One question remained yet to be decided；it was necessary to choose a favorable spot for the experiment. According to the advice of the Observatory of Cambridge, the gun must be fired perpendicularly to the plane of the horizon, that is to say, toward the zenith.Now the moon does not traverse the zenith, except in places situated between 0°and 28°of latitude.It became, then, necessary to determine exactly that spot on the globe where the immense Columbiad should be cast.

On the 20th of October, at a general meeting of the Gun Club, Barbicane produced a magnificent map of the United States.“Gentlemen，”said he, in opening the discussion，“I presume that we are all agreed that this experiment cannot and ought not to be tried anywhere but within the limits of the soil of the Union. Now, by good fortune, certain frontiers of the United States extend downward as far as the 28th parallel of the north latitude.If you will cast your eye over this map, you will see that we have at our disposal the whole of the southern portion of Texas and Florida.”

It was finally agreed, then, that the Columbiad must be cast on the soil of either Texas or Florida. The result, however, of this decision was to create a rivalry entirely without precedent between the different towns of these two States.

The 28th parallel, on reaching the American coast, traverses the peninsula of Florida, dividing it into two nearly equal portions. Then, plunging into the Gulf of Mexico, it subtends the arc formed by the coast of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana；then skirting Texas, off which it cuts an angle, it continues its course over Mexico, crosses the Sonora, Old California, and loses itself in the Pacific Ocean.It was, therefore, only those portions of Texas and Florida which were situated below this parallel which came within the prescribed conditions of latitude.

Florida, in its southern part, reckons no cities of importance；it is simply studded with forts raised against the roving Indians. One solitary town, Tampa Town, was able to put in a claim in favor of its situation.

In Texas, on the contrary, the towns are much more numerous and important. Corpus Christi, in the county of Nueces, and all the cities situated on the Rio Bravo, Laredo, Comalites, San Ignacio on the Web, Rio Grande City on the Starr, Edinburgh in the Hidalgo, Santa Rita, Elpanda, Brownsville in the Cameron, formed an imposing league against the pretensions of Florida.So, scarcely was the decision known, when the Texan and Floridan deputies arrived at Baltimore in an incredibly short space of time.From that very moment President Barbicane and the influential members of the Gun Club were besieged day and night by formidable claims.If seven cities of Greece contended for the honor of having given birth to a Homer, here were two entire States threatening to come to blows about the question of a cannon.

The rival parties promenaded the streets with arms in their hands；and at every occasion of their meeting a collision was to be apprehended which might have been attended with disastrous results. Happily the prudence and address of President Barbicane averted the danger.These personal demonstrations found a division in the newspapers of the different States.The New York Herald and the Tribune supported Texas, while the Times and the American Review espoused the cause of the Floridan deputies.The members of the Gun Club could not decide to which to give the preference.

Texas produced its array of twenty-six counties；Florida replied that twelve counties were better than twenty-six in a country only one-sixth part of the size.

Texas plumed itself upon its 330，000 natives；Florida, with a far smaller territory, boasted of being much more densely populated with 56，000.

The Texans, through the columns of the Herald claimed that some regard should be had to a State which grew the best cotton in all America, produced the best green oak for the service of the navy, and contained the finest coal, besides iron mines, in which the yield was fifty percent of pure metal.

To this the American Review replied that the soil of Florida, although not equally rich, afforded the best conditions for the moulding and casting of the Columbiad, consisting as it did of sand and argillaceous earth.

“That may be all very well，”replied the Texans；“but you must first get to this country. Now the communications with Florida are difficult, while the coast of Texas offers the bay of Galveston, which possesses a circumference of fourteen leagues, and is capable of containing the navies of the entire world！”

“A pretty notion truly，”replied the papers in the interest of Florida，“that of Galveston bay below the 29th parallel！Have we not got the bay of Espiritu Santo, opening precisely upon the 28th degree, and by which ships can reach Tampa Town by direct route?”

“A fine bay；half choked with sand！”

“Choked yourselves！”returned the others.

Thus the war went on for several days, when Florida endeavored to draw her adversary away on to fresh ground；and one morning the Times hinted that, the enterprise being essentially American, it ought not to be attempted upon other than purely American territory.

To these words Texas retorted，“American！are we not as much so as you?Were not Texas and Florida both incorporated into the Union in 1845?”

“Undoubtedly，”replied the Times；“but we have belonged to the Americans ever since 1820.”

