a journey in other worlds-第5节

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perpendicular　and　swing　the　other　way。　　When　this　motion　is
completely　arrested；　I　suggest　that　we　blow　up　the　Aleutian　Isles
and　enlarge　Bering　Strait；　so　as　to　allow　what　corresponds　to　the
Atlantic　Gulf　Stream　in　the　Pacific　to　enter　the　Arctic
Archipelago；　which　I　have　calculated　will　raise　the　average
temperature　of　that　entire　region　about　thirty　degrees；　thereby
still　further　increasing　the　amount　of　available　land。　
　　　
〃Ocean　currents；　being　the　result　of　the　prevailing　winds；　which
will　be　more　regular　than　at　present；　can　be　counted　upon　to
continue　practically　as　they　are。　　It　may　not　be　plain　to　you　why
the　trade　winds　do　not　blow　towards　the　equator　due　south　and
north；　since　the　equator　has　much　the　same　effect　on　air　that　a
stove　has　in　the　centre　of　a　room；　causing　an　ascending　current
towards　the　ceiling；　which　moves　off　in　straight　lines　in　all
directions　on　reaching　it；　its　place　being　taken　by　cold　currents
moving　in　opposite　directions　along　the　floor。　　Picture　to
yourselves　the　ascending　currents　at　the　equator　moving　off　to
the　poles　from　which　they　came。　　As　they　move　north　they　are
continually　coming　to　parts　of　the　globe　having　smaller　circles
of　latitude　than　those　they　have　left；　and　therefore　not　moved
forward　as　rapidly　by　the　earth's　daily　rotation　as　the　latitudes
nearer　the　equator。　　The　winds　consequently　run　ahead　of　the
surface；　and　so　move　east　of　norththe　earth　turning　towards　the
eastwhile　the　heavier　colder　surface　currents；　rushing　towards
the　equator　to　take　the　place　of　the　ascending　column；　coming
from　regions　where　the　surface　whirls　comparatively　slowly　to
those　where　it　is　rotating　faster；　are　continually　left　behind；
and　so　move　southwest；　while　south　of　the　equator　a　corresponding
motion　results。　　Though　this　is　not　the　most　exact　explanation；
it　may　serve　to　make　the　action　clear。　　I　will　add；　that　if　any
one　prefers　a　colder　or　a　warmer　climate　than　that　of　the　place
in　which　he　lives；　he　need　only　go　north　or　south　for　an　hour；
or；　if　he　prefers　his　own　latitude；　he　can　rise　a　few　thousand
feet　in　the　air；　or　descend　to　one　of　the　worked…out　coal…mines
which　are　now　used　as　sanitariums；　and　secure　his　object　by　a
slight　change　of　altitude。　　Let　us　speed　the　departure　of　racking
changes　and　extremes　of　climate；　and　prepare　to　welcome　what　we
believe　prevails　in　paradisenamely；　everlasting　spring。〃
　　　
Appended　to　the　address　was　the　report　of　the　Government
Examining　Committee；　which　ran：　　〃We　have　critically　examined　the
Terrestrial　Axis　Straightening　Company's　figures　and
calculations；　also　its　statements　involving　natural　philosophy；
physics；　and　astronomy；　all　of　which　we　find　correct；　and　hereby
approve。
　　　
＇Signed＇　　　　　　　　〃For　the　Committee：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃HENRY　CHELMSFORD　CORTLANDT；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Chairman。〃

　　　
The　Board　of　Directors　having　ratified　the　acts　of　its　officers；
and　passed　congratulatory　resolutions；　the　meeting　adjourned　sine
die。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　IV。

