The Great Explosion and the Rush Below

The next day, Thursday, August 27, is a well-remembered date in our subterranean journey. It never returns to my memory without sending through me a shudder of horror and a palpitation of the heart. From that hour we had no further occasion for the exercise of reason, or judgment, or skill, or contrivance. We were henceforth to be hurled along, the playthings of the fierce elements of the deep.

The next day, Thursday, August 27, is a date I remember well from our underground journey. Whenever I think of it, I shudder with horror and my heart pounds. From that moment on, we had no further chance to use reason, judgment, skill, or ingenuity. We would be hurled along, playthings of the fierce forces deep underground.

At six we were afoot. The moment drew near to clear a way by blasting through the opposing mass of granite.

At six, we were up and about. The time was near to blast a path through the mass of granite blocking our way.

I begged for the honour of lighting the fuse. This duty done, I was to join my companions on the raft, which had not yet been unloaded; we should then push off as far as we could and avoid the dangers arising from the explosion, the effects of which were not likely to be confined to the rock itself.

I begged for the honor of lighting the fuse. Once I had done that, I was to join my companions on the raft, which had not yet been unloaded. We would then push off as far as we could to avoid the dangers of the explosion. Its effects were unlikely to be limited to the rock itself.

The fuse was calculated to burn ten minutes before setting fire to the mine. I therefore had sufficient time to get away to the raft.

The fuse was set to burn for ten minutes before igniting the mine. So I had enough time to get back to the raft.

I prepared to fulfil my task with some anxiety.

I felt somewhat anxious as I prepared to do my task.

After a hasty meal, my uncle and the hunter embarked whilst I remained on shore. I was supplied with a lighted lantern to set fire to the fuse. "Now go," said my uncle, "and return immediately to us." "Don't be uneasy," I replied. "I will not play by the way." I immediately proceeded to the mouth of the tunnel. I opened my lantern. I laid hold of the end of the match. The Professor stood, chronometer in hand. "Ready?" he cried.

After a quick meal, my uncle and the hunter got into the boat while I stayed on shore. I was given a lit lantern to light the fuse. "Now go," said my uncle, "and come straight back to us." "Don't worry," I replied. "I won't dawdle." I went straight to the entrance of the tunnel. I opened my lantern and took hold of the end of the fuse. The Professor stood with a stopwatch in his hand. "Ready?" he shouted.

"Ay."

"Yes."

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

I instantly plunged the end of the fuse into the lantern. It spluttered and flamed, and I ran at the top of my speed to the raft.

I immediately put the end of the fuse into the lantern. The fuse sputtered and burst into flames, and I ran as fast as I could to the raft.

"Come on board quickly, and let us push off."

"Get on board quickly, and let's set off."

Hans, with a vigorous thrust, sent us from the shore. The raft shot twenty fathoms out to sea.

Hans pushed hard, sending us away from the shore. The raft shot 120 feet out to sea.

It was a moment of intense excitement. The Professor was watching the hand of the chronometer.

It was a moment of intense excitement. The Professor watched the hand of the chronometer.

"Five minutes more!" he said. "Four! Three!"

"Five more minutes!" he said. "Four! Three!"

My pulse beat half-seconds.

My pulse beat twice a second.

"Two! One! Down, granite rocks; down with you."

"Two! One! Fall, granite rocks! Come down!"

What took place at that moment? I believe I did not hear the dull roar of the explosion. But the rocks suddenly assumed a new arrangement: they rent asunder like a curtain. I saw a bottomless pit open on the shore. The sea, lashed into sudden fury, rose up in an enormous billow, on the ridge of which the unhappy raft was uplifted bodily in the air with all its crew and cargo.

What happened at that moment? I don't believe I heard the muffled roar of the explosion. But the rocks suddenly shifted, splitting apart like a curtain. I saw a bottomless pit open on the shore. The sea suddenly became furious and rose in an enormous wave. The wave lifted the ill-fated raft into the air, along with its entire crew and cargo.

We all three fell down flat. In less than a second we were in deep, unfathomable darkness. Then I felt as if not only myself but the raft also had no support beneath. I thought it was sinking; but it was not so. I wanted to speak to my uncle, but the roaring of the waves prevented him from hearing even the sound of my voice.

All three of us fell flat. In less than a second, we were in deep, unfathomable darkness. Then I felt as if neither I nor the raft had any support beneath us. I thought the raft was sinking, but it was not. I wanted to speak to my uncle, but the roaring waves kept him from even hearing my voice.