“Yes！”returned the Tribune；“after having been Spaniards or English for two hundred years, you were sold to the United States for five million dollars！”

“Well！and why need we blush for that?Was not Louisiana bought from Napoleon in 1803 at the price of sixteen million dollars?”

“Scandalous！”roared the Texas deputies.“A wretched little strip of country like Florida to dare to compare itself to Texas, who, in place of selling herself, asserted her own independence, drove out the Mexicans in March 2，1836，and declared herself a federal republic after the victory gained by Samuel Houston, on the banks of the San Jacinto, over the troops of Santa Anna！—a country, in fine, which voluntarily annexed itself to the United States of America！”

“Yes；because it was afraid of the Mexicans！”replied Florida.

“Afraid！”From this moment the state of things became intolerable. A sanguinary encounter seemed daily imminent between the two parties in the streets of Baltimore.It became necessary to keep an eye upon the deputies.

President Barbicane knew not which way to look. Notes, documents, letters full of menaces showered down upon his house.Which side ought he to take?As regarded the appropriation of the soil, the facility of communication, the rapidity of transport, the claims of both States were evenly balanced.As for political prepossessions, they had nothing to do with the question.

This dead block had existed for some little time, when Barbicane resolved to get rid of it all at once. He called a meeting of his colleagues, and laid before them a proposition which, it will be seen, was profoundly sagacious.

“On carefully considering，”he said，“what is going on now between Florida and Texas, it is clear that the same difficulties will recur with all the towns of the favored State. The rivalry will descend from State to city, and so on downward.Now Texas possesses eleven towns within the prescribed conditions, which will further dispute the honor and create us new enemies, while Florida has only one.I go in, therefore, for Florida and Tampa Town.”

This decision, on being made known, utterly crushed the Texan deputies. Seized with an indescribable fury, they addressed threatening letters to the different members of the Gun Club by name.The magistrates had but one course to take, and they took it.They chartered a special train, forced the Texans into it whether they would or no；and they quitted the city with a speed of thirty miles an hour.

Quickly, however, as they were despatched, they found time to hurl one last and bitter sarcasm at their adversaries.

Alluding to the extent of Florida, a mere peninsula confined between two seas, they pretended that it could never sustain the shock of the discharge, and that it would“bust up”at the very first shot.

“Very well, let it bust up！”replied the Floridans, with a brevity of the days of ancient Sparta.

不过，有一个问题尚需解决：必须选择一个适合试验的地方。根据剑桥天文台的建议，炮弹应垂直于地平线发射，也就是说，应正对天顶。而月球只有在纬度0°到28°之间才会到达天空最高点，换句话说，它的赤纬只有28°。因此，必须精确无误地确定巨型哥伦比亚大炮的铸造地点。

十月二十日，大炮俱乐部召开全体会议，巴比凯恩带来一张绘制精美的美国地图。“先生们，”他在讨论前说道，“我想我们都同意试验只能而且只应该在美利坚合众国的土地上进行。幸运的是，美国的某些边界已延伸到北纬28°以南了。你们仔细看一下这张地图就会发现，我们拥有得克萨斯州和佛罗里达州的整个南部地区。”

会议做出决定，哥伦比亚大炮要么在得克萨斯州要么在佛罗里达州铸造。不过，这一决定可能会引发这两个州的不同城镇之间史无前例的竞争。

北纬28°线与美国海岸交汇之后，先是横穿佛罗里达半岛，并将之分为差不多大的两部分。随后，它进入墨西哥湾，穿过由亚拉巴马州、密西西比州和路易斯安那州构成的弓形海岸。然后，在得克萨斯州的一角登陆，延伸过墨西哥，穿越索诺拉，跨过古老的加利福尼亚州，隐没于茫茫的太平洋之中。因此，只有得克萨斯州和佛罗里达州两州位于这条纬线以南的那些部分，才符合剑桥天文台所建议的纬度条件。

佛罗里达州南部地区并无什么重要的城市，只有一些大堡垒耸立着，那是防备东流西窜的印第安人的。只有一个城市——坦帕城——可能符合条件，有权申请。

相反，在得克萨斯州，城市更多也更重要：纽埃西斯地区的科珀斯克里斯蒂，以及布拉沃河上的那些城市——威伯地区的拉雷多、科马里特、圣伊格纳西奥，斯塔尔地区的里奥格兰德城，伊达尔戈地区的爱丁堡，卡梅伦地区的圣丽塔、埃尔潘达、布朗斯维尔——组成了一个强势联盟，对抗着咄咄逼人的佛罗里达州。因此，刚一获知会议的决定，得克萨斯州和佛罗里达州的议员们便飞快地赶到了巴尔的摩。自那一时刻起，巴比凯恩主席和大炮俱乐部中有影响的会员们就没日没夜地被一些强烈的要求包围着。如果说希腊的七座城市为争夺荷马诞生地的殊荣而争执不休的话，那么得克萨斯州和佛罗里达州这两个州则为了一门大炮的问题而威胁要以武力相向。

