Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The Steel Behemoth

On the morning of May 6th, on the road from Calcutta to Shandernagor, all the passers-by, whether men, women, children, Indians or British, encountered a strange thing they had never seen before, and they were all stunned. .But frankly, this surprise is completely understandable. At sunrise this morning, from the outskirts of the capital of India came a strange procession--though that is what we call the monsters that climb the banks of the Ugli--from two lanes of onlookers. It pierced through the thick human wall. In the lead was a gigantic elephant twenty feet high, thirty feet long, and immensely wide, dragging the convoy behind.There was something mysterious about its smooth gait.The elephant's trunk is bent upwards, and the top reaches the sky, like a huge harvest horn.Two golden tusks stuck in the lower jaw like two fake swords.Dark green skin covered with strange spots.The elephant is covered in a richly colored filigree blanket with swirling tassels.On the back of the elephant is a gorgeous and magnificent little pagoda, covered with an Indian-style round tower top.The tower is inlaid with large pieces of transparent glass, just like the portholes on a ship.

Behind the elephant was dragging a train consisting of two gigantic carriages, two floating bungalows, literally rooms.There are four wheels under each carriage, and patterns are carved on the hubs and rims.We can only see the lower parts of the wheels turning in the rollers, which almost half cover the bottom of the huge mobile device.A hinged rod is connected between the two carriages, driving the rear carriage. But no matter how strong the elephant is, how can it drag two large houses without any difficulty?And in fact, the giant beast actually did it!The broad paws are automatically raised and lowered mechanically, and it can go from walk to trot instantly without a word or gesture from the mahout.

This is what puzzles curious onlookers in the first place, if they just stand and watch from a distance.But as long as they take a closer look, they will no longer make a fuss about their discovery, but will only praise it. There was a deafening rhythmic roar, which was similar to the unique cry of the Indian giant beast.And from time to time, a strong steam burst from the elephant's soaring muzzle. But it was indeed an elephant!Rough skin, dark green complexion, a thick skeleton bestowed by nature on the pachyderm king, everything is beyond doubt!Its eyes sparkled with the light of life!How alive are its limbs!

That's right!But if a curious person happens to touch the giant beast with his hand at this time, he will naturally be enlightened.It is nothing but a brilliant deception, a stunning imitation. In fact, it was a tin elephant with a whole set of mobile devices hidden in its body. As for the train, that is, the steam house, if you give it a precise definition, it is a mobile residence. Colonel Moreau, Captain Ord, Bonkers, and I lived in the first car, or rather the first room. The second housed Mark Real and the rest of his entourage. Both Bonkers and Colonel Moreau kept their respective promises, and so, on the morning of the 6th of May, we at last embarked on our journey to the north of the Indian peninsula with this curious convoy.

But what good is this man-made image?Why build such a novelty that is inconsistent with the British way of thinking!So far, no one has thought of creating a quadruped shape for a motor vehicle that runs on gravel roads or railroad tracks! I must admit that we were all taken aback when we first saw this monstrous machine.All doubts and puzzles naturally fall on our friend Bonkers.This locomotive was designed and directed by him.How could he have such a strange idea to hide the locomotive in the belly of a giant steel beast? Facing our full of doubts, Bonkers asked with a serious expression:

