Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Model Island and Billion City
At that time there was not an intrepid statistician who was at the same time a geographer who could give an exact figure of the number of islands scattered over the surface of the earth.It is not too much to say that there are thousands of them.Of these many islands, is it true that there is not one that can satisfy the creators of Machine Island and satisfy the requirements of its future inhabitants?No!Not even one!As a result, they came up with an idea to build an artificial island from scratch to make it a practical "American-style mechanized" island, which would be a pioneering work in the modern metallurgical industry.
Standard—Island,—can be translated as "model island",—is an island equipped with a screw propeller.Billion City is its capital.Why this name?Obviously, because it's the city of billionaires, the city of Goulds, Vanderbilts, Rothschilds.However, one must point out that the word "billions" does not exist in the English language.The Anglo-Saxons of the Old and New World have always said "thousandmillions, millemillions... 'millions' is a French word..." This is perfectly true, but it has been the everyday language of Great Britain and the United States for many years, and it is used as a The capital of the model island couldn't be more aptly named.
Building an artificial island is an idea that is nothing unusual in itself.As long as there are enough materials to sink into rivers, lakes and seas, building artificial islands is not beyond human reach.However, this alone is not enough.Considering its use and the needs it was supposed to satisfy, the island had to be mobile, and therefore it had to be floating, and that was the difficulty.However, according to the capabilities of the steel plant, this problem can still be solved. Besides, there are now high-power, to be precise, extremely powerful machines.
Out of the nature of "strangeness", at the end of the 19th century, the Americans had already planned to install a huge floating platform by anchoring it on the sea hundreds of miles away from the land.According to their vision, even if this big floating platform is not considered a city, it is at least a resort in the Pacific Ocean, with restaurants, hotels, clubs, theaters, etc. on it.In short, tourists can find all the pastimes of the most fashionable water city at that time.Now, the plan has been realized and improved.The difference is that what is built is no longer a fixed floating platform, but an active island.
Six years before the beginning of this story, an American company established "Model Island Co., Ltd." with a capital of 500 million US dollars, with the purpose of building an artificial island.The island can provide the rich and powerful in the United States with various benefits that the mainland's permanent residence does not have.The $500 million was divided into 500 shares, which were quickly sold out.You must know that there were a lot of millionaires in the United States at that time. These wealth either came from building railways, or opening banks, or relying on oil exploration, or relying on human trafficking.
It took 4 years to build the island.Here it is best to speak first of the principal dimensions of the island, of its arrangement, and of the means of traction which are employed to keep it at all times in the most favorable part of the vast Pacific Ocean.The dimensions of the island will be measured in kilometers rather than miles—a system of calculation which, in the old days, had irrationally rejected the decimal system which had now prevailed.
Speaking of floating villages, they can be found on the Yangtze River in China, the Amazon River in Brazil and the Danube River in Europe.They were, however, only temporary structures, small houses on long rafts.Once at their destination, the rafts were broken up, the houses were demolished, and the village ceased to exist.
The island in question, however, is something else entirely: it ought to go down into the sea, and it ought to endure...as long as the outstanding labor of human hands can make it last.
Besides, God knows, will the land ever become too small for so many inhabitants?Because, according to the theory, scholars assert surprisingly accurately: the population of the earth in 2072 will reach about 6 billion!When the mainland is overcrowded, isn't it necessary to build houses on the sea?
The model island is an island made of steel.The island's resistance is designed for the extraordinary weight it is designed to withstand.It is composed of 270,000 steel boxes.Each steel box is 16 to 66 meters high and 10 meters long and wide.Their surface is therefore a square with a side length of 10 meters, that is, an area of 100 square meters.All these steel boxes are bolted and riveted together to form an island with a total area of 27 million square meters, or 27 square kilometers.The surface shape of the island was constructed by the architects as an oval, with a length of 7 kilometers, a width of 5 kilometers and a circumference of 18 kilometers.
