a journey in other worlds-第3部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ANTECEDENTAL。
　　　
〃Come　in！〃　sounded　a　voice；　as　Dr。　Cortlandt　and　Dick　Ayrault
tapped　at　the　door　of　the　President　of　the　Terrestrial　Axis
Straightening　Company's　private　office　on　the　morning　of　the　21st
of　June；　A。　D。　2000。　　Col。　Bearwarden　sat　at　his　capacious　desk；
the　shadows　passing　over　his　face　as　April　clouds　flit　across　the
sun。　　He　was　a　handsome　man；　and　young　for　the　important　post　he
filledbeing　scarcely　fortya　graduate　of　West　Point；　with
great　executive　ability；　and　a　wonderful　engineer。　　〃Sit　down；
chappies；〃　said　he；　〃we　have　still　a　half　hour　before　I　begin　to
read　the　report　I　am　to　make　to　the　stockholders　and
representatives　of　all　the　governments；　which　is　now　ready。　　I
know　YOU　smoke；〃　passing　a　box　of　Havanas　to　the　professor。
　　　
Prof。　Cortlandt；　LL。　D。；　United　States　Government　expert；
appointed　to　examine　the　company's　calculations；　was　about　fifty；
with　a　high　forehead；　greyish　hair；　and　quick；　grey　eyes；　a
geologist　and　astronomer；　and　altogether　as　able　a　man；　in　his
own　way；　as　Col。　Bearwarden　in　his。　　Richard　Ayrault；　a　large
stockholder　and　one　of　the　honorary　vice…presidents　in　the
company；　was　about　thirty；　a　university　man；　by　nature　a
scientist；　and　engaged　to　one　of　the　prettiest　society　girls；　who
was　then　a　student　at　Vassar；　in　the　beautiful　town　of
Poughkeepsie。
　　　
〃Knowing　the　way　you　carry　things　in　your　mind；　and　the
difficulty　of　rattling　you；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃we　have　dropped　in
on　our　way　to　hear　the　speech　that　I　would　not　miss　for　a
fortune。　　Let　us　know　if　we　bother　you。〃
　　　
〃Impossible；　dear　boy；〃　replied　the　president　genially。　　〃Since　I
survived　your　official　investigations；　I　think　I　deserve　some　of
your　attention　informally。〃
　　　
〃Here　are　my　final　examinations；〃　said　Cortlandt；　handing
Bearwarden　a　roll　of　papers。　　〃I　have　been　over　all　your　figures；
and　testify　to　their　accuracy　in　the　appendix　I　have　added。〃
　　　
So　they　sat　and　chatted　about　the　enterprise　that　interested
Cortlandt　and　Ayrault　almost　as　much　as　Bearwarden　himself。　　As
the　clock　struck　eleven；　the　president　of　the　company　put　on　his
hat；　and；　saying　au　revoir　to　his　friends；　crossed　the　street　to
the　Opera　House；　in　which　he　was　to　read　a　report　that　would　be
copied　in　all　the　great　journals　and　heard　over　thousands　of
miles　of　wire　in　every　part　of　the　globe。　　When　he　arrived；　the
vast　building　was　already　filled　with　a　distinguished　company；
representing　the　greatest　intelligence；　wealth；　and　powers　of　the
world。　　Bearwarden　went　in　by　the　stage　entrance；　exchanging
greetings　as　he　did　so　with　officers　of　the　company　and　directors
who　had　come　to　hear　him。　　Cortlandt　and　Ayrault　entered　by　the
regular　door；　the　former　going　to　the　Government　representatives'
box；　the　latter　to　join　his　fiancee；　Sylvia　Preston；　who　was
there　with　her　mother。　　Bearwarden　had　a　roll　of　manuscript　at
hand；　but　so　well　did　he　know　his　speech　that　he　scarcely　glanced
at　it。　　After　being　introduced　by　the　chairman　of　the　meeting；
and　seeing　that　his　audience　was　all　attention；　he　began；　holding
himself　erect；　his　clear；　powerful　voice　making　every　part　of　the
building　ring。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　III。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PRESIDENT　BEARWARDEN'S　SPEECH。

〃To　the　Bondholders　and　Stockholders　of　the　Terrestrial　Axis