"Friends, do you know the princes of Bhutan?" "I knew him, or rather I knew him before, because he died three months ago," replied Captain Ord. "He was a very different man," said the engineer. "He loved all kinds of ceremonies and ostentation. He never vetoed any inspiration,--I mean those that flashed through his mind. He is always contemplating the impossible, and if it hadn't been for his wealth, which is beyond count, he would have ruined his fortune in realizing those fantasies. He and the former Indians He is as rich as a prince, and his family property is countless. If he has ever done anything with his heart, it is to spend all his money on interesting things. One day, he suddenly had a new idea, and soon he was entangled in this idea It was an idea that even Solomon would have been proud of, and that if he knew how to use the steam engine, he would surely be able to realize his wonderful idea: it was in a new and unprecedented way, that is, sitting in a car. Traveling in a car that no one else thought of. Since he knew me, he invited me to his palace and drew me a sketch of the motor vehicle he imagined for me. My God! Friends, if you If you thought I would laugh at his idea, you would be wrong! I knew that only an Indian maharaja could have such a grand idea, and my only thought at the time was to put it into practice as soon as possible, Give me a poetic customer and give myself a satisfactory answer. An engineer who is serious and responsible for his work does not have the opportunity to come into contact with strange things every day, and he can turn a "Bible· A monster from the Apocalypse or a devil from the Apocalypse. In short, the fantasy of a prince is completely achievable. You know what we are doing, what we can do, and what we will do in terms of mechanics. So I will Such a tin elephant is designed, and the steam furnace, all the mechanical devices, the tender of the motor vehicle and other accessories are all installed in its body. The elephant trunks connected together can be stretched and contracted freely according to the needs, which is the chimney; An eccentric linkage puts the elephant's feet on the rear wheels; I fitted its eyes with headlight lenses, which emit two electric lights, and the artificial elephant was completed. But the process of making it was not smooth sailing I found several problems that I could not solve for the time being. Its engine alone—you can think of it as a big toy—had kept me up for days and nights. The prince waited patiently all the time. The most beautiful and memorable time of his life was spent in the creation workshop, but he died before we hit the final hammer that gave life to the elephant, so that it could finally run around. The unfortunate man didn't get the chance into his mobile home! But his heirs, less fanciful than he, revered and feared the machine, which in their eyes was the work of a madman. So they immediately wanted to sell it at a low price. Get rid of it as soon as possible, and of course I bought it for the Colonel's sake. Now, my friends, you know how and why we're the only ones in the world who have an eighty-horsepower steam elephant instead of eighty three-horsepower An elephant weighing 100 kilograms!"

"Excellent! Bonkers, you are amazing!" cried Captain Ord. "You are not only an excellent engineer, but also a steel artist and poet. You are a genius!" "The maharaja died. I bought his motorcade but I didn't have the courage to destroy the elephant I made and restore it to an ordinary locomotive." Bonkers replied. "But it's better this way!" continued the captain. "Our elephant is very beautiful, very beautiful! And when we ride in this car on the plains and jungles of the Indian Peninsula, this giant elephant can give How we feel! After all, this is the prince's idea! Besides, such an idea will be good for us, don't you think, Colonel?"

Colonel Moreau laughed.This showed that he fully agreed with what the captain said.So the trip was finally settled.An iron elephant like no other in the world, a colossal man-made monster, would drag four Englishmen's mobile homes around rather than the richest maharaja in the Indian peninsula. How did Bonkers skillfully apply the advancement of modern science to this locomotive?It turned out to be: The entire mechanism, cylinders, connecting rods, intake valves, fuel supply pumps, and eccentrics, were housed between the four wheels and covered the steam oven.And this tubular steam furnace that can provide a heating surface of 60 square meters without tempering is located in the front half of the iron elephant, and the second half is a tender for water and fuel.The gap left between the two is just right for the fireman.The post of the mechanic himself is in the turret carried on the back of the elephant, which is specially used to defend against gunshots. When we are attacked on the road, all of us can hide in the elephant.The mechanic controls the safety valve and the pressure gauge that shows the hydraulic pressure; at the same time, he also controls the regulating valve and the joystick. The former regulates the introduction of steam, and the latter restricts the intake valve, which determines whether the entire locomotive moves forward or backward.In the turret, through the thick windows firmly fixed to the tower by iron hoops, the mechanic could clearly see the road ahead.He can step on the pedals to adjust the angles of the front wheels according to the road conditions.

