Путешествие на Луну
One Enemy v. Twenty-Five Millions of Friends
Furtherstill,evenregardingthevelocitytobeacquired,andgrantingittobesufficient,theshellcouldnotresistthepressureofthegasdevelopedbytheignitionof1,600,000poundsofpowder;andsupposingittoresistthatpressure,itwouldbelessabletosupportthattemperature;itwouldmeltonquittingtheColumbiad,andfallbackinared-hotshowerupontheheadsoftheimprudentspectators.
Barbicanecontinuedhisworkwithoutregardingtheseattacks.
Nichollthentookupthequestioninitsotheraspects.Withouttouchinguponitsuselessnessinallpointsofview,heregardedtheexperimentasfraughtwithextremedanger,bothtothecitizens,whomightsanctionbytheirpresencesoreprehensibleaspectacle,andalsotothetownsintheneighborhoodofthisdeplorablecannon.Healsoobservedthatiftheprojectiledidnotsucceedinreachingitsdestination(aresultabsolutelyimpossible),itmustinevitablyfallbackupontheearth,andthattheshockofsuchamass,multipliedbythesquareofitsvelocity,wouldseriouslyendangereverypointoftheglobe.Underthecircumstances,therefore,andwithoutinterferingwiththerightsoffreecitizens,itwasacasefortheinterventionofGovernment,whichoughtnottoendangerthesafetyofallforthepleasureofoneindividual.
Inspiteofallhisarguments,however,CaptainNichollremainedaloneinhisopinion.Nobodylistenedtohim,andhedidnotsucceedinalienatingasingleadmirerfromthepresidentoftheGunClub
