The weight of the shell had been too great for its supports.

The forward part, which contained the propelling mechanism, was much heavier than the other end, and had gone down first, so that the shell had turned over and had fallen perpendicularly, striking the ground with the point of the cone.

Then its tremendous propelling energy, infinitely more powerful than any dynamic force dreamed of in the preceding century, was instantly generated.

The inconceivably rapid motion which forced it forward like a screw must have then commenced, and it had bored itself down deep into the solid earth.
"Roland, dear," said Margaret, stepping quietly up to him, tears on her pale countenance, "don't you think it can be hoisted up again ?" "I hope not," said he.
"Why do you say that ?" she asked, astonished.
"Because," he answered, "if it has not penetrated far enough into the earth to make it utterly out of our power to get it again, the thing is a failure." "More than that," thought Margaret; "if it has gone down entirely out of our reach, the thing is a failure all the same, for I don't believe he can ever be induced to make another.".