Opposite it and upon the eastern extremity2 of mystic Yucatan is Cape Catoche. Between these two points of land lies that body of water which connects the Gulf3 of Mexico with the Caribbean Sea and known as the Yucatan Channel.
Mr. Wilbur Wade4, the distinguished5 arch?ologist, geologist6, naturalist7 and scientist in general, had startled his associates of the World’s Geographical8 Society by a positive and unheard-of statement.
“I have made very careful soundings in the Yucatan Channel,” he said; “also I have compared the strata9 of the two capes10, and it is my firm belief that at a period not so very remote there existed no channel between the two points of land. In fact——”
“Then you claim the existence of an isthmus11 between Cuba and Yucatan at some time?” interrupted Professor Brown.
“Just so,” agreed Mr. Wade.
“What has become of it, I would like to ask?”
There was just a bit of cynicism in this query12. But then these two men had never been the warmest of friends. Wade bit his lip.
“What do you suppose has become of it?” he retorted. “Surely you don’t think it has taken wings and flown away?”
“But you were going to prove the matter to us,” returned Professor Brown, with a bit of sarcasm13.
“If it is not an impossibility,” said Mr. Wade, ironically, “my opinion is that the isthmus is at present at the bottom of the Yucatan Channel.”
A number of the scientists moved in their seats. Professor Brown smiled broadly.
“A very simple matter to look at,” he said, pointedly14. “Of course, it will be easy to furnish absolute evidence?”
Mr. Wade turned a cold stare upon the man who could speak so insultingly. Then he said:
2“Before I allow the fact to go upon record I shall prove it.”
“Then we shall have an isthmus between Labrador and Greenland; another ‘twixt Japan and Corea; still another between Sicily and the Italian Peninsula, and again——”
“One moment,” said Wade, politely. “You must remember that there is nothing improbable in any hypothesis you have named. If I am not able to prove myself right, you are not able to prove that the sunken isthmus never existed. I leave it in all fairness to our fellow-members.”
There was a slight murmur15 of approval, but there was yet incredulity.
“How do you expect to prove that there was once an isthmus between Cape San Antonio and Cape Catoche, may I ask, Mr. Wade?” spoke16 the chairman.
Mr. Wade drew himself up.
“By the only possible method,” he replied. “I shall visit it.”
The scientists all looked surprised. Professor Brown actually laughed out loud and slyly tapped his forehead. Finally the chairman said:
“Really, Mr. Wade, you must allow that that is quite a remarkable17 assertion. In what manner can you expect to visit this—this imaginary sunken isthmus?”
Wade’s eyes flashed.
“Imaginary if you will,” he said; “I shall conduct my investigations18 with a submarine boat.”
There was a great stir in the assemblage. Even Professor Brown forgot to interject his sarcasm.
“In a submarine boat?” repeated the chairman. “Does such a craft exist?”
“It does!” replied Mr. Wade, suavely20. “And a very dear friend of mine is the inventor and owner.”
“His name?”
“Frank Reade, Jr., of Readestown.”
A murmur went through the throng21. At once the sentiment began to change. Professor Brown faded from view.
Not one in that distinguished company but had heard of Frank Reade, Jr. His name changed the tide.
“Indeed!” exclaimed the chairman, with interest. “Is not Mr. Reade the inventor of an airship?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And of other wonderful things?”
“Exactly.”
“So he has built a submarine boat?”
“He has, and it is a success. He has kindly22 consented to assist me in locating the sunken isthmus. This boat is capable of remaining weeks under the sea. The plan cannot fail.”
In a moment dozens of the men were thronging23 about Wade, congratulating him heartily24. Skeptical25 they were no longer. Foes26 a moment back, now they were fawning27 friends. Truly, nothing creates friendship like one’s success.
He was at once the lion of the hour. Scores of requests were showered upon him. Would he procure28 such a specimen29? Would he solve such a marine19 problem? Was there any room on board the Sea Diver for another savant?
Et cetera, et cetera.
One still incredulous man ventured to ask:
“Will not the sunken isthmus be like all the rest of the bed of the sea? How will you prove it was ever above the surface?”
“If an isthmus did exist in that locality,” said Wade, logically, “there must have been habitations upon it. Probably I shall find ruins of a village, town or city, or remains30 of forests or craters31, or river beds. There will be plenty of evidence if there ever was an isthmus.”
Wade went to New York from Washington on the night train. As he was whirled away upon the fast express he felt that he had really gained a great victory.