The draft of the island is 30 feet and the surface above water is 20 feet.This is equivalent to saying that the model island is submerged 10 meters into the water.From this it follows that its volume is 432,000,000 cubic meters, and its displacement is equal to three-fifths of its volume, which is 259,000,000 cubic meters.
What to do with the submerged part of the island took a long time to figure out—and made billionaires who came up with it—because it was required not to allow snails and other shellfish to cling to sea water. contact with the island wall.
The underground part of this new type of island is neither worried about deformation nor the danger of breaking, because all the steel plates of the island body are stably supported by transverse connecting rods, and are firmly fixed with bolts and rivets.
The construction of such a behemoth-like sea machine requires the construction of a dedicated workshop.Model Island Co., Ltd. did exactly that.The company acquired the Bay of Madeleine and its waterfront, at the tip of that long peninsula of old California, almost on the Tropic of Cancer.Under the leadership of the engineers of Model Island Co., Ltd. headed by the famous William Tyson, the construction of the island was carried out on this bay.William Tyson died a few months after the project was completed.That's about the same as the latter, who died after his failed launch of the Great Eastern.So is the model island another modern "Great Eastern" that has been magnified thousands of times?
Everyone understands that it is impossible to build an island and put it in the ocean.Therefore, people built model islands block by block and box by box according to the arranged positions on the water surface of the Bay of Madeleine.This part of the coast of the United States thus becomes a port of call for the active island, to which it can come when it needs repairs.
The frame of the island, or the body of the island, is composed of 270,000 steel boxes. Except for the specially reinforced part reserved for the city center, the rest is covered with a thick layer of humus.This kind of humus is sufficient to meet the limited plant growth needs, such as lawns, flower beds, small bushes, groves, pastures, and vegetable fields.But the demands of growing food and raising livestock for meat on such thin, artificially paved land seem unrealistic.Besides, these animals are imported on a regular basis.However, it is necessary to establish some necessary facilities so that milk and poultry products are not dependent on imports.Three-quarters of the land on the model island, or 21 square kilometers in other words, is used for planting.The lawns in the park are covered with green carpets all year round; the fields with intensive farming have a steady stream of melons, fruits and vegetables; the artificial pastures provide abundant pastures for some livestock.In addition, the electrified farming method is widely used here, that is, the direct current effect, which stimulates the growth of fruits and vegetables at an extraordinary speed through electric current stimulation, and the vegetables grown are astonishingly large. For example, white radishes are 45 centimeters long, and carrots even weigh 3 kilograms. .The island's gardens, vegetable plots, and orchards rival the best in Virginia or Louisiana.In fact, there is nothing surprising, you know, since this island is so aptly called the "Pearl of the Pacific", of course it doesn't care about spending money.
The capital, Yiwancheng, occupies about one-fifth of the 27 square kilometers of the island reserved for it, which amounts to almost 5 square kilometers, or 500 hectares, with a radius of 9 kilometers.Readers who just followed Sebastian Zorno and his companions through the city of billions with great interest, are already very familiar with the city and will never get lost.What's more, in the modernized cities in the United States, people can't get lost, because the urban transportation is very convenient.But there is also a regrettable place in these cities, that is, the whole city has no artistry and creativity at all.As you all know, Yiwan City is oval-shaped and divided into two districts. The two districts are separated by a main traffic artery, which is the 1st Avenue, which is more than 3 kilometers long.The observatory is built at the end of this avenue, echoing it in the distance is the municipal building, and its tall main building is clearly displayed on the other end of the avenue.The building gathers the management departments of all public utilities in the city: rivers and roads, planting and gardens, urban security, customs, shopping malls, funerals, shelters, various schools, religion and art.
So, what kind of people are accommodated on this 18-kilometer-round site now?
At present, there are estimated to be 12 large cities with a population of more than 1 million, of which 4 are in China.However, there are only about 10,000 people on this artificially created island, and all of them are Americans.The company does not hope that any international disputes will suddenly arise among the residents one day, because the residents living on this highly modern artificial island come to seek peace and quiet.Moreover, from a religious point of view, it is difficult to unify the different beliefs of the residents, which is not ideal enough, or even very unsatisfactory.But it was very difficult to grant residency on the island only to the Yankees, who lived on the left half of the model island, or, conversely, to live only on the right half.Besides, if they do that, the interests of the Model Island Company will suffer heavy losses.
