Page:Clement Fezandié - Through the Earth.djvu/106

86, and the New York station another thousand miles; therefore, both of these motions taken together would make a difference of nearly two thousand miles. That is to say, the New York end of my tube would have to be about two thousand miles farther west than it is at present."

"You mean farther east, don't you?" corrected Flora.

"No, farther west. What is the east side of the tube for us is, of course, the west side for people at the other end. But of what use is it to say any more about this matter? To build a curved tunnel such as would be necessary would, at the present day, be a mechanical impossibility, so it's just a waste of time to speculate about it."

"But, doctor," said Flora, "could n't you do anything to prevent the car from striking the walls as it went down?"

"No," said Dr. Giles, reflectively; "I see no way of doing that unless—eureka! I have it!" he suddenly shouted. "Flora, you're an angel!" he cried, springing up triumphantly from his seat. "Do you know that you have shown me the way to overcome this difficulty, and to-morrow my first car will make its journey through the earth, or my name is n't Joshua Giles!"