Jules Verne Forum

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Re: Master of the World

From: David McCallister <drmmystery1881~at~gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 7 May 2012 18:46:07 -0400
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

Y'all have probably thought of it already, but my first guess would be that
Verne may have read about the area in press coverage of the War Between the
States. He's got a lot of material that's Southern and WBTS related - for
characters and place settings. North Against South,Blockade Runners, Earth
to the Moon, Mysterious Island, etc. So it's reasonable to think that he
might have read of the topography of North Carolina in French reports of
the time. I think the famous Stoneman Raid, late in the War, went
right through the mountainous area of west NC. I bet if we looked into
French newspapers of the period, we might find out what Verne might have
read.

Also, on another angle, it is pretty well agreed that Count Ferdinand von
Zeppelin got seminal ideas for his later airship from an ascent during the
WBTS. Perhaps Verne learned of the Count's ideas (although the timimg may
be way off since the Count didn't get around to the Zeppelin until after
1880's ) and extended the WBTS balloon technology as he was wont to do, and
especially composed the fore/aft propellor debate at the Weldon Institute
because of this. The Count was very famous at the time of the
Franco-Prussian War for having a daring ride completely around the French
army as a cavalry officer (I think in the service of the King of
Wurtemburg- not the Prussians).
Anyway, even without the Count, balloon technology was cutting-edge in the
WBTS and would have been reported back to France. The Goahead, if not the
Albatross, just seems as natural an extension as the Baltimore Gun Club's
big cannon. Moving HQ from X Island to North Carolina takes a little more
explanation.
While the Gun Club's choice of Tampa is part of the plot (and presages
NASA's ), from Philadelphia to North Carolina seems a short distance. I
don't know, but perhaps it was close to the highest point, Mt. Mitchell,
which Verne could have gotten from an almanac if he was just looking for
the nearest, high mountains.

Perhaps Verne picked North Carolina just in a mystical premonition of Kitty
Hawk's contribution to the history of aviation?
David McCallister

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Received on Tue 08 May 2012 - 01:46:12 IDT

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