"Campbell, John W. - The Moon is Hell" - читать интересную книгу автора (Campbell John W Jr)

I fell asleep on the way back, and Kendall, King and Reed had to return and hunt for me. Carried .the last ten miles. I've slept nearly twenty hours. Still Sleepy.

July 16.

Half the day gone, and routine is at last restored. Rice's leg was not badly broken, and has been set and bound up. He is working at the photo-cells with us again, sitting before a low bench rigged on two chairs. Twenty cells turned out today. Gypsum pile diminishing rapidly. The water made by the heaters last "night" has all been broken down, and the fuel for the motor-generator at the mine has been regenerated. Oxygen tanks showing steady pressure gain.

We wonder what success our trip had.

(As the world knows, the trip was successful in the extreme. As the men realized, the work of subscribing to an apparently lost cause, that of rescuing men probably dead already, was going very slowly. So many scientists stated positively that it was impossible to secure air on the moon, that the people would not subscribe. The news-bureaus were broadcasting news continually, of the probable plight of the men, and there was much speculation as to whether the ship had crashed before landing, or when starting back to Earth, or whether it had wandered off into fathomless space with all aboard.

The message did not get through complete, and even the fates seemed to be against the men, for the automatic transmitter failed after but a few hours operation. It was afterwards discovered (by the Thurston Expedition in 1994) that the intense heat of the sun's rays had melted the sealing compound of the transformers and caused a short circuit. The only parts of the message that did get through read: "Relief------crashed----ox--en------ gyp--m--------electrolysis assures supp----------food sc-- t----help" As even this came only a few letters at a time, despite the fact that almost every amateur and professional operator was tuned to it after the messages started coming, it is understandable that a terrific debate began. It was almost impossible to determine where, in the message, the letters received belonged. Some maintained that the "ox" was part of some such word as "box", while others declared it was the far more important word "oxygen." For nearly a week the discussion -went on as to the placing of the letters. Then finally the claim of James R. Caldwell, an amateur radio operator of Su-casunna, N. /., was printed in the New York Herald-Tribune. He had made phonographic records of the mes-$ages as they came, and by careful timing, transcribed the words as "Relief (ship) crashed. Ox(yg)en--gyp (su)m (by) electrolysis assures supply. Food sc(an)t. Help."

Immediately scientists who had stoutly maintained that air could not be obtained on Luna, rushed to his defense *,1th explanations of how oxygen could be obtained from gypsum J)y baking and electrolysis, and that that would assure a supply.

But long before this important point was settled, the rush of subscriptions had begun, because the men had tent a message of some sort, proving them alive. The interpretation of the message, and a very fine imaginative account of the hardships the men must have met to send the message, written by Thomas W. Hardy, of the San Francisco Times, and widely re-printed, sent the subscriptions up rapidly. Within two weeks of the receipt of the message, orders that had already been filed, were being filled, workmen donated their time, Universities their instruments and laboratories. The work, terrific though it was, was being rushed ahead at maximum speed.

A telescope manufacturing corporation in Chicago sent one of the largest donations, explaining that the tremendous increase in sales made them feel it only right. Everyone was watching the moon.

Then Mount Palomar, Flagstaff, and Sydney Observatories announced the discovery and confirmation of the sign on the moon almost simultaneously. A photograph taken at Mt. Palomar even showed the tiny, square point of the radio set! The oxygen from gypsum was confirmed. The excitement was world-wide, and the works in the Mojave Desert, California, were besieged. Daily bulletins of progress were published in papers. And, more important, the necessary funds were collected. The amount was passed, by thousands of dollars, before the subscriptions could be stopped. These extra funds permitted the building of the famous detachable tanks, the fuel tanks that were dropped shortly after leaving the Earth's atmosphere, or better, blasted away, leaving a great amount of weight behind.) July 17.

Moore has been thrown out of the Dome. He has retired in disgrace to the privacy of the battery-house. His fumes became terrible, and tonight the men rebelled, particularly as he will not say what he is doing.

More cells made today, and another bank installed at the furnaces. The batteries fully recharged now, and the .heater-tanks refilled. At the mine, their tanks are full, and they demand more. Two were shipped down, after being cut from the dome. They are being mounted permanently at the mine, and King contributed several hundred gallons of water. Rice is sadly flat on his back, but was finally put in a suit, at his and the miner's insistence, and is directing the work on the second tractruck. Tonight they will have full power, and even search-lights. It is a race against time now. The food supplies are dwindling. Rations are so low now, that it is impossible to cut them while the men work.

King is running all his furnaces for de-hydrating the gypsum during the work period, and doing very little electrolyzing. During the sleep-period, since the furnaces must be shut down, he turns all the power into several big electrolysis tanks. It means a few hundred pounds of oxygen each lunar day.

It is surprising the interest we take in these things. Each group inquires at night what progress has been made, and bantering rivalry masks a deep interest and sympathy with the problems arising.

July 18.

The sun is sinking now, and the cell-frames have been moved so that no shadows will strike them till the last possible minute. Another frame of cells will be filled tomorrow.

Under Rice's able direction the second tractruck has been converted to hydrogen operation, and a second generator mounted. Trials showed perfect operation.

The air in the Dome is better since Moore moved out.

Further inroads on the supplies. The thief must be storing them; no man could eat so much, it seems to me. Nearly three pounds of chocolate gone.

But I found in reinventory that I had made a mistake. We have fifteen pounds more dried milk somehow mis-' libeled "soap powder." A very welcome surprise.

July 19.

Another cell bank mounted at the furnaces, though the miners claimed they needed it to fill their big tanks. They already have enough fuel to operate both engines all night, since the machines were partially shut down most of the lunar morning.

Rice blasted Moore this evening, with a torrent of anger. Rice's nicely charged cells had been drawn upon again, and had to be re-connected to the charge line. It seems Moore needs more power than the charge-current allows him. He wants some more carbides, and promises explosive in exchange.

July 20.

Rice's batteries charged again, and King reports great progress. The water tanks are completely filled on the North side. The oxygen tanks on that side are three-quarters full, and the oxygen tanks on the South side, which had been emptied, are now half full of hydrogen.