Floating Cities.
Almost everyone is familiar with Ursa Major, or the Great Dipper, that
lies in such bold relief in the region of the northern heavens, and that
apparently revolves around Polaris, the North Star.
The nearer of the two stars that help to form this famous Dipper and
that point toward Polaris, is called Dubhe by our astronomers. This star
and its interesting solar system next claimed my attention.
From Earth I had often looked with admiring wonder at the starry
firmament, and during many an evening I had drawn the imaginary lines
from star to star outlining the Great Dipper, commencing with the end of
the handle and finishing with the star just named at the outer edge, or
rim.
As I came near to Dubhe, I scanned the surrounding skies and was
surprised to find that the whole semblance of my dipper was lost.
Instead of lying in a plane, these stars were widely separated, so far
that a billion miles gives no fair hint of the distance.
Many new stars, previously invisible, now shone in great glory so that
the whole celestial field presented new aspects. Far away I looked
toward our Sun; it sparkled like a tiny star, and none of the planets of
our Solar System were visible.
I paused not at Dubhe, but sped onward to one of the busy worlds that
revolve around it, which I shall call Plasden. This is two hundred times
as large as our world, and "slin" covers seven-eighths of its surface.
Slin is a liquid much resembling water and serves practically the same
purpose.
Plasden is truly a wonderful water world. Its inhabitants are not
confined to the under-water life like those found in Stazza, neither are
they strictly compelled to remain in the atmosphere, although that is
their normal condition. The Plasdenites can sustain life under water,
but only with discomfort. They have three times as many ribs as we
possess, and between them are openings into which air or water enters
for life sustentation. These flabby ribs slowly rise and fall
continuously and involuntarily.
I would describe the upper portion of their bodies, but they would seem
so contrary to our ideas of beauty that I will pass on by saying that to
my eye, now trained in the larger school of interstellar harmonies,
these Plasdenites are lovely and lovable human creatures. They have
reached a high state of civilization and, being gifted with the spirit
life, they are still forging ahead toward perfection, unconsciously
competing with their fellow spirits in millions of worlds.
Plasden is an old planet. Human beings have lived thereon for thirty
thousand years, and consequently, ages ago, the land area became so
densely populated that there was not enough room to accommodate the
increasing millions. This perplexing problem was solved in a very
peculiar manner by an experiment on the part of a wealthy Plasdenite,
who, seven thousand years ago, took advantage of the extremely light
mineral products of this world and built for himself a floating mansion
which covered about ten acres according to our measurements.
This fairy palace was floated on the great oceans from one continent to
another, propelled by the wind and controlled by a series of motors.
After a few years he returned to his native shore and conceived the idea
of building around his palace a water village. All foundations were made
of strong aluminum-like substance mixed with molten granite which, upon
hardening, formed a compound of marvelous lightness and durability. With
painstaking care and unceasing energy the water village was transformed
from a fanciful dream into a tangible reality, and in process of time
one section after another was added until a veritable city floated on
the bosom of the deep.
But this is only a brief description of a marvelous accomplishment. I
did not pause to mention the factories and mills that were attached to
this city, nor have I told you that in less than one thousand years
after this first water city was finished, there were floating, on the
oceans of Plasden, no less than two hundred cities of various sizes,
each a manufacturing center devoted to one or more lines of industry.
The majority of these cities moved in harmony in a world-wide course,
requiring about one year or four hundred of our days to complete a
single circuit. As was their prototype, so they were propelled by a
series of motors and a splendid sail system. At times the wind did the
greater part of the work, and again the full force of the motors was
required.
Let me ask you to get on board one of these cities, and take one year's
journey in a few minutes.
For instance, take one of the vehicle cities, composed of one hundred
factory buildings and three thousand dwellings, all built of
non-combustible materials.
The city is now in the harbor of a great port, and all the merchantmen
who live nearest to this port have been informed that the vehicle city
would arrive about midweek and remain four days. What a busy time
follows after the floating city is fastened to its moorings! Inhabitants
go on solid ground to do their trading. Dealers make large purchases and
place extensive orders.
It should be stated that the mail and telegraph systems between the
continents and all these floating cities are well nigh perfect. Fast
lines of mail steamers follow one another around the same course pursued
by these floating cities, and passengers can go to or from any of these
moving abodes to any part of any continent whenever they wish; so that
if a dealer wishes a vehicle of special design, he can send his order by
mail to any one of the six vehicle cities and have it completed by the
time the floating city arrives at his port. If the community receiving
the order cannot complete the work in time, the order is sent with one
of the mail steamers to the next vehicle city in line.
The massive city starts its journey and in one day it floats to the
coaling stations. Here it takes on board an ample supply of fuel and
proceeds along the regular course, making no stops until it reaches the
mineral station where it takes a new supply of the various kinds of
metals necessary for manufacturing and for all other purposes.
Then perchance it passes a city or two that is lying in dock for trade
purposes. The next stop will be at one of the several tropical stations
where a fresh supply of fruits is purchased and a number of vehicles
sold or delivered.
