Therefore, I maintain that if our Projectile had struck that bolide, its velocity, suddenly checked, would have given rise to a heat capable of completely volatilizing it in less than a second." "Not a doubt of it!" said the Captain.

"President," he added after a moment, "haven't they calculated what would be the result, if the Earth were suddenly brought to a stand-still in her journey, through her orbit ?" "It has been calculated," answered Barbican, "that in such a case so much heat would be developed as would instantly reduce her to vapor." "Hm!" exclaimed Ardan; "a remarkably simple way for putting an end to the world!" "And supposing the Earth to fall into the Sun ?" asked the Captain.
"Such a fall," answered Barbican, "according to the calculations of Tyndall and Thomson, would develop an amount of heat equal to that produced by sixteen hundred globes of burning coal, each globe equal in size to the earth itself.

Furthermore such a fall would supply the Sun with at least as much heat as he expends in a hundred years!" "A hundred years! Good! Nothing like accuracy!" cried Ardan.

"Such infallible calculators as Messrs.

Tyndall and Thomson I can easily excuse for any airs they may give themselves.