Путешествие на Луну
History of the Cannon
Inaddition,itisexcellentasamaterial,andIwellrememberthatduringthewar,atthesiegeofAtlanta,someirongunsfiredonethousandroundsatintervalsoftwentyminuteswithoutinjury."
"Castironisverybrittle,though,"repliedMorgan.
"Yes,butitpossessesgreatresistance.Iwillnowaskourworthysecretarytocalculatetheweightofacast-irongunwithaboreofninefeetandathicknessofsixfeetofmetal."
"Inamoment,"repliedMaston.Then,dashingoffsomealgebraicalformulaewithmarvelousfacility,inaminuteortwohedeclaredthefollowingresult:
"Thecannonwillweigh68,040tons.And,attwocentsapound,itwillcost——"
"Twomillionfivehundredandtenthousandsevenhundredandonedollars."
Maston,themajor,andthegeneralregardedBarbicanewithuneasylooks.
"Well,gentlemen,"repliedthepresident,"IrepeatwhatIsaidyesterday.Makeyourselveseasy;themillionswillnotbewanting."
Withthisassuranceoftheirpresidentthecommitteeseparated,afterhavingfixedtheirthirdmeetingforthefollowingevening.