After this the city passes several apparel cities moored to an immense
dock, taking on board large bales of a cotton-like substance used in
making texture.
So continues the interesting journey along a safe route mapped out
centuries before. Storms arise, of course, but what harm can they do
except to send the ponderous waves dashing against the bulwarks of the
city and rock it gently, all of which becomes so familiar that no one
thinks of these things as serious barriers to the floating-city life.
Perhaps in one tour of four hundred days thirty stops are made. You may
wonder how these huge floats are stopped and started. This is
accomplished by a series of border propellors which can be put into
service at any time if speed is desired or contrary winds are
encountered.
These cities have done much to civilize the darker races of Plasden. The
manufacturing floats, coming into contact with the shores of all lands,
naturally have an uplifting influence on its peoples, some of whom go on
board to learn trades.
The latest novelty of Plasden is a music city owned by one man and built
most beautifully. Its size is comparatively small and it is equipped
with motors of double power enabling it to proceed with considerable
speed as compared with the cumbersome, heavier floats. This city is
built for business as well as for pleasure.
These Plasdenites enjoy an invention in the form of a machine that
renders music when acted upon by air, and, at certain times, also by
water. It is inspiring to listen to these Siren strains as the music
city passes another floating abode.
Excursion parties go on this music city and remain at one or another of
its famous hotels as long as they wish.
[Illustration: A Floating Palace and a Floating City.]
The most refined feature of this water life is seen in the floating
mansions, of which there are many thousands. These are built in such a
manner that the wildest storms of the ocean can do no more than set the
mansion a rocking, for the structures that venture far away from
shore are very large, and surrounded by many acres of attachments.
It is delightful to live in one of these water mansions, go to any
chosen harbor, remain as long as desired and, taking your choice of
countries, dwell among the icebergs or in the tropical regions. People
of delicate health can shift to any climate and change location as often
as desired. This style of retired life is now the most popular of all in
this peculiar world of Plasden.
The educated people are a very bright class; they have made great
progress in manufacturing. This implies a long list of notable
inventions in every branch of industry. It is strange that these
brilliant inventors never paid attention to air travel. However, they
have perfected submarine navigation to a nicety that would be teasing to
the infant efforts that we have thus far made.
The people of this far away orb have greatly surpassed us in controlling
and utilizing the three distinct forces which are quite similar to
electricity, and these are the wizard forces that furnish the power used
to drive the motors and engines, not only of the floating cities, but
also of the fixed abodes.
By a comparative study I ascertained that we have over six thousand
inventions for which they have no parallel, and Plasden has nearly
twenty thousand to which we have nothing similar. What an inspiring
study all these facts furnished! But my space forbids enlargement. I
believe, however, that if our world remains a few thousand years more,
we will have learned more secrets than the experts of Plasden know
to-day, although they have had a start of many thousand years over us.
There are very few worlds where the devotional spirit has reached a
higher level than in Plasden. The truths of the Creator are preached and
practised with a far more pleasing result than is prevalent on Earth.
Satan has found his way to this planet and has organized his forces into
sworn legions against whom the armies of righteousness are waging
relentless warfare.
The main secret of Plasden's high morality is found in the fact that
the civil governments insist on moral laws and a careful observance of
them. One blushes with shame at the looseness and laxity with which the
greater municipalities of our Earth are governed, and all this under the
shadow of our schools and church spires.
Centuries ago the good people of Plasden learned how to co-operate when
they desired to win in a struggle against iniquity. I would give my
life-blood if I could transport this secret in such a way as to make it
effective on the Earth.
In our world we have before us a most humiliating spectacle. If an
effort is made to extirpate some form of sin that has taken audacious
root in the soil of our moral life, one reform element or denomination
fights with the other until the hoe is so broken that there is nothing
left wherewith to dig out the miserable roots of the obnoxious weed.
Thus do we spend our energies opposing one another instead of fighting
the Devil.
O, for the Plasden power of unity, before which any species of
corruption can be crushed out that is opposed by the forces of
righteousness!
We have succeeded, to a bitter extreme, in getting the church and state
separated from each other so far that the latter scarcely ever gets a
glimpse of the former, and we stand by priding ourselves in the absolute
divorce. Then we have also succeeded in getting the different creeds
separated by chasms so wide that it is impossible to make a combined
attack against a common foe. However, these separations between sects
are gradually disappearing, and over the lessening gaps the hands of a
more Christian fellowship are being extended.
The Devil, wiser in his generation than the children of light, long ago
united his trained forces in defense of his iniquitous schemes, and thus
he is permitted for a season to sit on the throne of power and wield his
black wand over the civil realm, thereby licensing iniquity, protecting
vice, and spreading his dark designs over the commonwealths of the
world.
We look forward to the time when the moral and spiritual forces of our
world will reach the Plasden unity. May this be accomplished without
struggling along for another century!