Путешествие на Луну
Pickaxe and Trowel
OnthefirstofNovemberBarbicanequittedTampaTownwithadetachmentofworkmen;andonthefollowingdaythewholetownofhutswaserectedroundStonesHill.Thistheyenclosedwithpalisades;andinrespectofenergyandactivity,itmighthavebeenmistakenforoneofthegreatcitiesoftheUnion.Everythingwasplacedunderacompletesystemofdiscipline,andtheworkswerecommencedinmostperfectorder.
Thenatureofthesoilhavingbeencarefullyexamined,bymeansofrepeatedborings,theworkofexcavationwasfixedforthe4thofNovember.
OnthatdayBarbicanecalledtogetherhisforemenandaddressedthemasfollows:"Youarewellaware,myfriends,oftheobjectwithwhichIhaveassembledyoutogetherinthiswildpartofFlorida.Ourbusinessistoconstructacannonmeasuringninefeetinitsinteriordiameter,sixfeetthick,andwithastonerevetmentofnineteenandahalffeetinthickness.Wehave,therefore,awellofsixtyfeetindiametertodigdowntoadepthofninehundredfeet.Thisgreatworkmustbecompletedwithineightmonths,sothatyouhave2,543,400cubicfeetofearthtoexcavatein255days;thatistosay,inroundnumbers,2,000cubicfeetperday.Thatwhichwouldpresentnodifficultytoathousandnavviesworkinginopencountrywillbeofcoursemoretroublesomeinacomparativelyconfinedspace.However,thethingmustbedone,andIreckonforitsaccomplishmentuponyourcourageasmuchasuponyourskill."
