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The Hymn of the Cannon-Ball
"No!Besogoodastolisten.Youknowthatopticalinstrumentshaveacquiredgreatperfection;withcertaininstrumentswehavesucceededinobtainingenlargementsof6,000timesandreducingthemoontowithinfortymiles’distance.Now,atthisdistance,anyobjectssixtyfeetsquarewouldbeperfectlyvisible.
"If,then,thepenetrativepoweroftelescopeshasnotbeenfurtherincreased,itisbecausethatpowerdetractsfromtheirlight;andthemoon,whichisbutareflectingmirror,doesnotgivebacksufficientlighttoenableustoperceiveobjectsoflessermagnitude."
"Well,then,whatdoyouproposetodo?"askedthegeneral."Wouldyougiveyourprojectileadiameterofsixtyfeet?"
"Notso."
"Doyouintend,then,toincreasetheluminouspowerofthemoon?"
"Exactlyso.IfIcansucceedindiminishingthedensityoftheatmospherethroughwhichthemoon’slighthastotravelIshallhaverenderedherlightmoreintense.Toeffectthatobjectitwillbeenoughtoestablishatelescopeonsomeelevatedmountain.Thatiswhatwewilldo."
"Igiveitup,"answeredthemajor."Youhavesuchawayofsimplifyingthings.Andwhatenlargementdoyouexpecttoobtaininthisway?"
"Oneof48,000times,whichshouldbringthemoonwithinanapparentdistanceoffivemiles;and,inordertobevisible,objectsneednothaveadiameterofmorethanninefeet."
"So,then,"criedJ.T.Maston,"ourprojectileneednotbemorethanninefeetindiameter."