Straightening　Company　and　Representatives　of　Earthly　Governments。

〃GENTLEMEN：　　You　know　that　the　objects　of　this　company　are；　to
straighten　the　axis　of　the　earth；　to　combine　the　extreme　heat　of
summer　with　the　intense　cold　of　winter　and　produce　a　uniform
temperature　for　each　degree　of　latitude　the　year　round。　　At
present　the　earth's　axisthat　is；　the　line　passing　through　its
centre　and　the　two　polesis　inclined　to　the　ecliptic　about
twenty…three　and　a　half　degrees。　　Our　summer　is　produced　by　the
northern　hemisphere's　leaning　at　that　angle　towards　the　sun；　and
our　winter　by　its　turning　that　much　from　it。　　In　one　case　the
sun's　rays　are　caused　to　shine　more　perpendicularly；　and　in　the
other　more　obliquely。　　This　wabbling；　like　that　of　a　top；　is　the
sole　cause　of　the　seasons；　since；　owing　to　the　eccentricity　of
our　orbit；　the　earth　is　actually　fifteen　hundred　thousand　miles
nearer　the　sun　during　our　winter；　in　the　northern　hemisphere；
than　in　summer。　　That　there　is　no　limit　to　a　planet's
inclination；　and　that　inclination　is　not　essential；　we　have
astronomical　proof。　　Venus's　axis　is　inclined　to　the　plane　of　her
orbit　seventy…five　degrees；　so　that　the　arctic　circle　comes
within　fifteen　degrees　of　the　equator；　and　the　tropics　also
extend　to　latitude　seventy…five　degrees；　or　within　fifteen
degrees　of　the　poles；　producing　great　extremes　of　heat　and　cold。
　　　
〃Venus　is　made　still　more　difficult　of　habitation　by　the　fact
that　she　rotates　on　her　axis　in　the　same　time　that　she　revolves
about　the　sun；　in　the　same　way　that　the　moon　does　about　the
earth；　so　that　one　side　must　be　perpetually　frozen　while　the
other　is　parched。
　　　
〃In　Uranus　we　see　the　axis　tilted　still　further；　so　that　the
arctic　circle　descends　to　the　equator。　　The　most　varied　climate
must　therefore　prevail　during　its　year；　whose　length　exceeds
eighty…one　of　ours。
　　　
The　axis　of　Mars　is　inclined　about　twenty…eight　and　two　thirds
degrees　to　the　plane　of　its　orbit；　consequently　its　seasons　must
be　very　similar　to　ours；　the　extremes　of　heat　and　cold　being
somewhat　greater。
　　　
〃In　Jupiter　we　have　an　illustration　of　a　planet　whose　axis　is
almost　at　right　angles　to　the　plane　of　its　orbit；　being　inclined
but　about　a　degree　and　a　half。　　The　hypothetical　inhabitants　of
this　majestic　planet　must　therefore　have　perpetual　summer　at　the
equator；　eternal　winter　at　the　poles；　and　in　the　temperate
regions　everlasting　spring。　　On　account　of　the　straightness　of
the　axis；　however；　even　the　polar　inhabitantsif　there　are
anyare　not　oppressed　by　a　six　months'　night；　for　all　except
those　at　the　VERY　pole　have　a　sunrise　and　a　sunset　every　ten
hoursthe　exact　day　being　nine　hours；　fifty　five　minutes；　and
twenty…eight　seconds。　　The　warmth　of　the　tropics　is　also　tempered
by　the　high　winds　that　must　result　from　the　rapid　whirl　on　its
axis；　every　object　at　the　equator　being　carried　around　by　this　at
the　rate　of　27；600　miles　an　hour；　or　over　three　thousand　miles
farther　than　the　earth's　equator　moves　in　twenty…four　hours。
　　　
〃The　inclination　of　the　axis　of　our　own　planet　has　also
frequently　considerably　exceeded　that　of　Mars；　and　again　has　been
but　little　greater　than　Jupiter's　at　least；　this　is　by　all　odds
the　most　reasonable　explanation　of　the　numerous　Glacial　periods
through　which　our　globe　has　passed；　and　of　the　recurring　mild
spells；　probably　lasting　thousands　of　years；　in　which　elephants；
mastodons；　and　other　semi…tropical　vertebrates　roamed　in　Siberia；
