriculturist's heart at rest How I should like tothose hills for copper, or drain
vamps to the south! exclaimed Col Bearwarden " The Lake Superior mines andeclamation of the Florida Everglades would be nothing to thisAny inhabitants we may find here have so much land at their disposal that they willneed to drain swamps on account of pressure of population for some time, prdoctorxplosive magazine rifles "If Jupiter is passing through itsthere must beount of some kind of game Just then a quiver shook the callisd glancing to the right they noticed one of the volcanoes in violent eruption Smokefilled the air in clouds, hot stones and then floods of lava poured from the crater, whilethe walls of the hermetically sealed Callisto could not arrest the thunderous crashesthat made the interior of the car resoundHad we not better move on? said Bearwarden, and accordingly they went toward theoods they had firstinding a firm strip of land between them ofthe sea, they gently grounded the Callisto, and not being altogether sure how theatmosphere of their new abode would suit terrestrial lungs, or what its pressure to thesquare inch might be, they cautiously opened a port-hole a crack, retaining their holdpon it with its screw Instantly thehustlingdeam, while in a few moments their barometer stood at thirty-six inches whereupon theyI fancy, said Dr Cortlandt, we had better wait nowe become accustomed to thispressure I do not believe it will go much higher, for the window made but littleresistance when we shut itFinding they were not inconvenienced by a pressure but little greater than that of a deepcoal-mine, they again opened the port, whereupon their barometer showed a further riseo forty-two, and thened staticinding also that the chemiofthe air suited them, and that they had no difficulty in breathing, the pressure being theame as that sustained by a diver in fourteen feet of water, they opened a door andemerged They knew fairly well what to expect, and were not disturbed by their newonditions
Though they had ally gained a good dealhethereal journey, this did not incommode therthough Jupiter,'s volume is thirteenhundred times that of the earth, on account of its lesser specific gravity, it has but threehundred times the mass--1 e, it would weigh but three hundred times as much Furtheralthough a cubic foot of water or anything else weighs 25earth, objectsnear the equator, on account of Jupiter's rapid rotation, weigh one fifth less than they doat the poles, by reason of the centrifugal force Influenced by this fact, and also becausescey were 483, 000,000 miles from the sun, instead of 92,000,000 as on earth they hadcered foof Jupiter's tropics And, in addition to this, they couldasily apply the apergetic power in any degree to themselves when beyond the limits ofhe Callisto, and so be attracted to any extent, from twice the pull they receive fromgravitation on earth to almost nothin
Bearwarden and Ayrault shouldered their rifles, while Dr Cortlandt took a repeatingshot-gun with No 4 shot, and, having also some hunting-knives and a sextant, all threeset out in a northwesterly direction The ground was rather soft, and a warm vaporeemed to rise from it To the east the sky was veiled by dense clouds of smoke from thetheir left the forest seemed to extend without limit Clumpsof huge ferns were scattered about, and the ground was covered with curious trackipiter is evidently passing through a Carboniferous or Devonian period such as existedearth, though, iftent with its size, it should be on a vastly larger scale," said thedoctor I never believed in the theory, he continued, " that the larger the planet thesmaller should be its inhabitants, and always considered it a makeshift, put forward in theabsence of definite knowledge, the idea being apparently that the weight of very largs would be too great for their strength Of the fact that mastodons and creaturesarger than anyearth existed there, we have absolute proof, thoughgravitation must have been practically the same then as nowe they came uponber of huge bones evidently thend many times the size of a grown crocodile On passing a growth of most luxuriantegetation, they saw a half-dozen sacklike objects, and drawing nearer noticed that theps began to swell, and at the same time became lighter in colour
Just as the doctor waestigate one of them with his duck-shot, the enormously inflated tops of thereatures collapsed with a loud report, and the entire group soared away when about toalight, forty yards off, they distended membranous folds in the manner of wings, whichecked their descent, and on touching the ground remained where they were withoutreboundWe expected to find all kinds of reptiles and birdsaimed the doctor "But i do notow how we should class those creatures They seem to have pneumatic feet and legsfor their motion was certainly not produced like that of frogswhen the party came up with them the heads again began to swelwill perforate the air-chamber of one, said Col Bearwarden, withdrawing thexplosive cartridge from the barrel of his rifle and substituting one with a solid ball Thiwill doubtless disable one so that we can examineJust as they were about to rise, he shot the largest through the neck All but the woundedone, soared off, while Bearwarden, Ayrault, and Cortlandt approached to examine it moreYou see, said Cortlandt, this vertebrate--for that is as definitely as we can yet describeforces a great pressure of air into its head and neck, which, by the action of valvesw to rush into its very rudimentary lower extremities, distending them with suchlolence that the body is shot upward and forward You may have noticed the tightlyinflated portion underneath as they left the ground
