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It can be understood by supposing a gun to be loaded with powder and an iron rod longer than the barrel to be left on the charge. If the outer end of this rod were then placed against a tree, and the gun were fired, it is manifest that the gun would become the projectile, and be fired off of the rod backward or burst.
So, as I have said, I pointed my projectile straight up and let it shoot to the height of two miles. I centered the picture of the city on the crossed hairlines in the middle of my viewpoint, and watched its image grow.
Thirty-five hours later there was such a dinner-party at the White House, Washington, as eclipsed all the previous glories even of American hospitality. Nothing was ever seen of the projectile which "The Pittsburg Prattler" had hurled into space. Not even the great Whernside reflector was able to pick it up.
At the moment, there was still the Platform to be gotten aloft. And there was plenty of work to do. There were two small rips in the plating, caused by fragments of the exploded truck. There were some bullet holes. The Platform could resist small meteorites at forty-five miles a second, but a high-velocity small-arm projectile could puncture it. Those scars of battle had to be welded shut.
They were quietly gazing at the rapidly shifting features of the wondrous view unrolling itself beneath them, and were silently wondering what was to come next, when, suddenly, the Projectile passed the dividing line. The Sun and Moon instantly vanished from view. The next moment, without the slightest warning the travellers found themselves plunged in an ocean of the most appalling darkness!
Sometimes even Staff officers may hesitate before deciding whether they are enemy guns or French guns. As a rule, the civilian distinguishes an enemy shot by the sizzling, affrighting sound of the projectile as it rushes through the air towards him; whereas the French projectile, rushing away from him, is out of hearing before the noise of the gun's explosion has left his ears.
"We'll have to travel through space pretty fast in order to cover thirty-five millions of miles," observed Jack, stopping in his work of helping rivet some of the plates. "About how fast will we have to go, Mr. Roumann?" "I have it all figured out," replied the German. "I hope our projectile will stand it," remarked Mr. Henderson. "We did not have to make such terrific speed on our other voyages."
Not until their lights were no longer discernible did I venture to flash my little lamp upon my compass, and then I found to my consternation that a fragment of the projectile had utterly destroyed my only guide, as well as my speedometer.
He also remarked that if the projectile did not reach its destination, a result absolutely impossible, it was evident that it would fall on to the earth again, and that the fall of such a mass multiplied by the square of its velocity would singularly damage some point on the globe.
"Oh, but we'll be back home I mean in the projectile long before that," declared Jack. "I wish I was sure of that," murmured Andy with a dubious shake of his head. "Well, let's move on again," suggested Jack. "We feel better now, and maybe we'll have better luck." They started off, tramping over the rugged surface of the moon, while the sun shone with tepid heat down on them.
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