This piece of metal ground was laid, the part reserved for the construction of the city was properly arranged, and the street plan was also determined. At this time, large-scale ground construction began.A series of luxury hotels, single-family homes, retail stores, public buildings, churches and houses of worship have sprung up.But there is absolutely no such 27-story residential building, the kind of "skyscraper" that can be seen in Chicago, that is, the kind of building that "talls into the sky".All building materials are light and strong substances, and the most used stainless metal is aluminum.Compared with iron of the same volume, its weight is only one-seventh of iron.As said, it is a promising material.This material meets all the conditions necessary for a strong building.In addition, a kind of artificial stone is used in the building, which is the kind of cement block that is extremely convenient to use.In addition, hollow glass bricks are even used.Bricks are blown and cast like bottles, and are assembled with a fine-grained mortar.If you want, this transparent brick can help people realize the ideal of glass houses.In fact, however, it is still metal-framed houses that are predominantly used, as is the use of metal for the frames of various hulls in shipbuilding today.As for the model island, what is it if it is not a huge ship?
The various industries on the island are owned by the Model Island Company.The man who lives on the island, no matter how great his wealth may be, is no more than a tenant.Moreover, the company has taken into account all the requirements of the incomparably rich American millionaires in terms of living comfort and a suitable living environment.Compared with these rich people, European monarchs and Indian princes can only be regarded as ordinary people.
The fact is that, if the statisticians are not mistaken, the gold reserves accumulated in the world are worth 18 billion, and the silver reserves are worth 20 billion. It can be felt that a large part of them belongs to the residents of the "Pearl of the Pacific".
In addition, the undertaking performed satisfactorily financially from the outset.Rents for hotels and residential buildings are sky-high.Some of these rents exceed several million dollars, but many families are still able to spend such a large amount of money generously to pay their annual rent.For the company, this is just one of its income.It should be admitted that the capital of Model Island lives up to its name in terms of living.
In addition to these wealthy families, there are hundreds of families living in houses with rents between 100,000 and 200,000 francs.The conditions of this type of housing are relatively simple, but they can only afford to live like this.The rest of the residents are teachers, suppliers, clerks, servants and a few foreigners.These foreigners have not obtained permission at all, and they have neither the right to settle in the city of billions of dollars, nor can they live on the model island for a long time.There are few lawyers on the island, which keeps lawsuits rare; and even fewer doctors, which keeps the death rate down to extremely low figures.Besides, every resident knows his own physical condition very well: the dynamometer can measure muscle strength, the spirometer can measure the vital capacity, the pulsometer can measure the number of contractions of the heart, and finally there is the magnetometer to measure Measure how much energy you have.Furthermore, there are no bars, coffee shops, or taverns in the city, no places where alcoholism can be induced, and no excessive drinking (so-called alcoholism) has ever occurred.And don't forget, the city's public utilities supply every home with electricity, light, mechanical and heat, compressed air, thinned air, cooling, running water, everything like sending telegrams by air pressure and listening to concerts by telephone Serve.On this machine island, which has gradually eliminated the harsh climate and is free from all kinds of bacteria, if someone dies, it is because people are always going to die, but not now, but live to be hundreds of years old. What happens when the vitality of life is exhausted.
Are there soldiers on the model island?Have!There was an army of 500 men, and Colonel Stewart was the commander of that force.Because, it must be taken into account, the waters of the Pacific coast are not paradise.When approaching some of the islands, one should be cautious, beware of various raids by pirates.The military salary of this team is very high, and everyone's salary is so generous that even the generals who are the commanders in ancient Europe can't help themselves.But this is by no means an attempt to be different.All expenses for food, housing and clothing of these soldiers are borne by the municipal authorities.The recruitment work is carried out under the supervision of big figures with such a high annual income. The conditions of the source of troops are extremely superior, and it is often difficult for people to choose and choose the best.
