From the Earth to the Moon, Part 2, Chapter 20 summary
Part 2, Chapter 20 of 51 · 7 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 20, the Susquehanna measures Pacific depths for a proposed telegraph cable while its officers discuss the moon travelers and imagine further expeditions. Their confident guesses give way to immediate danger when a fiery object breaks the ship’s bowsprit and falls into the sea, prompting the midshipman to announce the travelers’ return.
What happens
- Lieutenant Bronsfield records a depth of 3,627 fathoms, and Captain Blomsberry orders the sounding line hauled in before retiring.
- The Susquehanna surveys a possible submarine cable route between the Hawaiian Islands and the American coast.
- Officers imagine the travelers exploring the moon, while Bronsfield stresses the absence of direct news.
- A young midshipman proposes enormous written messages visible through the telescope at Long’s Peak.
- At seventeen minutes past one, a blazing object descends, breaks the bowsprit, and plunges into the sea.
- Captain Blomsberry rushes on deck, and the midshipman declares that the travelers have returned.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Bronsfield separates the officers’ confident imaginings from established knowledge. The sudden arrival then interrupts a conversation built largely on guesses.
Quick check
What does the descending object strike before entering the sea?
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