A Journey in Other Worlds [36]
who
evidently telephoned to the arctic Signal Light immediately, for
it flashed back: "Got your message perfectly. Wish you greatest
luck. The T. A. S. Co. has decked the Callisto's pedestal with
flowers, and has ordered a tablet set up on the site to
commemorate your celestial journey."
At that moment the shadow swept by, and they were in the full
blaze of cloudless day. The change was so great that for a
moment they were obliged to close their eyes. The polished sides
of the Callisto shone so brightly that they knew they were easily
seen. The power temporarily diverted in sending them the message
then returned to the work of draining the Arctic Ocean, which, as
the north pole was now returning to the sun, was the thing to do,
and the travellers resumed their study of the heavenly bodies.
CHAPTER II.
SPACE AND MARS.
Never before had the travellers observed the stars and planets
under such favourable conditions. No air or clouds intervened,
and as the Callisto did not revolve on its axis there was no
necessity for changing the direction of the glasses. After an
hour of this interesting work, however, as it was already late at
the longitude they had left on earth, and as they knew they had
many days in space before them, they prepared to go to bed. When
ready, they had only to pull down the shades; for, as apergy was
not applied to them, but only to the Callisto, they still looked
upon the floor as down, and closed the heavy curtains to have
night or darkness. They found that the side of the Callisto
turned constantly towards the sun was becoming very warm, the
double-toughened glass windows making it like a greenhouse; but
they consoled themselves with the thought that the sun's power on
them was hourly becoming less, and they felt sure the double
walls and thick upholstery would protect them almost anywhere
within the solar system from the intense cold of space.
"We could easily have arranged," said Ayrault, for night and day
on alternate sides of the Callisto by having strips of metal
arranged spirally on the outside as on the end of an arrow.
These would have started us turning as slowly as we like, since
we passed through the atmosphere at a comparatively low rate of
speed."
"I am afraid," said Cortlandt, "the motion, however slow, would
have made us dizzy. It would be confusing to see the heavens
turning about us, and it would interfere with using the glasses."
The base and one side of the Callisto had constant sunshine,
while the other side and the dome were in the blackest night.
This dome, on account of its shape, sky windows, and the
completeness with which it could be isolated, was an ideal
observatory, and there was seldom a time during their waking
hours for the rest of the journey when it was not occupied by
one, two, or all the observers.
"There is something marvellous," said Cortlandt, "about the
condition of space. Its absolute cold is appalling, apparently
because there is nothing to absorb heat; yet we find the base of
this material projectile uncomfortably warm, though, should we
expose a thermometer in the shade in front, we know it would show
a temperature of three hundred to four hundred degrees below
zero--were the instrument capable of recording it."
Artificial darkness having been obtained, the travellers were
soon asleep, Bearwarden's dreams being regaled with thoughts of
his company's triumph; Ayrault's, naturally, with visions of
Sylvia; while Cortlandt frequently started up, thinking he had
already made some great astronomical discovery.
About 9 A. M., according to seventy-fifth meridian time, the
explorers awoke feeling greatly refreshed. The tank in which the
liquefied oxygen was kept automatically gave off its gas so
evenly that the air remained normal, while the lime contained in
cups absorbed the carbon dioxide as fast as they exhaled it.
They had darkened those windows through which the sun was
actually pouring,
evidently telephoned to the arctic Signal Light immediately, for
it flashed back: "Got your message perfectly. Wish you greatest
luck. The T. A. S. Co. has decked the Callisto's pedestal with
flowers, and has ordered a tablet set up on the site to
commemorate your celestial journey."
At that moment the shadow swept by, and they were in the full
blaze of cloudless day. The change was so great that for a
moment they were obliged to close their eyes. The polished sides
of the Callisto shone so brightly that they knew they were easily
seen. The power temporarily diverted in sending them the message
then returned to the work of draining the Arctic Ocean, which, as
the north pole was now returning to the sun, was the thing to do,
and the travellers resumed their study of the heavenly bodies.
CHAPTER II.
SPACE AND MARS.
Never before had the travellers observed the stars and planets
under such favourable conditions. No air or clouds intervened,
and as the Callisto did not revolve on its axis there was no
necessity for changing the direction of the glasses. After an
hour of this interesting work, however, as it was already late at
the longitude they had left on earth, and as they knew they had
many days in space before them, they prepared to go to bed. When
ready, they had only to pull down the shades; for, as apergy was
not applied to them, but only to the Callisto, they still looked
upon the floor as down, and closed the heavy curtains to have
night or darkness. They found that the side of the Callisto
turned constantly towards the sun was becoming very warm, the
double-toughened glass windows making it like a greenhouse; but
they consoled themselves with the thought that the sun's power on
them was hourly becoming less, and they felt sure the double
walls and thick upholstery would protect them almost anywhere
within the solar system from the intense cold of space.
"We could easily have arranged," said Ayrault, for night and day
on alternate sides of the Callisto by having strips of metal
arranged spirally on the outside as on the end of an arrow.
These would have started us turning as slowly as we like, since
we passed through the atmosphere at a comparatively low rate of
speed."
"I am afraid," said Cortlandt, "the motion, however slow, would
have made us dizzy. It would be confusing to see the heavens
turning about us, and it would interfere with using the glasses."
The base and one side of the Callisto had constant sunshine,
while the other side and the dome were in the blackest night.
This dome, on account of its shape, sky windows, and the
completeness with which it could be isolated, was an ideal
observatory, and there was seldom a time during their waking
hours for the rest of the journey when it was not occupied by
one, two, or all the observers.
"There is something marvellous," said Cortlandt, "about the
condition of space. Its absolute cold is appalling, apparently
because there is nothing to absorb heat; yet we find the base of
this material projectile uncomfortably warm, though, should we
expose a thermometer in the shade in front, we know it would show
a temperature of three hundred to four hundred degrees below
zero--were the instrument capable of recording it."
Artificial darkness having been obtained, the travellers were
soon asleep, Bearwarden's dreams being regaled with thoughts of
his company's triumph; Ayrault's, naturally, with visions of
Sylvia; while Cortlandt frequently started up, thinking he had
already made some great astronomical discovery.
About 9 A. M., according to seventy-fifth meridian time, the
explorers awoke feeling greatly refreshed. The tank in which the
liquefied oxygen was kept automatically gave off its gas so
evenly that the air remained normal, while the lime contained in
cups absorbed the carbon dioxide as fast as they exhaled it.
They had darkened those windows through which the sun was
actually pouring,