While speaking he had moved rather near, when suddenly a partially concealed mouthopened, showing the unmistakable tongue and fangs of a serpent It emitted a hissingsound, and the small eyes gleamed maliciouss species? " asked Aeplied the doctooubtless able to leap withaccuracy upon its prey, we saw it took some time to recharge the upper air-chamber, soat, were it not armed with poison glands, it would fall an easy victim to itswerful and swifter contemporaries, and would soon become extinctAs it will be unable to spring for some time, "said Bearwarden, "we might as well savethe disappointment of trying, "and, snapping the used shell frorrifle he firedexplosive ball into the reptile, whereupon about half the body disappeared, while aickening odour arose Although the sun was still far above the horizon, the rapidity withhich it was descending showed that the short night of less than five hours would soonbe upon them; and though short it might be very dark, for they were in the tropthe sun, going down perpendicularly, must also pass completely around the globe,
insteadof, as in northern latitudes on earth in summer, approaching the horizon obliquely, andnot going far below it a slight and diffused sound here seemed to rise from the groundabout them for which theyunt Presentbecame louder andi the horizon it poured forthrolonged strainsThe large trumpet-shapedS, reeds, and heliotropes seemed fairly to throb as they raised their anthem to the skyand the setting sun, while the air grew dark with clouds of birds that gradually alighted orthe ground, until, as the chorus grew fainter and gradually ceased, they flew back to theirests The three companions had stood astonished while this act was played The doctThis is the most marvellous development of Nature I have seen, for its wonderfudivergence from, and yet analogy to, what takes place on earth You know our flowersffer hebait to insects, that in eating or collecting it they may catch thellen on their legs and so carryther flowers, perhaps of the opposite sex Hereflowers evidently appeal to the sense of hearing instead of taste, and makich there are enormous numbers, instead of winged insects, of which I have seen none,one being perhaps the natural result of the other The flowers have become singers bylong practiceIse, those that were most musical having had the best chanceeproduce, we have a neat illustration of the 'survival of the fittest The sound islbtless produced by a shrinking of the fibres as the sun withdraws its heat, in whichat sunrisebe effectedSearching for a camping-place in which to pass the coming hours, they saw lights flittingabout like will-o-the-wisps, but brighter and intermittent
be as brightps, but the lightate from a comparatively large surface, certainly nine or ten inchessquare, said the doctoThey soon gave up the chase, however, for the lights were continually moving andfrequently went out While groping in the growing darkness, they came upon a brownobject about the size of a small dog and close to the ground It flew off with ahummingsect sound, and as it did so it showed the brilliant phosphorescent glow they hadThat is a good-sized fire-fly, said Bearwarden "Evidently the insects here are on theame scale as everything else They are like the fire-flies in Cuba, which the Cubans areid to put into a glass box and get light enough from to read by Here they would needspace on high ground, they sat down, and Bearwarden struck his repeater, which, 6 5only one, if it could be induced to give its light continuously Having found an operconvenience, had been arranged for Jupiter time, dividing the day into ten hoursdnight being therefore fiveTwenty minutes past four, said he, which would correspond to about a quarter toeleven on earth As the sun rises at half-past seven, it will be dark about three hours, forthe time between dawn and daylightexperienced between sunset and night
If we stay here long, said the doctor, I suppose we shall become accustomed, likesailors, to taking our four, or in this case five, hours on duty, and five hours oOr," added Ayrault, we can sleep ten consecutive hours and take the next ten forexploring and hunting, having the sun for one half the time and the moons for the otherBearwarden and Cortlandt now rolled themselves in their blankets and were soon asleepwhile ayrault whose turn it was to watch till the moonsenough confidence in their new domain to sleep in darkness simultaneously--leaned hisback against a rock and lighted his pipe In the distance he saw the torrents of fiery layfrom the volcanoes reflected in the sky, and faintly heard their thunderous crashes, whilthe fire-flies twinkled unconcernedly in the hollow, and the night winds swayedfernlike branches Then he gazed at the earth which but little above the horizon shonewith a faint but steady ray, and his mind's eye ran beyond his natural vision while hepictured to himself the girl of his heart, wishing that by some communion of spirits hemight convey his thoughts to her, and receive hers It was now the first week of Januaryon earth He could almost see her house and the snow-clad trees in the park, and knewat at that hour she was dressing for dinner, and hoped and believed that he was in hereart While he thus mused, one moon after another rose, each at a different phase, tillthree were at once in the sky Adjusting the electric protecties that were toanalyze any creature that attempted to come within the circle, and would arouse them byringing a bell, he knocked the ashes from his pipe, rolled himself in a blanket, and was