“I silenced that old hard-skull, Brown,” he muttered, with keen satisfaction. “And he deserved it.”
I know the reader will agree with Wade in this. That night he consumed in getting back to his Manhattan home.
The next day he packed his effects and started for Readestown.
Deep down in the heart of lovely hills upon a river navigable to the sea was the beautiful little city of Readestown.
A number of generations of Reades had lived there, and all had been inventors. But Frank Reade, Jr., the handsome young scion32 of the race, had proved the most famous of all.
The fact was, everything he took hold of succeeded.
It was bound to “go,” and with a snap and vim33 characteristic of the young American.
In undertaking34 the construction of a submarine boat Frank had hit upon that which had been an enigma35 to thousands of inventors.
But his marvelous ingenuity36 won the day and he triumphed.
The Sea Diver was conceived, outlined, charted and built. Then she was tested and proved an unqualified success.
In her outline the Sea Diver was long, slender and cylindrical37, 3in the shape of her hull38. This rested upon a deep keel to insure steadiness, which was a highly important matter.
The hull of the submarine boat was constructed of plates of steel, closely riveted39. Above the cigar-shaped hull there was an open deck, extending from stem to stern.
In the center of the deck rose the dome40, with the skylight and great observation window. Under this was the luxuriously-appointed cabin.
Just forward of this dome was the pilot-house, a smaller dome with heavy plate-glass windows. Here the steersman could direct the course of the boat and operate the electric keyboard which directed the vessel41’s engines, for the motive42 power of the Sea Diver was electricity, furnished by a wonderful storage system.
Aft there arose a square structure with bull’s-eye windows, with a railed quarterdeck above it. This was called the after-cabin, and here were the staterooms and living quarters of the submarine travelers.
On this quarter deck there was a powerful searchlight, capable of a reach of fully43 two miles.
The interior of the Sea Diver lacked nothing in the way of equipment and appointment.
There were supplies of all kinds aboard for a cruise of two years.
Amidships and under the big dome were the wonderful electric engines, by means of which power was furnished for all the mechanism44 of the boat.
In the pilot-house was the electric keyboard. Here were the various little buttons and brass45 levers by means of which the doors and windows could be hermetically sealed, the huge tank filled with water instantly for the sinking of the boat, or again for raising it by the expulsion of the water with pneumatic pressure.
Thus the boat could be made to sink or rise at any desired depth; to go forward or back at the pressure of a button.
As wonderful as anything was the system of circulation by means of chemically-made oxygen. Under the pilot-house there was placed a generator46 which was capable of manufacturing pure oxygen, and also of extracting and destroying the bad air or gases as fast as they were created.
Little pipes and open valves extended to every part of the boat through which the oxygen was continually disseminated47, so that the submarine boat might remain an indefinite time under water and the voyagers could be sure of breathing pure air all the time.
In fact, not a detail was lacking to make the Sea Diver a safe vessel, a comfortable home and a symmetrical, beautiful craft.
It was true that Frank Reade, Jr., had done his best to perfect the new submarine boat.
That he had been successful it was easy enough to see. Nobody had more confidence in him than his friend, Mr. Wilbur Wade.
The scientist was ready to embark48 upon a voyage to any part of the submarine world without considering for a moment the possible perils49 of such a thing. He was a firm believer in the practicability of submarine navigation, and the seaworthiness of the new boat.
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1
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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geologist
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| n.地质学家 | |
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naturalist
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| n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
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geographical
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| adj.地理的；地区(性)的 | |
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strata
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| n.地层（复数）；社会阶层 | |
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capes
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| 碎谷； 斗篷( cape的名词复数 )； 披肩； 海角； 岬 | |
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isthmus
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| n.地峡 | |
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query
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| n.疑问，问号，质问；vt.询问，表示怀疑 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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pointedly
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| adv.尖地，明显地 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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16
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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19
marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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suavely
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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thronging
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的现在分词 ) | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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skeptical
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| adj.怀疑的，多疑的 | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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fawning
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| adj.乞怜的，奉承的v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的现在分词 )；巴结；讨好 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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craters
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| n.火山口( crater的名词复数 )；弹坑等 | |
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32
scion
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| n.嫩芽，子孙 | |
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vim
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| n.精力，活力 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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enigma
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| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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cylindrical
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| adj.圆筒形的 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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riveted
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| 铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意 | |
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dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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41
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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42
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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45
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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46
generator
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| n.发电机，发生器 | |
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47
disseminated
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| 散布，传播( disseminate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
embark
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| vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机 | |
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49
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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