In spite of darkness, noise, astonishment, and terror, I then understood what had taken place.

Despite the darkness, noise, shock, and terror, I understood what had happened.

On the other side of the blown-up rock was an abyss. The explosion had caused a kind of earthquake in this fissured and abysmal region; a great gulf had opened; and the sea, now changed into a torrent, was hurrying us along into it.

On the other side of the blasted rock was an abyss. The explosion had caused a kind of earthquake in this region of deep cracks and chasms. A huge gulf had opened, and the sea had become a torrent, rushing us into it.

I gave myself up for lost.

I thought I was doomed.

An hour passed away—two hours, perhaps—I cannot tell. We clutched each other fast, to save ourselves from being thrown off the raft. We felt violent shocks whenever we were borne heavily against the craggy projections. Yet these shocks were not very frequent, from which I concluded that the gully was widening. It was no doubt the same road that Saknussemm had taken; but instead of walking peaceably down it, as he had done, we were carrying a whole sea along with us.

An hour passed, perhaps two. I cannot tell. We held tightly to each other to keep from being thrown off the raft. We felt violent jolts whenever we were thrown hard against the jagged rocks. But the jolts were not very frequent, so I concluded that the gully was widening. This was no doubt the same route Saknussemm had taken. But instead of walking peacefully down it as he had, we were carrying a whole sea along with us.

These ideas, it will be understood, presented themselves to my mind in a vague and undetermined form. I had difficulty in associating any ideas together during this headlong race, which seemed like a vertical descent. To judge by the air which was whistling past me and made a whizzing in my ears, we were moving faster than the fastest express trains. To light a torch under these conditions would have been impossible; and our last electric apparatus had been shattered by the force of the explosion.

These thoughts came to me, as you can imagine, in a vague and uncertain way. I could hardly connect one thought to another during this headlong rush, which felt like a vertical descent. The air whistled past me and roared in my ears. Judging by that, we were moving faster than the fastest express trains. Lighting a torch under these conditions would have been impossible. Our last electric device had been shattered by the force of the explosion.

I was therefore much surprised to see a clear light shining near me. It lighted up the calm and unmoved countenance of Hans. The skilful huntsman had succeeded in lighting the lantern; and although it flickered so much as to threaten to go out, it threw a fitful light across the awful darkness.

I was therefore very surprised to see a clear light shining near me. It lit up Hans’s calm, untroubled face. The skilled hunter had managed to light the lantern. Although the flame flickered as if it might go out, it cast an unsteady light across the dreadful darkness.

I was right in my supposition. It was a wide gallery. The dim light could not show us both its walls at once. The fall of the waters which were carrying us away exceeded that of the swiftest rapids in American rivers. Its surface seemed composed of a sheaf of arrows hurled with inconceivable force; I cannot convey my impressions by a better comparison. The raft, occasionally seized by an eddy, spun round as it still flew along. When it approached the walls of the gallery I threw on them the light of the lantern, and I could judge somewhat of the velocity of our speed by noticing how the jagged projections of the rocks spun into endless ribbons and bands, so that we seemed confined within a network of shifting lines. I supposed we were running at the rate of thirty leagues an hour.

My guess was right. It was a wide gallery. The dim light could not show us both walls at once. The water carrying us away fell faster than the swiftest rapids in American rivers. Its surface looked like a bundle of arrows hurled with unimaginable force. I can find no better way to describe the impression it made on me. At times, an eddy caught the raft and spun it around as it sped along. When we came close to the gallery walls, I shone the lantern on them. The jagged rocks blurred into endless ribbons and bands, giving me some idea of our speed. We seemed to be trapped inside a network of shifting lines. I guessed we were traveling at thirty leagues an hour.

My uncle and I gazed on each other with haggard eyes, clinging to the stump of the mast, which had snapped asunder at the first shock of our great catastrophe. We kept our backs to the wind, not to be stifled by the rapidity of a movement which no human power could check.

My uncle and I stared at each other with haggard eyes, clinging to the stump of the mast. It had snapped in two at the first shock of our great disaster. We kept our backs to the wind so we would not be suffocated by the speed of our movement. No human power could stop us.

Hours passed away. No change in our situation; but a discovery came to complicate matters and make them worse.

Hours passed. Our situation had not changed, but a discovery complicated matters and made them worse.

In seeking to put our cargo into somewhat better order, I found that the greater part of the articles embarked had disappeared at the moment of the explosion, when the sea broke in upon us with such violence. I wanted to know exactly what we had saved, and with the lantern in my hand I began my examination. Of our instruments none were saved but the compass and the chronometer; our stock of ropes and ladders was reduced to the bit of cord rolled round the stump of the mast! Not a spade, not a pickaxe, not a hammer was left us; and, irreparable disaster! we had only one day's provisions left.

