CHAPTER XXIV
THE FRENCHMAN'S NEW SCHEME
After the disappearance of Mt. Everest, Cosmo Versal made a carefulmeasurement of the depth of water on the peak, which he found to beforty feet, and then decided to cruise eastward with the Ark, sailingslowly, and returning after a month to see whether by that time therewould be any indications of the reappearance of land.
No part of his extraordinary theory of the deluge was morerevolutionary, or scientifically incredible, than this idea that thecontinents would gradually emerge again, owing to internal stresses setup in the crust of the earth.
This, he anticipated, would be caused by the tremendous pressure of thewater, which must be ten or twelve miles deep over the greatestdepressions of the old ocean-bottoms. He expected that geologicalmovements would attend the intrusion of the water into subterraneancavities and into the heated magma under volcanic regions.
He often debated the question with the savants aboard the Ark, and,despite their incredulity, he persisted in his opinion. He could not beshaken, either, in his belief that the first land to emerge would be theHimalayas, the Pamirs, and the plateau of Tibet.
"We may have to wait some years before any considerable area isexposed," he admitted, "but it must not be forgotten that what land doesfirst appear above the water will lie at the existing sea-level, andwill have an oceanic climate, suitable for the rapid development ofplants.
"We have aboard all things needed for quick cultivation, and in oneseason we could begin to raise crops."
"But at first," said Professor Jeremiah Moses, "only mountain tops willemerge, and how can you expect to cultivate them?"
"There is every probability," replied Cosmo, "that even the rocks of amountain will be sufficiently friable after their submergence to bereadily reduced to the state of soil, especially with the aid of thechemical agents which I have brought along, and I have no fear that Icould not, in a few weeks, make even the top of Everest fertile.
"I anticipate, in fact, that it will be on that very summit that weshall begin the re-establishment of the race. Then, as the plateausbelow come to the surface, we can gradually descend and enlarge thefield of our operations."
"Suppose Everest should be turned into a volcano?"
"That cannot happen," said Cosmo. "A volcano is built up by theextrusion of lava and cinders from below, and these cannot break forthat the top of a mountain already formed, especially when that mountainhas no volcanic chimney and no crater, and Everest had neither."
"If the lowering of the flood that caused our stranding on a mountaintop in Sicily was due to the absorption of water into the interior ofthe crust, why may not that occur again, and thus bring the Himalayasinto view, without any rising on their part?" demanded Professor Moses.
"I think," said Cosmo, "that all the water that could enter the crusthas already done so, during the time that the depression of level whichso surprised us was going on. Now we must wait for geologic changes,resulting from the gradual yielding of the internal mass to the newforces brought to bear upon it.
"As the whole earth has gained in _weight_ by the condensation of thenebula upon it, its plastic crust will proportionally gain in _girth_ byinternal expansion, which will finally bring all the old continents tothe surface, but Asia first of all."
Whether Cosmo Versal's hypotheses were right or wrong, he always had areply to any objection, and the prestige which he had gained by hisdisastrously correct theory about the watery nebula gave him anadvantage so enormous that nobody felt enough confidence in himself tostand long against anything that he might advance.
Accordingly, everybody in the Ark found himself looking forward to there-emergence of Mount Everest almost as confidently as did their leader,Cosmo Versal.
They began their waiting voyage by sailing across the plateau of Tibetand the lofty chain of the Yung-ling Mountains out over China.
The interest of all aboard was excited to the highest degree when theyfound themselves sailing over the mighty domains of the ChinesePresident-Emperor, who had developed an enormous power, making him theruler of the whole eastern world.
He, with his half-billion or more of subjects, now reposed at the bottomof an ocean varying from three to five or six miles in depth. Deepbeneath the Ark lay the broad and once populous valleys of theYangtse-Kiang and the Hoang-Ho, the "Scourge of China."
Finally they swung round northward and re-entered the region of Tibet,seeking once more the drowned crown of the world. In the meantime Cosmohad had the theatrical exhibitions and the concerts resumed in theevenings, and sometimes there was music, and even dancing on the longpromenades, open to the outer air.
Let not that be a matter of surprise or blame, for the spirit of joy inlife is unconquerable, as it should be if life is worth while. So ithappened that, not infrequently, and not with any blameworthy intention,or in any spirit of heartless forgetfulness, this remarkable company ofworld-wanderers drifted, in the moonlight, above the universal waterygrave of the drowned millions, with the harmonies of stringedinstruments stealing out upon the rippling waves, and the soft sound ofswiftly shuffling feet tripping over the smooth decks.
Costake Theriade and Sir Wilfrid Athelstone resumed their stormy effortsto talk each other down, but now even Cosmo was seldom a listener,except when he had to interfere to keep the peace.
