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History of the Cannon
"Whatistheruleinsuchacase?"
"Ordinarilythelengthofagunistwentytotwenty-fivetimesthediameteroftheshot,anditsweighttwohundredandthirty-fivetotwohundredandfortytimesthatoftheshot."
"Thatisnotenough,"criedJ.T.Mastonimpetuously.
"Iagreewithyou,mygoodfriend;and,infact,followingthisproportionforaprojectileninefeetindiameter,weighing30,000pounds,thegunwouldonlyhavealengthoftwohundredandtwenty-fivefeet,andaweightof7,200,000pounds."
"Ridiculous!"rejoinedMaston."Aswelltakeapistol."
"Ithinksotoo,"repliedBarbicane;"thatiswhyIproposetoquadruplethatlength,andtoconstructagunofninehundredfeet."
Thegeneralandthemajorofferedsomeobjections;nevertheless,theproposition,activelysupportedbythesecretary,wasdefinitelyadopted.
"But,"saidElphinstone,"whatthicknessmustwegiveit?"
"Athicknessofsixfeet,"repliedBarbicane.
"Yousurelydon’tthinkofmountingamasslikethatuponacarriage?"askedthemajor.
"Itwouldbeasuperbidea,though,"saidMaston.
"Butimpracticable,"repliedBarbicane."No,Ithinkofsinkingthisengineintheearthalone,bindingitwithhoopsofwroughtiron,andfinallysurroundingitwithathickmassofmasonryofstoneandcement.Thepieceoncecast,itmustbeboredwithgreatprecision,soastoprecludeanypossiblewindage.Sotherewillbenolosswhateverofgas,andalltheexpansiveforceofthepowderwillbeemployedinthepropulsion."
