Путешествие на Луну
The Fete of the Casting
NoonewasadmittedwithintheenclosureexceptadelegationofmembersoftheGunClub,whohadmadethevoyagetoTampaTown.AmongthesewasthebriskBilsby,TomHunter,ColonelBlomsberry,MajorElphinstone,GeneralMorgan,andtherestofthelottowhomthecastingoftheColumbiadwasamatterofpersonalinterest.J.T.Mastonbecametheircicerone.Heomittednopointofdetail;heconductedthemthroughoutthemagazines,workshops,throughthemidstoftheengines,andcompelledthemtovisitthewhole1,200furnacesoneaftertheother.Attheendofthetwelve-hundredthvisittheywereprettywellknockedup.
Thecastingwastotakeplaceattwelveo’clockprecisely.Thepreviouseveningeachfurnacehadbeenchargedwith114,000poundsweightofmetalinbarsdisposedcross-waystoeachother,soastoallowthehotairtocirculatefreelybetweenthem.Atdaybreakthe1,200chimneysvomitedtheirtorrentsofflameintotheair,andthegroundwasagitatedwithdulltremblings.Asmanypoundsofmetalasthereweretocast,somanypoundsofcoalweretheretoburn.Thustherewere68,000tonsofcoalwhichprojectedinthefaceofthesunathickcurtainofsmoke.Theheatsoonbecameinsupportablewithinthecircleoffurnaces,therumblingofwhichresembledtherollingofthunder.Thepowerfulventilatorsaddedtheircontinuousblastsandsaturatedwithoxygentheglowingplates.Theoperation,tobesuccessful,requiredtobeconductedwithgreatrapidity.