King Richard and Amos Blank, however, usually heard them out, but it wasevident from their expressions that they enjoyed the prospectivefisticuffs rather more than the exposition of strange scientificdoctrines.
Perhaps the happiest man aboard was Captain Arms. At last he could makeas many and as certain observations as he chose, and he studied thecharts of Asia until he declared that now he knew the latitude andlongitude of the mountains better than he did those of the seaports ofthe old oceans.
He had not the least difficulty in finding the location of Mount Everestagain, and when he announced that they were floating over it, Cosmoimmediately prepared to make another measurement of the depth of wateron the peak. The result was hardly gratifying. He found that it haddiminished but four inches. He said to Captain Arms:
"The range is rising, but less rapidly than I hoped. Even if the presentrate should be doubled it would require five years for the emergence ofthe highest point. Instead of remaining in this part of the world weshall have an abundance of time to voyage round the earth, goingleisurely, and when we get back again perhaps there will be enough landvisible to give us a good start."
"Mr. Versal," said the captain, "you remember that you promised me thatI should drop my anchor on the head of Mount Everest if I worked atraverse across Beluchistan."
"Certainly I remember it; and also that you were not much disposed toundertake the task. However, you did it well, and I suppose that now youwant me to fulfill the bargain?"
"Exactly," replied the captain. "I'd just like to get a mud-hook in thetop-knot of the earth. I reckon that that'll lay over all the sea yarnsever spun."
"Very well," returned Cosmo. "Try it, if you've got cable enough."
"Enough and to spare," cried the captain, "and I'll have theGaurisankar, as the Frenchman calls it, hooked in a jiffy."
This was an operation which called everybody to the rails to watchit. Hundreds of eyes tried to follow the anchor as it descendedperpendicularly upon the mountain-top, nearly forty feet beneath.Through the clear water they could dimly see the dark outline of thesummit below, and they gazed at it with wonder, and a sort of terror.
Somehow they felt that never before had they fully appreciated the awfuldepths over which they had been floating. The anchor steadily droppeduntil it rested on the rock.
It got a hold finally, and in a few minutes the great vessel wasswinging slowly round, held by a cable whose grasp was upon the top ofthe world! When the sensation had been sufficiently enjoyed the anchorwas tripped, and the nose of the Ark was turned northwestward. CosmoVersal announced his intention to circumnavigate the drowned globe.
The news of what th
ey were about to do was both welcome and saddening tothe inmates of the vessel. They wished to pass once more over the landswhere they had first seen the light, and at the same time they dreadedthe memories that such a voyage would inevitably bring back withoverwhelming force. But, at any rate, it would be better than driftingfor years over Tibet and China.
While everybody else was discussing the prospects of the new voyage, andwondering how long it would last, Yves de Beauxchamps was concentratingall his attention upon a new project which had sprung up in his activemind as soon as Cosmo's intention was announced. He took Cosmo aside andsaid to him:
"M. Versal, the dearest memory that I have treasured in my heart is thatof the last sight of my drowned home, my beautiful dead Paris. It may bethat the home-loving instincts of my race arouse in me a melancholypleasure over such a sight which would not be shared by you, of adifferent blood; but if, perchance, you do share my feelings on thissubject I believe that I can promise you a similar visit to the greatmetropolis where your life began, and where you executed those laborswhose result has been to preserve a remnant of humanity to repeople theearth."
Cosmo Versal's quick intelligence instantly comprehended the Frenchman'sdesign, but it startled him, and apparently insuperable difficulties atonce occurred to his mind.
"M. De Beauxchamps," he responded, grasping his friend warmly by thehand, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your amiableintention, and I assure you that nothing could afford me greatersatisfaction than to see once more that mighty city, even though it cannow be but an awful ruin, tenanted by no life except the terriblecreatures of the deep. But, while I foresee what your plan must be, Ican hardly conceive that its execution could be possible. You arethinking, of course, of constructing a diving apparatus capable ofpenetrating to a depth of nearly six miles in the sea. Setting aside thequestion whether we could find in the stores of the Ark the materialsthat would be needed, it appears to me most improbable that we couldmake the apparatus of sufficient strength to withstand the pressure, andcould then cause it to sink to so great a depth, and afterward bring itsafely to the surface."
The Frenchman smiled.
"M. Versal," he replied, "I have taken the liberty to look over thestock of materials which you have so wisely prepared for possiblerepairs to the Ark and for use after the Ark lands, and I know thatamong them I can find all that I shall need. You yourself know howcompletely you are provided with engineering tools and machines of allkinds. You have even an electric foundry aboard. With the aid of yourmechanical genius, and the skill of your assistants, together with thatof my own men, who are accustomed to work of this kind, I have not thefaintest doubt that I can design and construct a diving-bell, largeenough to contain a half-dozen persons, and perfectly capable ofpenetrating to any depth. Of course I cannot make it of levium, but youhave a sufficient supply of herculeum steel, the strength of which is soimmense that the walls of the bell can be made to remit the pressureeven at a depth of six miles. From my previous experiments I amconfident that there will be no difficulty in sinking and afterwardraising this apparatus. It is only necessary that the mean specificgravity of the bell shall be greater than that of the water at a givendepth, and you know that as far back as the end of the nineteenthcentury your own countrymen sent down sounding apparatus more than sixmiles in the Pacific Ocean, near the island of Guam."
