The Passenger of the Atlanta

           Ifthisastoundingnews,insteadofflyingthroughtheelectricwires,hadsimplyarrivedbypostintheordinarysealedenvelope,Barbicanewouldnothavehesitatedamoment.Hewouldhaveheldhistongueaboutit,bothasameasureofprudence,andinordernottohavetoreconsiderhisplans.Thistelegrammightbeacoverforsomejest,especiallyasitcamefromaFrenchman.Whathumanbeingwouldeverhaveconceivedtheideaofsuchajourney?and,ifsuchapersonreallyexisted,hemustbeanidiot,whomonewouldshutupinalunaticward,ratherthanwithinthewallsoftheprojectile.

           Thecontentsofthedispatch,however,speedilybecameknown;forthetelegraphicofficialspossessedbutlittlediscretion,andMichelArdan’spropositionranatoncethroughouttheseveralStatesoftheUnion.Barbicane,had,therefore,nofurthermotivesforkeepingsilence.Consequently,hecalledtogethersuchofhiscolleaguesaswereatthemomentinTampaTown,andwithoutanyexpressionofhisownopinionssimplyreadtothemthelaconictextitself.Itwasreceivedwitheverypossiblevarietyofexpressionsofdoubt,incredulity,andderisionfromeveryone,withtheexceptionofJ.T.Maston,whoexclaimed,"Itisagrandidea,however!"

           WhenBarbicaneoriginallyproposedtosendashottothemooneveryonelookedupontheenterpriseassimpleandpracticableenough—amerequestionofgunnery;butwhenaperson,professingtobeareasonablebeing,offeredtotakepassagewithintheprojectile,thewholethingbecameafarce,or,inplainerlanguageahumbug.