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Re: Master of the World

From: Craig Weatherhill <craig~at~agantavas.org>
Date: Tue, 8 May 2012 13:30:25 +0100
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

I've now tried twice to send in a message with an attached jpg. photo
(of Table Rock, Morganton, aka The Great Eyrie). Can anyone tell me
why it isn't getting through?

Craig



On 8 Me 2012, at 12:38, Craig Weatherhill wrote:

> People in North Carolina beieive the "Great Eyrie" to have been
> based upon the 4,100ft Table Rock, within sight of Morganton. If
> you Google 'Table Rock Morganton', you'll find some impressive photos.
>
> Craig
>
>
>
>
> On 8 Me 2012, at 01:14, aevans2 tds.net wrote:
>
>> Hi David,
>>
>> Some very interesting ideas...
>>
>> I have not studied this question of Verne's sources for Maître du
>> monde (Master of the World), but it might also be possible--as Jean-
>> Michel has pointed out, among others--that Verne patterned Great
>> Eyry on Pilot Mountain which is near Mount Airy (famous today as
>> the birthplace of Andy Griffith and the model for TV's town of
>> Mayberry). In French "une aire" is an eyrie. Mount Airy = Mount
>> Eyrie = Great Eyry?
>>
>> Of course Mt. Airy is a bit over 100 miles away from Morganton--
>> it's located up near the NC/Virginia border. Perhaps Verne made a
>> mistake; or perhaps he was simply using "artistic license"? Hard
>> to know for sure....
>>
>> As for what initially attracted his attention to western North
>> Carolina, it might well have been the War Between the States, as
>> you suggest. It may have also been the geography-geology of the
>> Appalachian Mountains. It seems significant that at the beginning
>> of the novel Great Eyry is described as the inaccessible crater of
>> an extinct volcano (and we all know how much Verne loves volcanoes!).
>>
>> Just some random thoughts....
>>
>> I cannot attend the NAJVS meeting this year (I'll be in France
>> during that time). But it should be a very interesting one for
>> anyone interested in this Verne novel!
>>
>> Best,
>> Art
>>
>>
>> On Mon, May 7, 2012 at 6:46 PM, David McCallister <drmmystery1881~at~gmail.com
>> > wrote:
>> 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
>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
Received on Tue 08 May 2012 - 15:30:44 IDT

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