Verne's "From the Earth to the Moon"/"Around the Moon" (1865/1869)

Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle 1873/Scribner, Armstrong 1874

From the Earth to the Moon (1865)

Jules Verne's 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon (De la Terre à la Lune, trajet direct en 97 heures 20 minutes) describes the efforts of the Baltimore Gun Club (essentially a coalition of American arms dealers) to send a projectile to the moon. Although the novel satirizes the members of the Gun Club and the reasons for their enterprise (to stake a claim on the moon for the U.S.), the French writer imbues the narrative with an innocent sense of fun, and brings to the table a great deal of genuine verisimilitude. 

The novel begins when Barbicane, the President of the Baltimore Gun Club, announces his plan to send a projectile to the moon as a "signal" (both to the nations of Earth and to anyone living on the moon). The nation (and even the world) rallies to the challenge and construction of a giant cannon (columbiad) proceeds. Sometime before the firing of the cannon, a French poet/showman named Michel Ardan arrives and announces his intention to travel to the moon inside the Gun Club's projectile. Soon, Barbicane and his rival Nicholl also agree to accompany Ardan in the newly-refitted capsule. At the end of the novel, the cannon is fired, and an observer notes that the capsule has apparently gone into orbit around the moon. 

(All illustrations Émile Bayard and Alphonse de Neuville/Henri Théophile Hildibrand/Pannemaker)

Synopsis

1. The Gun Club: During the Civil War, Americans in the Baltimore Gun Club makes great strides in the development of artillery and other ballistics weapons. However, once the war is over they bemoan the lack of opportunity to use their wares.
   
2. President Barbicane's Communication: At a general assembly, the President of the Baltimore Gun Club (an industrialist named Barbicane) proposes that they should direct their energies towards sending a projectile to the moon, possibly to make contact with any inhabitants of the satellite.
   
3. Effect of the President's Communication: The President's proposal is unanimously approved by the Club and the public, and "moon-fever" takes hold of the nation.
   
4. Reply From the Observatory of Cambridge: The Gun Club asks the Cambridge Observatory to answer some questions regarding the timing and necessary velocity of such a feat. They state that the launch must be very soon, or they will have to wait 18 years for another such advantageous opportunity. 
   
5. The Romance of the Moon: A description of the moon's formation is described, as well as its place in historical and scientific literature.
   
6. The Permissive Limits of Ignorance and Belief in the United States: An explanation of the moon's orbit and rotation is described, as well as some of the more fanciful superstitions surrounding it.
   
7. The Hymn of the Cannon-Ball: At a meeting of the Baltimore Gun Club it is decided to send a hollow sphere made out of aluminum to the moon, one large enough to be tracked by telescopes on Earth.
   
8. History of the Cannon: At the second meeting of the Gun Club, the size and makeup of the cannon is decided upon.
   
9. The Question of the Powders: During the next session President Barbicane proposes that they use "fulminating cotton" (guncotton) instead of gunpowder to propel the lunar bullet, due to its more explosive power.
   
10. One Enemy V. Twenty-Five Millions of Friends: Although the moon shot proposal is popular with the public, Barbicane's rival, an armor manufacturer named Nicholl criticizes plans for the giant cannon and bets against its success.
    
11. Florida and Texas: After the Cambridge Observatory states that the launch can only take place from either Florida or Texas (due to latitude), the two states wage a fiery campaign for their own states to be chosen. In the end, Barbicane chooses Florida due to the fewer competitive cities in the state for the final site.
    
12. Urbi et Orbi: In order to raise funds to pay for the columbiad (cannon), Barbicane opens up a national and global subscription. Inspired by the spirit of the project, every major country contributes except for England.
    
13. Stones Hill: Barbicane and his associates visit Florida and decide that Stony Hill has the best elevation for building their cannon.
    
14. Pickaxe and Trowel: Operations begin to dig out a well 900 feet deep. The project is successful, although a few men lose their lives in accidents.
    
15. The Fete of the Casting: Cast iron is shipped over by sea and rail to Stony Hill, where furnaces melt the iron so that it can fill a cannon mold inside the well.
    