　　　PROF。　CORTLANDT'S　HISTORICAL　SKETCH　OF　THE　WORLD

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IN　A。　D。　2000。


Prof。　Cortlandt；　preparing　a　history　of　the　times　at　the
beginning　of　the　great　terrestrial　and　astronomical　change；　wrote
as　follows：　　〃This　periodA。D。　2000is　by　far　the　most
wonderful　the　world　has　as　yet　seen。　　The　advance　in　scientific
knowledge　and　attainment　within　the　memory；　of　the　present
generation　has　been　so　stupendous　that　it　completely　overshadows
all　that　has　preceded。　　All　times　in　history　and　all　periods　of
the　world　have　been　remarkable　for　some　distinctive　or
characteristic　trait。　　The　feature　of　the　period　of　Louis　XIV　was
the　splendour　of　the　court　and　the　centralization　of　power　in
Paris。　　The　year　1789　marked　the　decline　of　the　power　of　courts
and　the　evolution　of　government　by　the　people。　　So；　by　the　spread
of　republican　ideas　and　the　great　advance　in　science；　education
has　become　universal；　for　women　as　well　as　for　men；　and　this　is
more　than　ever　a　mechanical　age。
　　　
〃With　increased　knowledge　we　are　constantly　coming　to　realize　how
little　we　really　know；　and　are　also　continually　finding
manifestations　of　forces　that　at　first　seem　like　exceptions　to
established　laws。　　This　is；　of　course；　brought　about　by　the
modifying　influence　of　some　other　natural　law；　though　many　of
these　we　have　not　yet　discovered。
　　　
〃Electricity　in　its　varied　forms　does　all　work；　having　superseded
animal　and　manual　labour　in　everything；　and　man　has　only　to
direct。　　The　greatest　ingenuity　next　to　finding　new　uses　for　this
almost　omnipotent　fluid　has　been　displayed　in　inducing　the　forces
of　Nature；　and　even　the　sun；　to　produce　it。　　Before　describing
the　features　of　this　perfection　of　civilization；　let　us　review
the　steps　by　which　society　and　the　political　world　reached　their
present　state。
　　　
〃At　the　close　of　the　Franco…Prussian　War；　in　1871；　Continental
Europe　entered　upon　the　condition　of　an　armed　camp；　which　lasted
for　nearly　half　a　century。　　The　primary　cause　of　this　was　the
mutual　dislike　and　jealousy　of　France　and　Germany；　each　of　which
strove　to　have　a　larger　and　better　equipped　national　defence　than
the　other。　　There　were　also　many　other　causes；　as　the　ambition　of
the　Russian　Czar；　supported　by　his　country's　vast　though
imperfectly　developed　resources　and　practically　unlimited　supply
of　men；　one　phase　of　which　was　the　constant　ferment　in　the　Balkan
Peninsula；　and　another　Russia's　schemes　for　extension　in　Asia；
another　was　the　general　desire　for　colonies　in　Africa；　in　which
one　Continental　power　pretty　effectually　blocked　another；　and　the
latent　distrust　inside　the　Triple　Alliance。　　England；　meanwhile；
preserved　a　wise　and　profitable　neutrality。
　　　
〃These　tremendous　sacrifices　for　armaments；　both　on　land　and
water；　had　far…reaching　results；　and；　as　we　see　it　now；　were
clouds　with　silver　linings。　　The　demand　for　hardened　steel
projectiles；　nickel…steel　plates；　and　light　and　almost
unbreakable　machinery；　was　a　great　incentive　to　improvement　in
metallurgy　while　the　necessity　for　compact　and　safely　carried
ammunition　greatly　stimulated　chemical　research；　and　led　to　the
discovery　of　explosives　whose　powers　no　obstacle　can　resist；　and
incidentally　to　other　more　useful　things。
　　　
〃Further　mechanical　and　scientific　progress；　however；　such　as
flying　machines　provided　with　these　high　explosives；　and
asphyxiating　bombs　containing　compressed　gas　that　could　be　fired
from　guns　or　dropped　from　the　air；　intervened。　　The　former　would
have　laid　every　city　in　the　dust；　and　the　latter　might　have
almost　exterminated　the　race。　　These　discoveries　providentially
prevented　hostilities；　so　that　the　'Great　War；'　so　long　expected；
never　came；　and　the　rival　nations　had　their　pains　for　nothing；
or；　rather；　for　others　than　themselves。
　　　
〃Let　us　now　　examine　the　political　and　ethnological　results。　
Hundreds　of　thousands；　of　the　flower　of　Continental　Europe　were
killed　by　overwork　and　short　rations；　and　millions　of　desirable
and　oftenunfortunately　for　usundesirable　people　were　driven
to　emigration；　nearly　all　of　whom　came　to　English…speaking
territory；　greatly　increasing　our　productiveness　and　power。　　As；
we　have　seen；　the　jealousy　of　the　Continental　powers　for　one
another　effectually　prevented　their　extending　their　influence　or
protectorates　to　other　continents；　which　jealousy　was
considerably　aided　by　the　small　but　destructive　wars　that　did
take　place。　　High　taxes　also　made　it　more　difficult　for　the
moneyed　men　to　invest　in　colonizing　or　development　companies；
which　are　so　often　the　forerunners　of　absorption；　while　the
United　States；　with　her　coalof　which　the　Mediterranean　states
have　scarcely　anyother　resources；　and　low　taxes；　which；　though
necessary；　can　be　nothing　but　an　evil；　has　been　able　to　expand
naturally　as　no　other　nation　ever　has　before。
　　　
〃This　has　given　the　English…speakers；　especially　the　United
States；　a　free　hand；　rendering　enforcement　of　the　Monroe　doctrine
easy；　and　started　English　a　long　way　towards　becoming　the
universal　language；　while　all　formerly　unoccupied　land　is　now
owned　by　those　speaking　it。
　　　
〃At　the　close　of　our　civil　war；　in　1865；　we　had　but　3；000；000
square　miles；　and　a　population　of　34；000；000。　　The　country
staggered　beneath　a　colossal　debt　of　over　　4；000；000；000；　had　an
expensive　but　essentially　perishable　navy；　and　there　was　an
ominous　feeling　between　the　sections。　　The　purchase　of　Alaska　in
1867；　by　which　we　added　over　half　a　million　square　miles　to　our
territory；　marked　the　resumption　of　the　forward　march　of　the
United　States。　　Twenty…five　years　later；　at　the　presidential
campaign　of　1892；　the　debt　had　been　reduced　to　900；000；000；
deducting　the　sinking　fund；　and　the　charge　for　pensions　had　about
reached　its　maximum　and　soon　began　to　decrease；　though　no　one
objected　to　any　amount　of　reward　for　bona　fide　soldiers　who　had
helped　to　save　the　country。　　The　country's　wealth　had　also
enormously　increased；　while　the　population　had　grown　to
65；000；000。　　Our　ancestors　had；　completed　or　in　building；　a　navy
of　which　no　nation　need　be　ashamed；　and；　though　occasionally
marred　by　hard　times；　there　was　general　prosperity。