Are there police on Model Island?Have!There are several teams, and enough to ensure the safety of the city.In fact, a city where there is no reason for disputes does not need many police officers.Of course, the approval of the municipality is indispensable for their presence.The coast is guarded day and night by a team of customs officers.All personnel on board can only disembark from a few ports.Everything is so carefully considered, how can the bad guys get to the island?As for the residents of the model island, whoever misbehaves will be detained and sentenced immediately, and exiled for life to the west or east of the Pacific Ocean, somewhere in the old and new continents, and it is impossible to return to the model island.
We just said that there are "several" ports on the model island.So is there more than one port on the island?Yes, there are two of them.According to the shape of the island, they are located on either side of the oval with the shortest diameter.One is called "starboard port" and the other is "port port", which is consistent with the customary nomenclature in French nautical terms.
In fact, in any case, there is no danger of interruption of regular imports, nor is it possible, thanks to the construction of two ports in diametrically opposed directions.If the weather is bad and ships cannot dock in this port, then another port is just right, so no matter what direction the wind is, there is always a port to use.It is through the port and starboard ports that various supplies of goods are brought to the island, oil is brought in by tankers, the rest is flour and grain, wine, beer and other beverages in season, tea, coffee, chocolate, groceries, Canned etc.In addition, cattle, sheep and pigs are imported from the best markets in the United States.This guarantees that fresh meat is consumed, with everything that will ultimately satisfy the most discerning gourmand.Of course, there are also imported fabrics, underwear, fashion, etc., enough to make the most well-dressed ladies and the most tastefully dressed men have no other requirements.All these items can be bought from the suppliers in Billion City——as for the price, we dare not say it, for fear that readers will suddenly become suspicious.
Even if you accept the above, you will definitely think about it, how do ships regularly travel between the coast of the United States and such an island of machines that can move by nature, and deliver goods to it?It is parked in this area of the sea today, and it may move about 20 miles away tomorrow.
The answer is simple: the model islands are not mobile at all.The highest executive branch first listens to the opinions of meteorologists at the observatory, and then formulates an action plan based on these opinions. At this time, it can act according to the plan.Every move is like a tour, but the route can be modified in order to be able to move back and forth in the most beautiful part of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, while avoiding as much as possible the change of climate, because this kind of The climate can easily lead to various lung diseases.It is for this reason that Callistus Membal, in response to a question about winter, said that "we don't know" that the model islands are only active at the equator between 35 degrees north latitude and 35 degrees south latitude.To cross the 70-degree area, which is about 4200 nautical miles, what an excellent navigation area!Since its course of movement was predetermined, and it moved among these beautiful archipelagos, which were like desert oases in the vast sea, it is no wonder that the regular sailing ships of the Pacific always know where to find this star. "Pearl of the Pacific".
However, even in this case, it cannot be simply said that the model island can be found casually as long as the maintenance ship sails there.However, the company did not want to lease the 25 16,000-mile cables owned by ACC Pandong at all.never!Machine Island is unwilling to depend on anyone.Laying a few hundred buoys on the sea surface, on which the cables leading to the Bay of Madeleine are fixed, is enough to solve the problem.When necessary, close to these buoys, connect the wires to the transmitter of the observatory and send a few express messages, and the people in the Bay of Madeleine can always know the latitude and longitude of the model island.The supply ships can thus regularly bring goods to the island.
However, there is still an important issue worth clarifying.
Regarding fresh water, how is the large amount of fresh water needed on the island solved?
water? ... Beside the port, there are two specialized factories for making fresh water by distillation.The fresh water is then brought through some pipes to the dwelling or under the soil in the field.Household water and road maintenance water is thus solved.Moreover, the water can also be turned into timely rain and sprinkled from the air to vegetable fields, orchards, lawns, etc., so that they no longer need to endure the capricious changes in the weather.This water is not only fresh, but distilled and electrolyzed, so that it is more hygienic than the purest springs on both continents.A drop the size of a pinhead of even the purest water on a continent could contain 15 billion microbes.