"But the air inside the bell--" Cosmo began.
"Excuse me," interrupted De Beauxchamps, "but that air need be under nogreater pressure than at the surface. I shall know how to provide forthat. Remember the _Jules Verne_. Simply give me _carte blanche_ in thismatter, let me have the materials to work with, afford me the advantageof your advice and assistance whenever I shall need them, and I promiseyou that by the time we have arrived over the site of New York we shallbe prepared for the descent."
Cosmo was deeply impressed by the Frenchman's enthusiasticself-confidence. He had a great admiration for the constructor of the_Jules Verne_, and, besides, the proposed adventure was exactly afterhis own heart. After meditating a while, he said heartily:
"Well, M. De Beauxchamps, I give my consent. Everything you wish shallbe at your disposal, and you can begin as soon as you choose. Only, letthe thing be kept a secret between us and the workmen who are employed.If it should turn out a failure it would not do that the people in theArk should be aware of it. I can give you a working room on one of thelower decks, where there will be no interference with your proceedings,and no knowledge of what you are about can leak out."
"That is exactly what I should wish," returned De Beauxchamps, smilingwith delight, "and I renew my promise that you shall not bedisappointed."
So, without a suspicion of what was going on entering the minds of anyperson in the great company outside the small company of men who wereactually employed in the work, the construction of De Beauxchamps'sgreat diving-bell was begun, and pushed with all possible speed,consistent with the proper execution of the work. In the meantime theArk continued its course toward the west.
They ran slowly, for there was no hurry, and the Ark had now become toits inhabitants as a house and a home--their only foothold on the wholeround earth, and that but a little floating island of buoyant metal.They crossed the Pamirs and the Hindu-Kush, the place where the CaspianSea had been swallowed up in the universal ocean, and ran over Ararat,which three months before had put them into such fearful danger, butwhose loftiest summit now lay twelve thousand feet beneath their keel.
At length, after many excursions toward the north and toward the south,in the halcyon weather that had seldom failed since the withdrawal ofthe nebula, they arrived at the place (or above it) which had stoodduring centuries for a noon-mark on the globe.
It was midday when Captain Arms, having made his observations, said toCosmo and the others on the bridge:
"Noon at Greenwich, and noon on the Ark. Latitude, fifty-one degreesthirty minutes. That brings you as nearly plumb over the place as you'dbe likely to hit it. Right down there lies the old observatory that setthe chronometers of the world, and kept the clocks and watches up totheir work."
King Richard turned aside upon hearing the captain's words. They broughta too vivid picture of the great capital, six miles under their feet,and a too poignant recollection of the disastrous escape of the royalfamily from overwhelmed London seven months before.
As reckoned by the almanac, it was the 15th of September, more thansixteen months since Cosmo had sent out his first warning to the public,when the Ark crossed the meridian of seventy-four degrees west, in aboutforty-one degrees north latitude, and the adventurers knew that New Yorkwas once more beneath them.
There was great emotion among both passengers and crew, for the majorityof them had either dwelt in New York or been in some way associated withits enterprises and its people, and, vain as must be the hope of seeingany relic of the buried metropolis, every eye was on the alert.
They looked off across the boundless sea in every direction,interrogating every suspicious object on the far horizon, and evenpeering curiously into the blue abyss, as if something might suddenlyappear there which would speak to them like a voice from the past.
But they saw only shafts of sunlight running into bottomless depths, andoccasionally some oceanic creature floating lazily far below. The colorof the sea was wonderful. It had attracted their attention after thesubmergence of Mount Everest, but at that time it had not yet assumedits full splendor.
At first, no doubt, there was considerable dissolved matter in thewater, but gradually this settled, and the sea became bluer andbluer--not the deep indigo of the old ocean, but a much lighter and morebrilliant hue--and here, over the site of New York, the waters were of abright, luminous sapphire, that dazzled the eye.
Cosmo declared that the change of the sea-color was undoubtedly due tosome quality in the nebula from whose condensation the water had beenproduced, but neither his own analyses, nor those of the chemists aboardthe Ark, were able to detect the subtle element to whose pr
esence thepeculiar tint was due.
But whatever it may have been, it imparted to the ocean an ethereal,imponderous look, which was sometimes startling. There were moments whenthey almost expected to see it expand back into the nebulous form andfly away.