Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Is there coal in the Arctic?

This is the first question that a person with a little common sense of logic will think of. Someone asked: "Why is there coal in the Arctic?" So someone replied: "Why not?" As we all know, coal seams are distributed in the earth's surface, and there are many in Europe.Coal reserves in North and South America are more abundant, with the United States being the most abundant.In addition, Africa, Asia, and Oceania also have large reserves. With the continuous deepening of exploration in various places, coal deposits have been found in various geological ages.The oldest strata are anthracite, the Upper Carboniferous strata have bituminous coal, the Mesozoic strata have peat, and the Tertiary strata have lignite.Fossil fuels will be inexhaustible in the next few hundred years.

However, coal mining in England amounts to 160,000,000 tons a year, and the world produces 400,000,000 tons a year.With the ever-increasing industrial demand, the consumption will not stop growing. In the future, when electricity replaces steam as power, the same amount of coal will be consumed for power generation.The industrial stomach can only digest coal, it cannot eat anything else.Industry is a "coal eater" and must be fed. Coal is not only fuel, but also the substance that makes up the earth.Science is currently breaking down a vast array of products and by-products from it.After refining in the laboratory, dyes, sugars, spices, and cleaning agents can be produced. The steam generated is used for heating and lighting, and synthetic diamonds are used for decoration.In short, coal is as useful as iron, if not more so.

As for iron, it is very fortunate that human beings do not have to worry that this metal will be exhausted soon, and the earth itself can be said to be made of iron. In fact, the magma in the center of the earth can be regarded as a molten, somewhat carbonized iron block, covered with fluid silicate, that is, molten slag, and solid rock and water on the outside. Other metals, water and stones are in this planet. accounted for only a very small proportion of the composition. If iron lasts for centuries, coal does not.Nature has farsightedly stored coal for human beings in various geological ages and in various regions.A truly farsighted person who cares about the future thinks hundreds of years into the future, and will naturally start looking for coal everywhere from now on.

"Of course!" said the objector. Whether in the United States or elsewhere, you can always meet some people who like to criticize because of envy or jealousy, not to mention some people who like to criticize purely for fun. "Very well!" said the rebels. "Then why should there be coal in the Arctic?" "Why?" replied Director Barbicane's supporters, "because according to Mr. Brand's theory, the total energy released by the sun caused the temperature difference between the equator and the poles to be small during the age of geogenesis. During the period, the Earth was affected by hot flashes, and the Arctic region was covered with large areas of forests."

There are newspapers, magazines, and periodicals that do their best for the company and publish thousands of articles of all kinds, in interesting or scientific form.They reasoned thus: Before the strata were finally formed, there was a great shaking of the earth, and the forest sank.Under the action of water, ground temperature and time, the forest becomes coal.Nothing is easier to accept than this hypothesis.According to this hypothesis, the Arctic region is rich in coal, just waiting for the miner's pickaxe to mine it. Beyond that, they have undeniable facts as credentials.Even a positivist, who never starts from probabilities, would not doubt these facts.Even they advocate finding coal on the Arctic surface.

A few days later, in a very dark corner of the tavern, Major Tang Lan discussed the matter with his secretary. "Hmph!" said Dean Tudrink. "This Barbicane should have been hanged by Bailey. Is the fellow's reasoning right?" "Very likely," Major Tang Lan replied, "No, it should be said that it is quite certain." "Then the development of the Arctic region will make a fortune!" "Of course!" replied the major. "Mr. Tudrink, if North America is rich in fossil fuel resources and new ones are being discovered, there is no doubt that there are many more to be discovered. The Arctic region seems to be a subsidiary The structure and appearance of the two parts of the American continent are the same. Especially Greenland is an extension of the New World, and Greenland must be attached to America..."

"Like a horse's head on a horse," Major Donland's secretary pointed out. "While exploring the land of Greenland, Professor Nordensolder recognized the sedimentary layer, which was composed of sandstone and schist, with lignite in the middle. , where there are a large number of plant fossils. In Disco alone, the Dane Stornstrup discovered seventy-one ore seedlings, which were covered with plant fossils, which must be very thick plant remains. These plants Once densely distributed around the North Pole." "And up there?" Dean Tudrink asked. "Up and farther north," said the major. "Yes, coal has been seen, and it seems to be readily available. Since there is coal everywhere on the surface in these regions, it can be concluded that there is coal in the depths of the earth's crust."

Major Tang Lan was right.He knew too well the geology of the Arctic to be furious that it was not British.If he hadn't discovered that the regulars of the hotel were eavesdropping on his conversation, he might have continued to speak at length.Both he and Dean Tudrink knew that it was prudent to say less on such occasions.Tudrink concluded by saying: "Don't you find something strange? Major Tang Lan." "What's up?" "There should be an engineer, or at least a navigator, on this question, for the North Pole and its coal deposits are at stake. But the gunners are leading!"

"Yes," replied the major, "it is indeed puzzling!" Pick up the newspaper every morning, and one will find that there are articles talking about coal resources in every newspaper. "Coal resources? Is it true?" asked the Iron Circle Newspaper.The newspaper published some aggressive articles for the British wholesale trade, and a large number of arguments against the Arctic Experiment Association. "It is true!" replied the editors of the Charleston Daily News, staunch supporters of Director Barbicane: "In 1875 and 1876, Captain Nells discovered at the 82° parallel that the sedimentary strata contained many new plant fossils such as poplar, beech, clematis, hazel and coniferous trees."