Spring coils made of high-quality steel are placed under steam ovens and tenders to slow down the bumps caused by uneven roads.The material selection of the wheels is also very reliable, and the rims are engraved with patterns, so that they can firmly grip the ground while driving to avoid slipping. Bonkers tells us that this machine has a power of up to eighty horsepower, and in fact can reach a hundred and fifty horsepower without any danger. It is built on the principle of "Field system", has two cylinders, and can run .The entire mechanical equipment is covered in a sealed case to avoid dust on the way, otherwise the various parts will be damaged quickly.Its biggest advantage is that although the consumption is small, the energy is large.In terms of the speed it can reach, the amount of energy it consumes is unmatched by other means of transportation.And it works with any fuel, coal or firewood.As for its average speed, engineers estimate that it can reach 25 kilometers per hour, but if the road conditions are good, its speed can be as high as 40 kilometers per hour.I just talked about the reason why its wheels will not slip, not only because the pattern on the rim can grip the ground, but also because the high-quality springs under the machine can quickly and evenly disperse the bumps of the fuselage.In addition, these wheels are subject to brakes, which can be slow or sharp.

At the same time, the performance of this car climbing hills is also very good.Bonkers came up with the best combination after considering the weight of the car body and the power each of its pistons could produce.Therefore, it can drive on a slope with a gradient of ten to twelve without any difficulty - which is a remarkable thing. What's more, the roads built by the British in India have spread all over the peninsula, and they are spacious and flat, which are really suitable for our locomotives.The "grand trunk road" running through the north and south of the peninsula alone is 1,200 miles long, or about 2,000 kilometers.

