human
My dear colleagues, said Barbicane, without further preamble,
gpt
There's the difficulty,
human
True, replied the president;
gpt
Now, up to the present time, said Barbicane,
human
Quite so, said the major.
gpt
What is the rule in such a case?
human
Ordinarily the length of a gun is 20 to 25 times the diameter of the shot, and its weight 235 to 240 times that of the shot.
gpt
That is not enough,
human
I agree with you, my good friend; and, in fact, following this proportion for a projectile nine feet in diameter, weighing 30,000 lbs., the gun would only have a length of 225 feet, and a weight of 7,200,000 lbs.
gpt
Ridiculous! rejoined Maston.
human
As well take a pistol.
gpt
I think so too, replied Barbicane;
human
But, said Elphinstone,
gpt
A thickness of six feet,
human
You surely don't think of mounting a mass like that upon a carriage?
gpt
It would be a superb idea, though,
human
But impracticable, replied Barbicane.
gpt
No; I think of sinking this engine in the earth alone, binding it with hoops of wrought iron, and finally surrounding it with a thick mass of masonry of stone and cement. The piece once cast, it must be bored with great precision, so as to preclude any possible windage. So there will be no loss whatever of gas, and all the expansive force of the powder will be employed in the propulsion.
human
One simple question, said Elphinstone:
gpt
No, certainly not, replied Barbicane;
human
True,
gpt
Gentlemen, said Barbicane,
human
There is no doubt about that, replied the major;
gpt
Well, then, said Morgan,
human
I propose the best alloy hitherto known, which consists of 100 parts of copper, 12 of tin, and 6 of brass.
gpt
I admit, replied the president,
human
I quite agree with you,
gpt
In fact, continued Barbicane,
human
Cast iron is very brittle, though,
gpt
Yes, but it possesses great resistance. I will now ask our worthy secretary to calculate the weight of a cast-iron gun with a bore of nine feet and a thickness of six feet of metal.
human
In a moment,
gpt
The cannon will weigh 68,040 tons. And, at two cents a pound, it will cost—?
human
Well, gentlemen, replied the president,
gpt
I repeat what I said yesterday. Make yourselves easy; the millions will not be wanting.