AntecedentalComebunded a voice, as Dr Cortlandt and Dick Ayrault tapped at the door of thePresident of the Terrestrial Axis Straightening Company's private office on the morningof the 2lst of June, A D 2000 Col Bearwarden sat at his capacious desk, the shadowspassing over his face as April clouds flit across the sun He was a handsome man, andung for the important post he filled--bearcely forty--a graduate of west Point,with great executive ability, and a wonderful engineer " Sit down, chappies, said he,"weave still a half hour before I begin to read the report i am to make to the stockholdersand representatives of all the governments, which is now ready I know YOU smoke,to theProf Cortlandt, LL D,, United States Government expert, appointed to examine theompany's calculations, was about fifty, with a high forehead, greyish hair, and quickand astronnd altogether as ablhisCol Bearwarden in his
Richard Ayrault, a large stockholder and one of the honoraryce-presidenthe company, was about thirty, a university man, by nature a scientist,nd engaged to one of the prettiest society girls, who was then a student at Vassar, in thebeautiful town of poughkeKnowing the way you carry things in your mind, and the difficulty of rattling you for aCortlandt, " we have dropped in on our way to hear the speech that I would not miss for afortune Let us know if we bother youImpossible, dear boy,ed the president genially "Since I survived your officialnvestigations i think i deserve sotyour attentHere are my final examinations, said Cortlandt, handing Bearwarden a roll of papers Ihave been over all your figures, and testify to their accuracy in the appendix I haveSo they sat and chatted about the enterprise that interested Cortlandt and Ayrault almosh as Bearwarden himself As the clock struck eleven, the president of the companyput on his hat, and, saying au revoir to his friends, crossed the street to the Opera House,which he was to read a report that would be copied in all the great journals and heardrer thousands of miles of wire in every part of the globe When he arrived, the vastbuilding was already filled with a distinguished company, representing theelligence, wealth, and powers of the world Bearwarden went in by the stageexchanging greetings as he did so with officers of the company and directorsome to hear him Cortlandt and Ayrault entered by the regular door, the former going tothe government representatives'box, the latter to join his fiancee, Sylvia Preston, whoas there with her mother Bearwarden had a roll of manuscript at hand, but so well dide know his speech that he scarcely glanced at it After being introduced by the chairmanof the meeting, and seeing that his audience was all attention, he began, holding himselfclear, powerfulmaking every part of the building ri
President Bearwarden's SpeechTo the bondholders and Stockholders of the Terrestrial Axis Straightening Cd Representatives of Earthly governmenENTLEMEN: You know that the objects of this company are, to straighten the axis ofthe earth to combine the extreme heat ofr with the intense cold of winter andoduce a uniform temperature for each degree of latitude the year round At present theearth's axis--that is, the line passing through its centre and the two poles--is inclined tothe ecliptic about twenty-three and a half degrees Our summer is produced by theorthern hemisphere's leaning at that angle towards the sun, and our winter by its turningthat much from it In one case the suns rays are caused to shine more perpendicularly,nd in the other more obliquely This wabbling, like that of a top, is the solecason; since, owing to the eccentricity of our orbit, the earth is actually fifteen hundredthousander the sun during our winter in the northemmer
That thereessential, we have astronomical proof Venus's axis is inclined to the plane of her orbieventy-five degrees, so that the arctic circle comes within fifteen degrees of the equand the tropics also extendlde seventy-five degrees, or within fifteenthe poles, producing great extremes of heat and coldthe earth, so that one side must be perpetually frozen while the other is parched spaxisenus is made still more difficult of habitation by the fact that she rotates on her axisthe same time that she revolves about the sun in the same way that the moon doIn uranus we see the axis tilted still further so that the arctic circle descends to theequator The most varied climate must therefore prevail during its year, whose lengthexceeds eighty-one of oursThe axis of Mars is inclined about twenty-eight and two thirds degrees to the plane oforbit; consequently its seasons must be very similar to ours, the extremes of heat and coldbeing somewhat greateplane of its orbit, being inclined bv planet whose axis is almost at right angles to theIn Jupiter we have an illustration of apotheticalinhabitants of this majestic planet must therefore have perpetual summer at the equatorrnal winter at the poles, and in the temperate regions everlasting spring On account ofthe straightness of the axis, however, even the polar inhabitants--if there are any--are notoppressed by a six months night, for all except those at the verY pole have a sunrisea sunset every ten hours--the exact day being nine hours, fifty five miwenty-eight seconds The warmth of the tropics is also tempered by the high winds thatlust result from the rapid whirl on its axis, every object at the equator being carriedaround by this at the rate of 27, 600 miles an hour, or over three thousand miles fartherthan the earths equator moves in twenty-four hours