Now, let's talk about the steam house trailing behind the faux elephant. In fact, the locomotive that Bonkers bought from the prince's heir for Colonel Moreau can not only drive on the road, but also a train pulled by a locomotive.It is not surprising that the Bhutanese maharaja built it in a typical Indian style according to his own fantasies.In the foregoing account I have called it a traveling bungalow; indeed, it is well deserved, for the two carriages are nothing short of a marvel of Indian architecture. Let us imagine two mosque towers without spires, double spines, bulging domes, and several carved columns supporting the part above the windows. The shape is very elegant, and the two balconies at the front and the back are gorgeous and magnificent.yes!One would almost think that these were two towers brought down from the hill of Saint-Sonnagur, and that they would drag along the great roads of India behind the giant iron elephants! Another feature of this amazing motor vehicle that cannot be ignored is that it can float on water.The lower body of the elephant equipped with a steam oven and a tender is just a light iron boat, and it is its ingenious hollow structure that gives it buoyancy.Once encountering the river, the soles of the elephant drive the steam house dragged behind through the transmission rod and start sailing on the river.In the vast region of India, where there are many rivers, many of which have no bridges, the feature of floating is extremely valuable. This is the train that the prince of Bhutan dreamed of day and night. Its appearance is absolutely unique in the world. Although Bonkers admired the elephantine shape of the engine and favored the tower-like shape of the rear compartment, he still believed that the interior of the compartment should be decorated to British taste so that it could withstand long journeys.In fact, he did it very successfully. I have already mentioned that this steam house consists of two rooms, each of which is more than six meters wide, and therefore has an extra section than the axle which is only five meters wide.But because the houses are equipped with long and flexible spring coils, people sitting inside hardly feel any bumps when driving on the railway. The first carriage was fifteen meters long, and in front of it was a unique balcony supported by slender pillars, making the balcony more like a spacious box that could easily accommodate a dozen people.In addition, there are two windows and a door on the balcony that open to the living room in the back.The drawing-room, too, had two panes of glass, and contained a table and a bookcase, and two rows of stylish ottomans covered in rich fabrics.The floor is covered with thick carpets from Smyrna, Turkey.Bunches of vetiver hung in front of the windows, and were sprinkled with perfume from time to time, making the living room and other rooms pleasantly scented.A fan is hung from the ceiling. When the train is running, a transmission belt will automatically drive the fan to run. When the train is stopped, a servant will pull it with a rope.There are always several months of the year when the indoor temperature can reach as high as forty-five degrees Celsius. How can we not do everything possible to resist the scorching heat? There is also a door made of precious wood behind the living room, facing the balcony, leading to the dining room.There are windows on the side of the dining room, and the roof is a layer of translucent frosted glass, making it extraordinarily bright.There is a dining table in the middle, and eight people can sit beside it.And there are four of us, which means the dining room is more than spacious.The only furniture in the dining-room was the sideboard, which contained an astonishing array of silver, china and glass, requisites for a comfortable Englishman.Of course, these fragile items are half-inserted in the special slots, so as to avoid falling and breaking due to the shaking of the vehicle body. The back door of the dining room leads to a passage, at the end of which is another balcony.There are four rooms on both sides of the aisle, and the layout inside is a bed, a sink, a chest of drawers and a sofa chair, just like the passenger deck on the most luxurious large passenger ship transatlantic at that time.Colonel Moreau was in the first room on the left; Engineer Bonkers was in the second on the right.Captain Ord and I lived next to the engineer and the colonel respectively. The second carriage was twelve meters long and, like the previous one, also had a balcony.The kitchen connected to it is very spacious, and there are two storage rooms on the side, which have everything you need.And the kitchen is connected with a passage, and there is a quadrangular room in the middle, with a skylight, which is the second dining room for the tourists on the car.In each of the four corners was a small room in which Sergeant Mark Rell, the Mechanic, the Fireman, and Colonel Moreau's orderly lived; the two rear rooms housed the cook and Captain Ord's orderly; , which are used as armory, ice kiln and luggage room, all of which lead to the balcony at the back. We can see how Bonkers cleverly arranges the two large houses in the steam room to be reasonable and comfortable.In winter, there is a special machine that circulates hot air in each room so that the whole steam room is warm, and there are small fireplaces in the living room and dining room.Even if the train travels to the mountains near Tibet, there is no need to worry about being frozen. For the very important issue of food storage, we have also made full preparations.The various cans carried in the car are enough to feed the entire traveling team for a whole year.Among them, some brand-name canned meats are brought the most, mainly cooked beef, stewed beef and chicken sauce. The consumption of chicken in various regions of the Indian Peninsula is very large. Of course, milk is indispensable in the breakfast before the main meal, and the soup to drink before dinner is also condensed into condensed milk, so we can enjoy it every day during the journey. After the milk is evaporated and concentrated into a paste, it is put into a sealed iron tank with a capacity of 450 grams. As long as it is mixed with five times the water, it can be diluted into three liters of milk.And this treatment does not damage the composition and quality of the milk in the slightest.The same method can be used to condense pre-made soups into cubes, dilute and melt and return to delicious soups. Ice is very useful in these hot regions.For us, making ice is something that can be done in a few minutes.A square-shaped machine cools down by evaporating liquefied ammonia.There is a special refrigerated room at the rear of the car, and our prey on the road can be preserved indefinitely without deterioration by evaporating ammonia or methanol ether.This refrigeration method was first discovered and used by one of my French compatriots, Christopher Taylor.So no matter the time of day, we can always enjoy delicious food of high quality. And there is a lot of wine stored in the underground kiln.French wine, all kinds of beer, soju and kaojiu are enough for our consumption throughout the trip. Besides, the convoy had to pass through residential areas on the peninsula along the way.India is not a desert either.So as long as you are willing to spend money, it is not difficult to get the necessities of life, even luxuries.Perhaps when the convoy came to the northern part of India at the foot of the Himalayas, we had run out of ammunition and food.Even then, there is no need to worry, life will soon return to its original comfort, because Bonkers, the best long-term planner, has foreseen everything in advance and can get us out of trouble and back on the road. As for the route of this trip, it has basically been determined, but it does not rule out that appropriate changes should be made in case of accidents: After departing from Calcutta, we arrived at Allahabad along the Ganges River Valley, and then arrived at the foot of the Tibetan Plateau after passing through the Kingdom of Ud.For several months, the convoy was always crawling on the hillside, which could make Captain Ord have enough hunting addiction.Finally, back to Mumbai. The entire journey is as long as 900 Guli (one Guli is about four kilometers).But with a steam room and all your fellow travelers, who wouldn't want to circle the globe a few times?