The only remaining question is the conditions under which this marvelous machine is mobile.On the one hand, it spends 6 months in the sea within the equatorial circle, on the other hand, its range of activities is between 130 degrees and 180 degrees west longitude. High speed is required.Fifteen to twenty miles a day and a night is enough, and Model Island doesn't need to go any faster.This kind of movement is quite easy to solve. It can be done by pulling a cable woven of Indian jute.This kind of cable is called "bastin", which is both light and flexible, and can float on the surface of the water without sinking to the bottom of the sea and breaking.The cables could be coiled on steam-driven cylinders at each end of the island, so that the model island could move back and forth like a boat going up and down some rivers.However, to drag such a large object, the cable should be very thick, and it is often corroded by sea water.This way of moving the model island is too unfree, and it is necessary to strictly follow the course of action of the tugboat. When it comes to freedom, the citizens of the free United States are absolutely unwilling to give in easily.
Fortunately, at that time, electricians had made great progress in their research field, and no matter what they did, they could use electricity—the soul of all things in the world—to solve it.The traction of the machine island is thus entrusted to it.Two factories on the island were sufficient to keep the powerful—or, indeed, the mighty—generators running, supplying a moderate voltage of 2,000 volts direct current.These generators drive a high-power screw propulsion system installed very close to the two ports.Under the action of hundreds of boilers, each screw propeller can be driven to 5 million horsepower.These boilers fired petroleum bricks.The petroleum bricks are small, don't collect dirt as easily as coal, and are richer in heat.The two factories were headed by two chief engineers, Watson and Samwar, assisted by many mechanics and stokers, and the supreme command was Captain Ethel Simcoyer.From his residence at the observatory the captain was in contact by telephone with the two factories built near the starboard and port ports respectively.It was he who gave the forward and backward orders according to the predetermined course. On the evening of the 25th, it was from there that the order to set sail for the model island was issued.At the time, the model island, which had just begun its annual voyage, was off the coast of California.
Those of our readers who are tempted to wander and confidently land on the island will witness all kinds of strange happenings during this Pacific voyage.Maybe they won't regret it.
Now let's talk about the maximum speed of the model island: when its machines are driven to 10 million horsepower, it can travel 8 per hour.The large body of the island makes it not afraid of wind and waves at all. No matter how big or violent the waves raised by a few gusts of wind are, they will not be able to shake the body of the island at all, so there is no need to worry about seasickness.In addition, even in the first few days on the "ship", the slight tremors generated by the rotation of the propellers in the ground could hardly be felt.There are 60-meter-long pointed ends at the front and rear ends of the island, which can separate the water effortlessly, so this "Pearl of the Pacific" can roam in the vast sea in a stable manner.
It goes without saying that the electricity generated by the two factories is used in other ways besides pulling the model island. Fields, parks and cities are illuminated by it; The beam of light shows the existence of the machine island from a distance, reminding passing ships to avoid collision accidents; various electric currents used by telegraphs, telexes, telephotographs, telephones, etc. and lastly, those artificial moons, by which their light is produced.These simulated moons, each with the brightness equivalent to 5,000 candles, can illuminate an area of 500 square meters.
At the time, this remarkable sea machine was on its second voyage to the Pacific.As early as a month ago, it left the Bay of Madeleine and headed north toward the 35th latitude in order to re-enter the route at the same latitude as the Hawaiian Islands.As Machine Island sailed along the coast of Baja California, Callistus Membal got word on the phone that the Quartet had left San Francisco and was heading for San Diego.Therefore, he proposed to try to invite these outstanding artists to perform on the island.We all know how he subtly drew their attention to him, how he landed them on the island of Machines, which was then moored a few chains from the shore, and was about to learn how chamber music was about to be toppled because of this mischief. Those music fans in Billion City.
This crystallization of human wisdom is the ninth wonder of the world, and it is worthy of the 20th century.Right now, two violinists, a viola player and a cellist are visiting there, and Model Island is taking them to the western waters of the Pacific Ocean.
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