16. The Columbiad: After several days, the cast finally cools, allowing the construction crew to dig out the central core. Tourists are then allowed to visit the bottom of the cannon barrel (for a price).
    
17. 
    A Telegraphic Dispatch: Barbicane is stunned to receive a telegram from a Frenchman named Michel Ardan who insists on traveling inside the moon projectile.
18. The Passenger of the Atlanta: Ardan is described as an outsized personality and a habitual adventurer. He arrives in Florida and befriends Barbicane.
    
19. A Rally: During a public address, Ardan explains that he believes man will travel throughout the solar system one day and that there might even be life on some of these planets.
    
20. Attack and Riposte: Barbicane's rival Nicholl challenges the practicalities of Ardan's proposition and casts aspersions on Barbicane himself. It is revealed that Ardan has no plans of coming back from his trip.
    
21. How A Frenchman Manages An Affair: The next day, Nicholl and Barbicane make plans to engage in a duel, but Ardan defuses the conflict by proposing that they both join him on his trip to the moon.
    
22. The New Citizen of the United States: Barbicane and his engineer friend Maston devise of a way to reduce to effects of the initial detonation. They successfully make a test through a model which launches a cat high into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, Ardan is given honorary citizenship in the U.S.
    
23. The Projectile-Vehicle: The floor of the space "coach" is fitted out with a series of water chambers to soften the impact at launch, and chemicals are devised which will reconvert carbon dioxide back into oxygen so that the three passengers will be able to breathe.
    
24. The Telescope of the Rocky Mountains: A special new telescope is built in the Rocky Mountains in order to monitor the moon projectile's progress.
    
25. Final Details: The cannon is loaded with gun cotton, after which the projectile capsule is gently lowered on top of the mass. The capsule is fitted with supplies only for a few months, as Ardan hopes that Earth will send them additional supplies in later trips.
    
26. Fire!: On the day of the launch, a massive crowd gathers. Finally, the three travelers descend into the cannon and are sealed into the capsule. An electrical signal triggers the explosive at the bottom of the cannon and the capsule shoots out into the sky on a great flame.
    
27. Foul Weather: The explosive launch causes a minor earthquake and a hurricane to tear through Florida. Observers from the new telescope station try to track the progress of the capsule but cloud cover frustrates their attempts to spot it for many days.
    
28. A New Heavenly Body: Eventually the capsule is sighted and the public is informed that it has slightly missed its target. Instead of landing on the surface, has gone into orbit around the moon. 

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Hetzel 1876

Around the Moon (1869)

Four years later a sequel to From the Earth to the Moon was published, Around the Moon (Autour de la Lune). In this installment, Barbicane, Nicholl and Ardan's experiences and reactions are described as they ride the capsule through space to the moon and into its orbit. This narrative mostly comes across more as a "travelogue" and astronomy lesson centered around theories and facts known about the moon at that time (although there are also some amusing "arguments" waged between the French poet and the gun enthusiasts). In the end, the projectile completes its elliptical trip by returning to the Earth, where the travelers are rescued from the sea and honored as heroes. 

Synopsis

1. From Twenty Minutes Past Ten to Forty-Seven Minutes Past Ten P.M.: Barbicane, Nicholl and Arden make preparations for the launch of their vehicle. Nicholl pays Barbicane some money for losing his wager on the failure of the project thus far. With a jolt, the capsule takes off.
   
2. The First Half Hour: After the travelers wake up from the explosive launch, they briefly panic when a meteor nearly strikes the capsule. Fortunately, the objects miss each other and the travelers enjoy the view outside the capsule portholes. Barbicane notes that they did not hear the explosion of the launch because they had launched at faster than the speed of sound.
   
3. Their Place of Shelter (Taking Possession): The travelers take stock of their supplies. Of the two dogs they had brought with them one, Satellite, appears to have been injured by the launch of the capsule. Nonetheless, the travelers occupy their time with cooking and porthole observations.
   
