The Brick Moon, and Other StoriesHale, Edward Everett
Science
The Brick Moon, and Other Stories
Hale, Edward Everett
Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
Here it is that I regret most of all that I cannot
print the working-drawings with this paper. If you will
cut open the seed-vessel of Spergularia Rubra, or any
other carpel that has a free central placenta, and
observe how the circular seeds cling around the circular
centre, you will have some idea of the arrangement of a
transverse horizontal section of the completed MOON. Lay
three croquet-balls on the piazza, and call one or two of
the children to help you poise seven in one plane above
the three; then let another child place three more above
the seven, and you have the CORE of the MOON
completely. If you want a more poetical illustration, it
was what Mr. Wordsworth calls a mass
"Of conglobated bubbles undissolved."
Any section through any diameter looked like an
immense rose-window, of six circles grouped round a
seventh. In truth, each of these sections would reveal
the existence of seven chambers in the moon,--each a
sphere itself,--whose arches gave solidity to the whole;
while yet, of the whole moon, the greater part was air.
In all there were thirteen of these moonlets, if I am so
to call them; though no one section, of course, would
reveal so many. Sustained on each side by their groined
arches, the surface of the whole moon was built over
them and under them,--simply two domes connected at the
bases. The chambers themselves were made lighter by
leaving large, round windows or open circles in the parts
of their vaults farthest from their points of contact, so
that each of them looked not unlike the outer sphere of
a Japanese ivory nest of concentric balls. You see
the object was to make a moon, which, when left to its
own gravity, should be fitly supported or braced within.
Dear George was sure that, by this constant repetition of
arches, we should with the least weight unite the
greatest strength. I believe it still, and experience
has proved that there is strength enough.
When I went up to No. 9, on my return from South
America, I found the lower centring up, and half full of
the working-bees,--who were really Keltic laborers,--all
busy in bringing up the lower half-dome of the shell.
This lower centring was of wood, in form exactly like a
Roman amphitheatre if the seats of it be circular; on
this the lower or inverted brick dome was laid. The
whole fabric was on one of the terraces which were heaved
up in some old geological cataclysm, when some lake gave
way, and the Carrotook River was born. The level was
higher than that of the top of the fly-wheels, which,
with an awful velocity now, were circling in their wild
career in the ravine below. Three of the lowest
moonlets, as I have called them,--separate croquet-balls,
if you take my other illustration,--had been completed;
their centrings had been taken to pieces and drawn out
through the holes, and were now set up again with other
new centrings for the second story of cells.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account