some　of　which　died　so　recently　that　their　flesh；　preserved　by　the
cold；　has　been　devoured　by　the　dogs　of　modern　explorers。
　　　
〃It　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　the　inclining　of　the　axes　of
Jupiter；　Venus；　the　Earth；　and　the　other　planets；　is　now　fixed；
in　some　cases　it　is　known　to　be　changing。　　As　long　ago　as　1890；
Major…Gen。　A。　W。　Drayson；　of　the　British　Army；　showed；　in　a　work
entitled　Untrodden　Ground　in　Astronomy　and　Geology；　that；　as　a
result　of　the　second　rotation　of　the　earth；　the　inclination　of
its　axis　was　changing；　it　having　been　23@　28'　23〃　on　January　1；
1750；　23@　27'　55。3〃　on　January　1；　1800；　and　23@　27'　30。9〃　on
January　1；　1850；　and　by　calculation　one　hundred　and　ten　years　ago
showed　that　in　1900　（one　hundred　years　ago）　it　would　be　23@　27'
08。8〃。　　This　natural　straightening　is；　of　course；　going　on；　and
we　are　merely　about　to　anticipate　it。　　When　this　improvement　was
mooted；　all　agreed　that　the　EXTREMES　of　heat　and　cold　could　well
be　spared。　　'Balance　those　of　summer　against　those　of　winter　by
partially　straightening　the　axis；　reduce　the　inclination　from
twenty…three　degrees；　thirty　minutes；　to　about　fifteen　degrees；
but　let　us　stop　there；'　many　said。　　Before　we　had　gone　far；
however；　we　found　it　would　be　best　to　make　the　work　complete。　
This　will　reclaim　and　make　productive　the　vast　areas　of　Siberia
and　the　northern　part　of　this　continent；　and　will　do　much　for　the
antarctic　regions；　but　there　will　still　be　change　in　temperature；
a　wind　blowing　towards　the　equator　will　always　be　colder　than　one
blowing　from　it；　while　the　slight　eccentricity　of　the　orbit　will
supply　enough　change　to　awaken　recollections　of　seasons　in　our
eternal　spring。
　　　
〃The　way　to　accomplish　this　is　to　increase　the　weight　of　the　pole
leaving　the　sun；　by　increasing　the　amount　of　material　there　for
the　sun　to　attract；　and　to　lighten　the　pole　approaching　or
turning　towards　the　sun；　by　removing　some　heavy　substance　from
it；　and　putting　it　preferably　at　the　opposite　pole。　　This
shifting　of　ballast　is　most　easily　accomplished；　as　you　will
readily　perceive；　by　confining　and　removing　water；　which　is
easily　moved　and　has　a　considerable　weight。　　How　we　purpose　to
apply　these　aqueous　brakes　to　check　the　wabbling　of　the　earth；　by
means　of　the　attraction　of　the　sun；　you　will　now　see。
　　　
〃From　Commander　Fillmore；　of　the　Arctic　Shade　and　the　Committee
on　Bulkheads　and　Dams；　I　have　just　received　the　following　by
cable　telephone：　'The　Arctic　Ocean　is　now　in　condition　to　be
pumped　out　in　summer　and　to　have　its　average　depth　increased　one
hundred　feet　by　the　dams　in　winter。　　We　have　already　fifty
million　square　yards　of　windmill　turbine　surface　in　position　and
ready　to　move。　　The　cables　bringing　us　currents　from　the　dynamos
at　Niagara　Falls　are　connected　with　our　motors；　and　those　from
the　tidal　dynamos　at　the　Bay　of　Fundy　will　be　in　contact　when
this　reaches　you；　at　which　moment　the　pumps　will　begin。　　In
several　of　the　landlocked　gulfs　and　bays　our　system　of　confining
is　so　complete；　that　the　surface　of　the　water　can　be　raised　two
hundred　feet　above　sea…　level。　　The　polar　bears　will　soon　have　to
use　artificial　ice。　　Perhaps　the　cheers　now　ringing　without　may
reach　you　over　the　telephone。'〃
　　　
The　audience　became　greatly　interested；　and　when　the　end　of　the
telephone　was　applied　to　a　microphone　the　room　fairly　rang　with
exultant　cheers；　and　those　looking　through