Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Every corner of the world

After the difficulties of astronomy, mechanics, and topography were solved, economic problems finally arose, and a huge sum of money had to be raised to carry out the project.No one person, not even a state, can afford the millions they need. So, although this was a purely American enterprise, Chairman Barbicane took the decision to treat it as a world experiment, asking every nation for economic assistance.It is the right and responsibility of the whole earth to interfere with the cause of earth satellites.Fundraising for this purpose stretched from Baltimore to every corner of the world. This fundraiser may be an unexpected success.However, this is a gift, not a loan.It is an unprofitable job in the precise sense of the word, with no chance of benefit.

However, the impact of Barbicane's report was not limited to the borders of the United States. It crossed the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and spread to Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania.The observatories of the United States immediately communicated with foreign observatories, such as Paris, Petersburg, Cape Town, Berlin, Altona, Stockholm, Warsaw, Hamburg, Buda, Bologne, Malta, Lisbon The Observatories of Benares, Madras, and Peking congratulated the Cannon Club: others took a cautious wait-and-see attitude. As for the Greenwich Observatory, with the support of twenty-two astronomical institutions in Great Britain, it expressed a decisive attitude. It arbitrarily denied the possibility of success and endorsed Captain Nicholl's theory.Therefore, when various scientific groups expressed their intention to send representatives to visit Dapa, the Greenwich Observatory convened a meeting and brutally put Barbicane's plan on the agenda.This is purely out of British jealousy.

On the whole, the scientific community responded favorably, and this response quickly spread to the general public, who became very interested in this question. This is important since they are being appealed to for a huge sum of money. On October 8, President Barbicane issued an impassioned statement in which he appealed to "all the good men of the world".This article has been translated into various languages ​​with great success. At first, donations were collected in the important cities of the United States, and the donations were concentrated in the Baltimore Bank, 9 Baltimore Street. Then, donations were collected in countries in the old and new continents. The list is as follows:

Naienna, Sim T Rosier Bank, Stiritz Bank, Petersburg; Paris, Société Générale, Stockholm, Trust & Alfredson Bank, London, Norm T Losier Bank, Torino, Arduin Corporation; Berlin, Mandelssen Bank; Geneva, Rombard Odier & Co., Constantinople, Ottoman Bank: Brussels, Cy Lambet Bank! Madrid, Daniel Weisweiler Bank; Amsterdam, Bank of the Netherlands: Rome, Torlonian Company, Lisbon, Lesena Bank: Copenhagen, Private Bank; Buenos Aires, Mowa Bank, Rio de Janeiro, above; Montevideo, above, Valparaíso and Lima, Tom LaChambelle & Co. Mexico City, Martin Dalang Bank.On the third day after Chairman Barbicane's proclamation, donations of four million dollars were deposited in the banks of the cities of the United States.With this position, the Cannon Club was ready to work.

However, a few days later, a telegram notified the United States that fundraising was also being vigorously carried out abroad.A few countries were particularly generous; others appeared to be tighter.This is a matter of national temperament. Besides, numbers speak louder than words, and here is the official bill handed to the Cannon Club after the collection was over. Russia's contribution was a huge sum of three hundred and sixty-eight thousand and seven hundred and thirty-three rubles.Only those who do not understand how the Russians love science and how enthusiastically they study astronomy will find it strange.They have many observatories, the largest of which is worth two million rubles.This is very helpful for Russians to learn astronomy.

At first France laughed at the Americans for being overjoyed.Using the moon as an excuse, it has produced a thousand well-worn witticisms and made up some twenty folk songs, which is vulgar and ignorant at its best.However, just as in ancient times, payment was required after singing, this time the French laughed for a while and paid a price. The donation they made was 1,253,930 Ten francs.Having paid the price, they have the right to have some fun. Despite the financial difficulties, Austria has shown considerable generosity.This international donation, which shared 216,000 florins, was warmly welcomed.

