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So
,
on
the
6th
of
October
,
Captain
Nicholl
opened
an
account
between
himself
and
President
Barbicane
,
in
which
he
debited
himself
to
the
latter
in
the
sum
of
two
thousand
dollars
.
One
may
believe
that
the
captain
's
wrath
was
increased
to
its
highest
point
,
and
must
have
made
him
seriously
ill
.
However
,
he
had
still
three
bets
of
three
,
four
,
and
five
thousand
dollars
,
respectively
;
and
if
he
gained
two
out
of
these
,
his
position
would
not
be
very
bad
.
But
the
money
question
did
not
enter
into
his
calculations
;
it
was
the
success
of
his
rival
in
casting
a
cannon
against
which
iron
plates
sixty
feet
thick
would
have
been
ineffectual
,
that
dealt
him
a
terrible
blow
.
After
the
23rd
of
September
the
enclosure
of
Stones
hill
was
thrown
open
to
the
public
;
and
it
will
be
easily
imagined
what
was
the
concourse
of
visitors
to
this
spot
!
There
was
an
incessant
flow
of
people
to
and
from
Tampa
Town
and
the
place
,
which
resembled
a
procession
,
or
rather
,
in
fact
,
a
pilgrimage
.
It
was
already
clear
to
be
seen
that
,
on
the
day
of
the
experiment
itself
,
the
aggregate
of
spectators
would
be
counted
by
millions
;
for
they
were
already
arriving
from
all
parts
of
the
earth
upon
this
narrow
strip
of
promontory
.
Europe
was
emigrating
to
America
.
Up
to
that
time
,
however
,
it
must
be
confessed
,
the
curiosity
of
the
numerous
comers
was
but
scantily
gratified
.
Most
had
counted
upon
witnessing
the
spectacle
of
the
casting
,
and
they
were
treated
to
nothing
but
smoke
.
This
was
sorry
food
for
hungry
eyes
;
but
Barbicane
would
admit
no
one
to
that
operation
.
Then
ensued
grumbling
,
discontent
,
murmurs
;
they
blamed
the
president
,
taxed
him
with
dictatorial
conduct
.
His
proceedings
were
declared
"
un-American
.
"
There
was
very
nearly
a
riot
round
Stones
Hill
;
but
Barbicane
remained
inflexible
.
When
,
however
,
the
Columbiad
was
entirely
finished
,
this
state
of
closed
doors
could
no
longer
be
maintained
;
besides
it
would
have
been
bad
taste
,
and
even
imprudence
,
to
affront
the
public
feeling
.
Barbicane
,
therefore
,
opened
the
enclosure
to
all
comers
;
but
,
true
to
his
practical
disposition
,
he
determined
to
coin
money
out
of
the
public
curiosity
.
It
was
something
,
indeed
,
to
be
enabled
to
contemplate
this
immense
Columbiad
;
but
to
descend
into
its
depths
,
this
seemed
to
the
Americans
the
ne
plus
ultra
of
earthly
felicity
.
Consequently
,
there
was
not
one
curious
spectator
who
was
not
willing
to
give
himself
the
treat
of
visiting
the
interior
of
this
great
metallic
abyss
.
Baskets
suspended
from
steam-cranes
permitted
them
to
satisfy
their
curiosity
.
There
was
a
perfect
mania
.
Women
,
children
,
old
men
,
all
made
it
a
point
of
duty
to
penetrate
the
mysteries
of
the
colossal
gun
.
The
fare
for
the
descent
was
fixed
at
five
dollars
per
head
;
and
despite
this
high
charge
,
during
the
two
months
which
preceded
the
experiment
,
the
influx
of
visitors
enabled
the
Gun
Club
to
pocket
nearly
five
hundred
thousand
dollars
!
It
is
needless
to
say
that
the
first
visitors
of
the
Columbiad
were
the
members
of
the
Gun
Club
.
This
privilege
was
justly
reserved
for
that
illustrious
body
.
The
ceremony
took
place
on
the
25th
of
September
A
basket
of
honor
took
down
the
president
,
J.
T.
Maston
,
Major
Elphinstone
,
General
Morgan
,
Colonel
Blomsberry
,
and
other
members
of
the
club
,
to
the
number
of
ten
in
all
.
How
hot
it
was
at
the
bottom
of
that
long
tube
of
metal
!
They
were
half
suffocated
.
But
what
delight
!
What
ecstasy
!
A
table
had
been
laid
with
six
covers
on
the
massive
stone
which
formed
the
bottom
of
the
Columbiad
,
and
lighted
by
a
jet
of
electric
light
resembling
that
of
day
itself
.
Numerous
exquisite
dishes
,
which
seemed
to
descend
from
heaven
,
were
placed
successively
before
the
guests
,
and
the
richest
wines
of
France
flowed
in
profusion
during
this
splendid
repast
,
served
nine
hundred
feet
beneath
the
surface
of
the
earth
!
The
festival
was
animated
,
not
to
say
somewhat
noisy
.
Toasts
flew
backward
and
forward
.
They
drank
to
the
earth
and
to
her
satellite
,
to
the
Gun
Club
,
the
Union
,
the
Moon
,
Diana
,
Phoebe
,
Selene
,
the
"
peaceful
courier
of
the
night
!
"
All
the
hurrahs
,
carried
upward
upon
the
sonorous
waves
of
the
immense
acoustic
tube
,
arrived
with
the
sound
of
thunder
at
its
mouth
;
and
the
multitude
ranged
round
Stones
Hill
heartily
united
their
shouts
with
those
of
the
ten
revelers
hidden
from
view
at
the
bottom
of
the
gigantic
Columbiad
.
J.
T.
Maston
was
no
longer
master
of
himself
.
Whether
he
shouted
or
gesticulated
,
ate
or
drank
most
,
would
be
a
difficult
matter
to
determine
.
At
all
events
,
he
would
not
have
given
his
place
up
for
an
empire
,
"
not
even
if
the
cannon
--
loaded
,
primed
,
and
fired
at
that
very
moment
--
were
to
blow
him
in
pieces
into
the
planetary
world
.
"
