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

Rice has given as his expert opinion that if Moore persists in drawing on the batteries at night, they will be so discharged as to endanger our lighting. Without light we should be distinctly unhappy. Several of the men are studying different lines nights now, to "give their minds some stretching" as they say. Their bodies get sufficient, I imagine. The labor in the mine is lightened, but by no means light for men in their condition of semi-starvation.

July 21.

Another trip to the silver mine. Also another bank of cells arranged. The furnaces got this, since it is really too late in the day to help the mine any, and their tanks are nearly full anyway.

Moore turned out a gray powder today. Explosive, he claimed. Finished the process on a rock outside the bat- tery house, after shading and cooling the rock. He carried it to the mine himself. It was super-successful. It pulverized the gypsum for five feet.around, and cracked it for many more. Miners say ii is useless to them as it is uncontrollable.

July 22.

Melville has started a new entertainment for the evenings. He is giving a short course in astro-physics. The sun is exceedingly low now, and tomorrow at about five P.M. sets. The stars are visible now, of course, as they are at all times, but tomorrow he will give demonstrations.

King will follow his course, with a course on mineralogy and geology. Moore on Chemistry. I on Physics.

Moore turned out another batch of explosives. Commandeered some of Dr. Hughey's gelatine capsules, and filled them. Detonated electrically they worked fairly well, a super-powerful explosive that works here on the airless moon and cracks the gypsum to fragments. Moor-ite he calls it, and we agree. Di-nitro-acetalide and a certain catalyst. The catalyst is his secret, and absolutely necessary.

He will need a power board himself now, to manufacture the stuff! The Lunar Power Company (unofficial title of our group) is being over-worked. The Lunar Mining Company, Satellite Smelting and Reduction and now the newly organized Interplanetary Explosives all demand more and bigger power boards! Temporarily both Smelting and Mining will have to sacrifice power to the explosives. King claims Mining gets the benefits, and should make the sacrifice.

July 23.

No power now. The burners are on, working effectively. Melville gave an excellent lecture tonight, interesting to all.

The entire smelting crew will join us tomorrow in making cells.

July 24.

The two power plants at the mine permit continued work at full force. Fuel will readily last till dawn.

Moore is working at something else now, he says. Has apparatus to turn out his explosive all set up. Will require 400 horse continuously day and night tomorrow, to make less than one pound of explosive a day!

Unprecedented number of cells made today, a total of forty-two.

July 25.

Fifty-four cells today! At the present rate neither mining nor smelling will lose power to the explosives.

The thief had given us a rest, but last night stole four pounds of fats, principally lard and hydrogenated cottonseed oil. He apparently has hesitated over my arrangements, but figured out a successful system to elude them.

Conversation tonight centered about the message sent to Earth. We wonder if it was successful?

July 26.

Fifty-five cells, apparently, is the maximum number we can make. A trip to the selenide mine brought in a considerable quantity of material. The men have settled down, and know the work now.

Moore demanded a supply of carbides and nitrides and also sulphides if possible. He has been reducing sulphur from the gypsum, a difficult and power-consuming process. King knows of a sulphide bed.

Moore is working on something other than explosives, but refuses to say what. Admits the malodorous compounds he made were not explosives, but goes no further. Considerable curiosity. A mystery, no matter how slight, is a matter of comment. The food thief has been privately figured out by everyone here, though no accusations have been made, I am thankful to say.

July 27.