Путешествие на Луну
Effect of the President’s Communication
Thecrowdgraduallydesertedthesquaresandstreets.ThefourrailwaysfromPhiladelphiaandWashington,HarrisburgandWheeling,whichconvergeatBaltimore,whirledawaytheheterogeneouspopulationtothefourcornersoftheUnitedStates,andthecitysubsidedintocomparativetranquility.
Onthefollowingday,thankstothetelegraphicwires,fivehundrednewspapersandjournals,daily,weekly,monthly,orbi-monthly,alltookupthequestion.Theyexamineditunderallitsdifferentaspects,physical,meteorological,economical,ormoral,uptoitsbearingsonpoliticsorcivilization.Theydebatedwhetherthemoonwasafinishedworld,orwhetheritwasdestinedtoundergoanyfurthertransformation.Diditresembletheearthattheperiodwhenthelatterwasdestituteasyetofanatmosphere?Whatkindofspectaclewoulditshiddenhemispherepresenttoourterrestrialspheroid?Grantingthatthequestionatpresentwassimplythatofsendingaprojectileuptothemoon,everyonemustseethatthatinvolvedthecommencementofaseriesofexperiments.AllmusthopethatsomedayAmericawouldpenetratethedeepestsecretsofthatmysteriousorb;andsomeevenseemedtofearlestitsconquestshouldnotsensiblyderangetheequilibriumofEurope.
Theprojectonceunderdiscussion,notasingleparagraphsuggestedadoubtofitsrealization