4. A Little Algebra: While demonstrating the use of mathematics to calculate the velocity necessary for the expedition's launch success, Nicholl and Barbicane realize that the Cambridge Observatory had underestimated in their initial calculations and that the capsule should fall back to Earth.
   
5. The Cold of Space: The travelers are relieved when they realize that their actual launch must have exceeded the initial expectations (and the incorrect calculations). Unfortunately, they then discover that Satellite has died from his wounds, and the men are forced to carefully jettison the dog's carcass without losing too much air or heat to the outer void.
   
6. 
   Question and Answer: The travelers discuss various aspects of astronomy, and then notice Satellite's body floating outside the capsule porthole, maintaining speed with them.
   
7. A Moment of Intoxication: As the capsule approaches the moon, the travelers begin acting more and more drunken and whimsical due to an oxygen leak. Eventually, they fall unconscious.
   
8. At Seventy-Eight Thousand Five Hundred and Fourteen Leagues: The leak is repaired. As the capsule crosses the gravitational boundary line between the Earth and the moon they enjoy a period of weightlessness.
9. The Consequences of a Deviation: Barbicane realizes that the capsule is going off course, probably due to gravitational interference from the meteor they had encountered earlier. Nonetheless, Barbicane assumes they will still make a landing and prepares the capsule's retro-rockets.
   
10. The Observers of the Moon: As the capsule continues to approach the moon, Arden hopes that they will land somehow before their oxygen runs out.
    
11. Fancy and Reality: The travelers marvel at the various features they see on the surface of the moon. While Arden takes a more poetic view, Nicholl and Barbicane view the landscape with more scientific eyes.
    
12. Orographic Details: The observers note the various mountains and basins on the moon's surface and theorize on the possibility of moon people living within them.
    
13. Lunar Landscapes: The observers theorize on various furrows rising from the lunar landscape, possibly the result of the "moon-people's farming". Soon the capsule orbits over the north pole of the moon.
    
14. The Night of Three Hundred and Fifty-Four Hours and A Half: As the capsule floats over to the dark side of the moon, the travelers are frustrated at not being able to see the lunar surface. Also, without the rays of the sun, the temperature drops dramatically. Using a thermometer on a string, they measure the outside temperature (-220 F.)
15. Hyperbola or Parabola: After a debate about the course of their capsule, Barbicane spots what appears to be an active volcano in the dark void. Next, a giant meteor approaches the capsule, but explodes before contact. In the brief flash, the travelers see forests and seas on the dark side of the moon.
    
16. The Southern Hemisphere: Barbicane realizes that the capsule has taken on an elliptical orbit around the moon. Soon the southern mountains are illuminated by the edge of the sun from the other side.
    
17. Tycho: Barbicane notes the presence of ice on the landscape below. While orbiting the Tycho crater, Arden believes he can see the ruins of ancient cities.
    
18. Grave Questions: Although the moon is apparently now uninhabited, they theorize that it must have once supported a thriving civilization.
    
19. A Struggle Against the Impossible: As the capsule reaches another gravitational midpoint between the Earth and the moon, the travelers fire their retrorockets in the hopes of forcing the vehicle down to the moon, but the orbital inertia instead forces it towards Earth.
    
20. The Soundings of the Susquehanna: While taking soundings off t he coast of Mexico, the Susquehanna is nearly destroyed when the Gun Club's capsule lands nearby and sinks into the sea.
    
21. J. T. Maston Recalled: The Susquehanna immediately sails to San Francisco to gain aid for a recovery operation. Barbicane's secretary, Maston, rushes to the coast as soon as he hears the news.
    
22. Recovered From the Sea: It takes five days to prepare the equipment necessary for bringing the capsule up from the bottom of the sea, after which the Susquehanna quickly returns to the crash site. The capsule is nowhere to be found on the sea bottom, but days later it is spotted floating on the surface. The travelers are found playing solitaire inside the capsule.
    
23. The End: Barbicane, Nicholl and Arden are celebrated across the nation on a four day railroad tour across the country. In the end, they form a corporation to manage further trips to the moon.

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