CAPES

XIV. A NIGHT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR HOURS AND A HALF

XV. HYPERBOLA OR PARABOLA

XVI. THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

XVII. TYCHO

XVIII. GRAVE QUESTIONS

XIX. A STRUGGLE WITH THE IMPOSSIBLE

XX. THE SOUNDINGS OF THE SUSQUEHANNA

XXI. J.T. MASTON CALLED IN

XXII. PICKED UP

XXIII. THE END

* * * * *

FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON.

* * * * *

CHAPTER I.

THE GUN CLUB.

During the Federal war in the United States a new and very influential
club was established in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. It is well
known with what energy the military instinct was developed amongst that
nation of shipowners, shopkeepers, and mechanics. Mere tradesmen jumped
their counters to become extempore captains, colonels, and generals
without having passed the Military School at West Point; they soon
rivalled their colleagues of the old continent, and, like them, gained
victories by dint of lavishing bullets, millions, and men.

But where Americans singularly surpassed Europeans was in the science of
ballistics, or of throwing massive weapons by the use of an engine; not
that their arms attained a higher degree of perfection, but they were of
unusual dimensions, and consequently of hitherto unknown ranges. The
English, French, and Prussians have nothing to learn about flank,
running, enfilading, or point-blank firing; but their cannon, howitzers,
and mortars are mere pocket-pistols compared with the formidable engines
of American artillery.

This fact ought to astonish no one. The Yankees, the first mechanicians
in the world, are born engineers, just as Italians are musicians and
Germans metaphysicians. Thence nothing more natural than to see them
bring their audacious ingenuity to bear on the science of ballistics.
Hence those gigantic cannon, much less useful than sewing-machines, but
quite as astonishing, and much more admired. The marvels of this style
by Parrott, Dahlgren, and Rodman are well known. There was nothing left
the Armstrongs, Pallisers, and Treuille de Beaulieux but to bow before
their transatlantic rivals.

Therefore during the terrible struggle between Northerners and
Southerners, artillerymen were in great request; the Union newspapers
published their inventions with enthusiasm, and there was no little
tradesman nor _naif_ "booby" who did not bother his head day and night
with calculations about impossible trajecto