|
|
|
"From the Earth to the Moon" was written by Jules Verne in 1865, the year
that America's Civil War ended. Touched by the massive destruction he had read
about, Verne began to muse about the possibilities of using the destructive
technology of cannons and explosives in a more peaceful, unifying endeavor -- a
moon shot.
In post-bellum America, at the Baltimore Gun Club a group of irascible
artillery enthusiasts and military men (many with injuries and missing limbs),
gather to recall their military days. Their president, Impey Barbicane, suggests
they try an altogether new use of the technology of gunpowder -- shooting a
projectile to the moon! The idea is greeted with enthusiasm, and the project
rapidly gets under way.
When all plans are nearly complete, the Gun Club receives a telegram from
Paris. An adventurer named Michel Ardan offers to ride in the shell all the way
to the moon. He is soon joined in the adventure by President Barbicane and his
arch rival in gunnery expertise Captain Nicholl (who volunteers to accompany
them just to witness the fact that it won't work!) The shell is equipped with
tufted watts and other touches of comfort, and the day is set.
The book ends with the firing of the gun. Would the space travelers be heard
from again? That question would be answered in the book's sequel -- "Around
the Moon." Firing auxiliary rockets, the trio breaks out of orbit around
the moon and floats back to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
Click here to return to UltimateOrlando.com, your unflinching review of everything there is for a tourist to do in Orlando - even beyond theme parks!
|