As I tried to put our cargo in better order, I discovered that most of it had disappeared. It had been lost in the explosion, when the sea broke over us with such force. I wanted to know exactly what we had saved, so I took the lantern and began to look. Of our instruments, only the compass and the chronometer remained. All that was left of our ropes and ladders was a piece of cord wrapped around the stump of the mast! We had no spade, pickaxe, or hammer left. And worst of all, we had only one day's provisions left, a disaster we could not remedy.

I searched every nook and corner, every crack and cranny in the raft. There was nothing. Our provisions were reduced to one bit of salt meat and a few biscuits.

I searched every corner and every crack in the raft. There was nothing. All we had left to eat was one piece of salt meat and a few biscuits.

I stared at our failing supplies stupidly. I refused to take in the gravity of our loss. And yet what was the use of troubling myself. If we had had provisions enough for months, how could we get out of the abyss into which we were being hurled by an irresistible torrent? Why should we fear the horrors of famine, when death was swooping down upon us in a multitude of other forms? Would there be time left to die of starvation?

I stared blankly at our dwindling supplies. I refused to grasp how serious the loss was. But what was the point of worrying? Even if we had enough food for months, how could we escape the abyss? An unstoppable torrent was hurling us into it. Why fear the horrors of starvation when death was closing in on us in so many other forms? Would we even have time to starve to death?

Yet by an inexplicable play of the imagination I forgot my present dangers, to contemplate the threatening future. Was there any chance of escaping from the fury of this impetuous torrent, and of returning to the surface of the globe? I could not form the slightest conjecture how or when. But one chance in a thousand, or ten thousand, is still a chance; whilst death from starvation would leave us not the smallest hope in the world.

Yet, through some strange trick of my imagination, I forgot my immediate dangers and thought about the threatening future. Was there any chance of escaping the fury of this rushing torrent and returning to the earth’s surface? I could not even guess how or when. But one chance in a thousand, or ten thousand, is still a chance. Death by starvation, however, would leave us no hope at all.

The thought came into my mind to declare the whole truth to my uncle, to show him the dreadful straits to which we were reduced, and to calculate how long we might yet expect to live. But I had the courage to preserve silence. I wished to leave him cool and self-possessed.

I thought of telling my uncle the whole truth and showing him how desperate our situation was. I also thought of calculating how much longer we could expect to live. But I had the courage to stay silent. I wanted him to remain calm and in control of himself.

At that moment the light from our lantern began to sink by little and little, and then went out entirely. The wick had burnt itself out. Black night reigned again; and there was no hope left of being able to dissipate the palpable darkness. We had yet a torch left, but we could not have kept it alight. Then, like a child, I closed my eyes firmly, not to see the darkness.

At that moment, the light from our lantern began to fade, then went out completely. The wick had burned out. Once again, we were in pitch darkness, with no hope of dispelling it. We still had a torch, but we could not have kept it lit. Then, like a child, I squeezed my eyes shut so I would not see the darkness.

After a considerable lapse of time our speed redoubled. I could perceive it by the sharpness of the currents that blew past my face. The descent became steeper. I believe we were no longer sliding, but falling down. I had an impression that we were dropping vertically. My uncle's hand, and the vigorous arm of Hans, held me fast.

After a long time, our speed doubled. I could tell by how sharply the air rushed past my face. The descent grew steeper. I believe we were no longer sliding, but falling. I had the impression that we were dropping straight down. My uncle's hand and Hans's strong arm held me firmly.

Suddenly, after a space of time that I could not measure, I felt a shock. The raft had not struck against any hard resistance, but had suddenly been checked in its fall. A waterspout, an immense liquid column, was beating upon the surface of the waters. I was suffocating! I was drowning!

Suddenly, after an unknown amount of time, I felt a jolt. The raft had not hit anything hard, but its fall had suddenly stopped. A waterspout, a huge column of water, was pounding the surface of the water. I was suffocating! I was drowning!

But this sudden flood was not of long duration. In a few seconds I found myself in the air again, which I inhaled with all the force of my lungs. My uncle and Hans were still holding me fast by the arms; and the raft was still carrying us.

But the sudden flood did not last long. Within seconds, I was in the air again, breathing it in with all the strength of my lungs. My uncle and Hans were still holding me tightly by the arms, and the raft was still carrying us.