Page:Clement Fezandié - Through the Earth.djvu/96

76 prevented it from reaching the opposite side of the earth, but would, by its friction, have also produced an amount of heat sufficient to damage the vehicle seriously.

Along with the boring of the hole, the construction of the car had occupied the doctor's attention. Fortunately, there was nothing very difficult in this part of the work, for any closed vessel whatever would have answered the purpose. Nevertheless, there were certain points that required to be taken into consideration. For example, as, in spite of the efforts made by the doctor to obtain a perfect vacuum, there would always remain a small amount of air in the tube, it would be well to construct the car of such a shape as to offer the least possible resistance in its passage.

Dr. Giles hesitated some little time as to the best shape for his vehicle, but ended by making the body of the car cylindrical, tapering to a point at both top and bottom. The height of the car was about twenty feet, and its width about fifteen; consequently, as the hole was thirty feet in diameter, there seemed little fear of the vehicle striking the sides, even though it should turn around during its journey.