JULES VERNE AUTHOR OF "FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON", "TO THE SUN!" AND "OFF ON A COMET!" BY EDWARD ROTH ILLUSTRATED PHILADELPHIA DAVID MCKAY, PUBLISHER 23 SOUTH NINTH STREET   PRELIMINARY CHAPTER, RESUMING THE FIRST PART OF THE WORK AND SERVING AS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND. A few years ago the world was suddenly astounded by hearing of an experiment of a most novel and daring nature, altogether unprecedented in the annals of science. The BALTIMORE GUN CLUB, a society of artillerymen started in America during the great Civil War, had conceived the idea of nothing less than