"From 1881 to 1884," adds the scientific chronicler of the New York Monitor, "were not the nationals of our country at the time of Lieutenant Greeley's expedition to Lady Franklin's Bay not far from Fort Conger' Have coal beds been found in the bays of the rivers? Dr. Pavey has rightly pointed out that there is no shortage of coal deposits in these places. It is a wonderful work of nature, which will some day be used to withstand the cold of the glaciers." The authoritative opinion of the bold American discoverer was enumerated, and Director Barbicane's opponents were left speechless.Therefore, the "skeptical" faction gained the upper hand in front of the "positive" faction.Yes, there is for sure!And a lot.There is precious fuel in the Arctic, buried in the bellies of what used to be tall, tall grass.

'Skeptics' lose out on coal in the Arctic.Undaunted, however, they returned from another issue, looking for an opportunity to retaliate. One day, Major Tang Lan provoked an oral argument in the hall of the Gunners Club.He said to Director Barbicane face to face: "Well, I admit that there is coal in the North Pole. I am sure of that. There is coal where your company has obtained it, so go and mine it!" "That's exactly what we're going to do," replied Imbi Barbicane calmly. "Crossing the 84° line? No explorer has ever done it!" "We must cross the 84° line." "Then go to the North Pole!" "We must climb up." The most obstinate man would have hesitated to hear such a calm and certain answer from the Director of the Gunners Club, and to see his resolute and definite air.They feel that they are dealing with a man who has lost none of his former qualities.Calm, serious, focused, clockwork and adventurous, he has a practical solution to even the most daring of things. According to people who knew Major Tang Lan, although this gentleman was respectable, he had a bad temper, and when he got angry, he wanted to strangle his opponent to death.Director Barbicane, on the other hand, is physically strong and energetic. To use Napoleon's words as a metaphor, "the waterline is very deep" and can withstand any strong wind and waves.His enemies and those who envy him are all in awe of him. And who can silence the prank experts?Attacks on new companies manifest themselves in this form.They had nothing to say about the plans of the director of the Gunners Club.In Europe, especially in the United Kingdom, caricatures were also drawn for wanton satire.The U.S. dollar has defeated the pound, and Britain can't bear it. what!This Yankee is threatening to go to the North Pole!Actually want to reach that piece of human beings have not set foot in the place!To plant the American flag at the unique pole on the earth!While other places move with the earth's rotation, only it never moves. The thinking of cartoonists is even more magnificent. In the great cities of Europe, in Liberal America and in the great cities, in the windows of the leading bookstores and kiosks, there are pictures of Director Barbicane searching for some most grotesque means of reaching the North Pole. For example, there is a cartoon that, with the help of all the members of the Gunners Club, this arrogant American, holding a pickaxe, wants to dig a submarine tunnel through the ice area from under a group of large ice floes reaching the 90° north latitude line, to the top of the North Pole. Another cartoon satirizes Imbi Barbicane, Maston, and Captain Nicole. It shows that the three of them landed in such a desirable place in a balloon together, and experienced all kinds of hardships and countless times. After many attempts, I finally found a piece of coal weighing half a catty.That's all the coal resources in the Arctic. Ma Sitong was as ironic as his director.A British magazine "Ben Dig" published a satirical sketch of him: the secretary of the Gunners Club was attracted by the magnetic pole, and the iron hook at the end of the arm was nailed to the ground. The irascible calculator couldn't take this joke on the anatomy, and he flew into a rage; Evangelina Scobie, like Maston, was also very angry. A caricature published in the Brussels "Magic Lamp": Imbi Barbicane and the members of the company's board of directors, like salamanders who are not afraid of burning, are working in the fire.In order to melt the ice in the Arctic Ocean, didn't they think of pouring alcohol on the surface of the ocean, and then igniting this sea of ​​​​wine, turning the Arctic basin into a huge jug of punch?The Belgian painter used the word "punch" and used the word "punch" to make a disrespectful picture of the Director of the Gunners Club as a comical buffoon. The most successful of these cartoons was an artist who signed "Stop".He painted it in the French newspaper Les Raquels: In the stomach of a whale, with comfortable furniture upholstered on the seat, Imbi Barbicane and Maston are sitting at a table playing poker, Waiting for safe arrival in Hong Kong.The director and his secretary, the two new Jonahs, don't hesitate to let the huge sea creatures swallow them, and take this new type of transportation to walk under the ice floes and reach the inaccessible poles of the earth in their dreams. However, the manager of the new company is very calm and rarely pays attention to these wild cartoon sketches, letting others make irresponsible remarks, sarcasm and sarcasm, and he does his job. The federal government has authorized companies to start working in the Arctic.The Board of Directors made a decision to call on the public to subscribe for $15 million in stock.A stock of one hundred dollars must be paid in one lump sum.The funding of Barbican Company was provided by the subscribers.Almost all shares are subscribed by the thirty-eight states of the Federation. The supporters of the Arctic Experiment Association shouted: "Great, this is the cause of the Americans themselves!" Barbican's talk about "coal seams" was quite alluring. Speculators were convinced that there was coal in the Arctic that could be mined, and that the company would keep its promise of profit.Shares in the new company will be listed in three tranches.As of December 16, the company's funds were finally integrated, with a total amount of 15 million US dollars. This figure is equivalent to three times the subscription received by the Gunners Club moonshot program.