Sweden and Norway donated a total of 52,000 Ricks.For these two countries, this amount is not small. However, if donation stations are set up in Stockholm and Christiania at the same time, the donations must be even more. For some reason, Norwegians don't like sending money to Sweden. The fact that Prussia sent 250,000 thalers shows how highly it valued the cause.The various observatories in Prussia actively contributed a large amount, and Chairman Barbican was enthusiastically encouraged. Turkey is also generous, but it has its own agenda for the experiment.The fact is that its New Year's Day and Lent are calculated according to the movement of the moon.It couldn't pay a smaller amount than 1,372,640 piastres, but it was overzealous in paying this amount; it shows that the Turkish government has put some pressure on it.

The Belgian grant was 513,000 francs, or about twelve centimes per inhabitant, which is among the best among second-class countries. The interest of Holland and its colonies in this experiment amounted to a price of 110,000 florins, which they paid in cash and demanded a five per cent rebate. The fact that Denmark produced nine thousand fine dugas despite the limitations of its own territory is a testament to the Danes' penchant for scientific exploration. The German Confederation has promised to contribute 34,285 florins. We cannot demand more from it, and besides, it will not give one more florin.

Italy, though economically strong, has found two hundred thousand lire in the pockets of its children, but this has turned their pockets over. Had the Republic of Venice still existed, it might have done better; But the Republic of Venice already existed. The Papal States considered that its contribution should not be less than seven thousand and forty roman crowns. At the same time Portugal's devotion to science led it to contribute thirty thousand crouchards. As for Mexico, the eighty-six double piastres it took out can indeed be called "widow's pennies", but all empires always had some financial difficulties when they were first established.

The modest Swiss contribution to the American cause was 257 francs.We should forgive him for not seeing the practical side of this experiment.It didn't seem to realize that firing a cannonball to the moon was, in essence, establishing a connection with the celestial bodies of the night, and it didn't think it wise to invest in such an uncertain enterprise.In the end, maybe Switzerland is right. "Spain, it cannot raise more than one hundred and ten reals. It excuses that it needs to fix the railway.In fact, this country does not take science very seriously.It's still behind.Moreover, some Spaniards, who were not uninformed, miscalculated the ratio of the volume of the cannonball to the volume of the moon.They were afraid that this experiment would affect the orbit of the moon, disturb its satellite function, and cause it to fall to the earth.In this case, it's better to sit on the sidelines, which they did, in addition to handing over a few riyals.

That leaves the UK.We know that it accepted the Barbicane plan with contemptuous antipathy.The twenty-five million inhabitants of the British Empire have but one soul of the same kind.They implied that the Gun Club's experiments violated "non-interventionism" and they did not contribute a penny. At this news, the members of the Cannon Club shrugged their shoulders and went on with their great work.South America, that is to say Peru, Chile, Brazil, the provinces of the Rio de la Plata and Colombia, topped the bill for this huge donation with a total of $300,000 raised.The ledger is as follows: U.S. Contribution ... $4000,000, Foreign Contributions ... $1,446,675, Total... $5,446,675. What the public deposited in the Gun Club's coffers amounted to $5,446,675. No one would be surprised by such a sum.Cannon casting, cannon barrels, cannon-protecting buildings, transport workers, workers' lodgings in an almost uninhabited area, repair of iron furnaces, building of houses, machinery and equipment on site, powder, shells, and additional expenses, all this, It is estimated that almost all of this sum of money can be used up.During the Civil War, some shells cost a thousand dollars a round: Chairman Barbicane's unique shell, which broke the artillery record, was naturally five thousand times more expensive. On October 20, a contract was signed with Gold Spring Works, near New York, which had supplied Barrot with the best cast-iron guns during the war. The two parties stipulated in the contract that the Gold Spring factory should ship the materials needed to cast the Columbia cannon to the city of Dampa in southern Florida.The whole project will be completed by October 15 next year at the latest, and the cannons of acceptable quality will be handed over. Otherwise, from that day until the day when the moon is under the same conditions, that is to say, eighteen years and eleven days, the daily payment will be paid. A fine of one hundred dollars.Recruitment of workers, payment of wages to workers, and all necessary transportation costs are the responsibility of Gold Spring Factory itself. This is in duplicate.The contract, which had been verified to be correct, was signed by In Barbicane, the chairman of the Cannon Club, and Ki Mochi, the manager of the Gold Spring factory, and it came into effect immediately.