Первые люди на Луне
Chapter 3 — The Building of the sphere
Decemberpassed,January—Ispentadaywithabroomsweepingapaththroughthesnowfrombungalowtolaboratory—February,March.BytheendofMarchthecompletionwasinsight.InJanuaryhadcomeateamofhorses,ahugepacking-case;wehadourthickglassspherenowready,andinpositionunderthecranewehadriggedtoslingitintothesteelshell.Allthebarsandblindsofthesteelshell—itwasnotreallyasphericalshell,butpolyhedral,witharollerblindtoeachfacet—hadarrivedbyFebruary,andthelowerhalfwasboltedtogether.TheCavoritewashalfmadebyMarch,themetallicpastehadgonethroughtwoofthestagesinitsmanufacture,andwehadplasteredquitehalfofitontothesteelbarsandblinds.ItwasastonishinghowcloselywekepttothelinesofCavor’sfirstinspirationinworkingoutthescheme.Whentheboltingtogetherofthespherewasfinished,heproposedtoremovetheroughroofofthetemporarylaboratoryinwhichtheworkwasdone,andbuildafurnaceaboutit.SothelaststageofCavoritemaking,inwhichthepasteisheatedtoadullredglowinastreamofhelium,wouldbeaccomplishedwhenitwasalreadyonthesphere.
Andthenwehadtodiscussanddecidewhatprovisionsweweretotake—compressedfoods,concentratedessences,steelcylinderscontainingreserveoxygen,anarrangementforremovingcarbonicacidandwastefromtheairandrestoringoxygenbymeansofsodiumperoxide,watercondensers,andsoforth.Irememberthelittleheaptheymadeinthecorner—tins,androlls,andboxes—convincinglymatter-of-fact.