这时候，人们看到那些“凶狠的兄弟”携带着武器在巴尔的摩的大街小巷里游来荡去。每次双方一见面，大家都担心会发生冲突，那样可能会导致灾难性的后果。幸好，由于巴比凯恩主席的谨慎和机智，这种危险才得以避免。个人的那种种不满在各个州的报纸上得到了宣泄。这么一来，《纽约先驱论坛报》和《论坛报》支持得克萨斯州，而《时代报》和《美国评论》则站在佛罗里达州的代表们一边。大炮俱乐部的会员们不知道该听谁的好。

得克萨斯州的二十六个县不可一世地一起上阵；而佛罗里达州则回击道：在一个只有得克萨斯州六分之一大的州里，有十二个县动员起来了，它们的力量足以胜过二十六个县。

得克萨斯州大肆标榜它拥有三十三万人口，而佛罗里达州面积虽小，只有五万六千人，但也不忘吹嘘自己人口密度大。

得克萨斯人通过《纽约先驱论坛报》补充道：“对一个生产全美国最优质棉花的州，一个生产造船用的优质绿橡树的州，一个蕴藏着出矿率高达百分之五十的优质煤矿和铁矿的州，我们应该表达敬意才是。”

对此，《美国评论》回应道，佛罗里达州的土地虽然没那么肥沃，却能为哥伦比亚大炮的制模和铸造提供最好的条件，因为它是由沙土和黏土构成的。

“可能确实不错，”得克萨斯人回敬道，“但是，想在一个地方铸造任何一样东西，就必须先到那个地方去。然而，去佛罗里达州的交通极为不便，而得克萨斯州沿岸却有着加尔维斯顿海湾，周长达十四法里，能停泊全世界的船队。”

“很好，”忠实于佛罗里达州的那些报纸回应道，“你们竟然把你们那位于纬度29°线以南的加尔维斯顿海湾都给抬出来了。难道我们就没有圣埃斯皮里图海湾吗？它可就在纬度28°线上呀，而且船只通过它就可以直达坦帕城了。”

“好美丽的海湾！”得克萨斯州人反诘道，“它的一半都被泥沙淤塞住了！”

“你们才被淤塞住了呢！”佛罗里达州人气愤不已地驳斥道。

口水战如此这般地打了几天，佛罗里达人企图把对手引到另一个战场上去。有一天，《时代报》暗示，由于这个试验“纯粹是美国的”，那它就应该在一块“纯粹是美国的”领土上进行。

闻听此言，得克萨斯人急了，叫喊道：“美国人！难道我们不是同你们一样是美国人吗？得克萨斯州和佛罗里达州不是都在一八四五年并入美利坚合众国的吗？”

“毫无疑问，”《时代报》回答道，“我们可是从一八二〇年起就属于美国了。”

“这我们是相信的，”《论坛报》回击道，“在当了二百年的西班牙人或英国人之后，人家又把你们以五百万美元的价格卖给了美国！”

“那又怎么样！”佛罗里达人反驳道，“我们应该因此而感到羞惭吗？一八〇三年，难道美国不是以一千六百万美元从拿破仑那儿买下了路易斯安那州吗？”

“这是奇耻大辱！”得克萨斯州的代表们吼叫道，“像佛罗里达州这么一丁点儿大的地方也敢同得克萨斯州相提并论？得克萨斯州可没被卖过，而是独立自主的。它于一八三六年三月二日把墨西哥人赶走，在山姆·休斯顿于圣哈辛托河畔击败桑塔·安纳[33]的军队之后，便宣布成立了联合共和国！这个州最后自愿加入了美利坚合众国！”

“没错，那是因为它害怕墨西哥人！”佛罗里达人回答道。

“害怕！”自从这个实在很刺激人的词说出来之后，局势便变得非常严峻了。人们预见到双方的人马会在巴尔的摩的街头巷尾大打出手，非置对方于死地不可，于是不得不把代表们监视起来。

巴比凯恩主席不知如何是好。纪要、文件、恐吓信纷纷落到了他的手里。他应该支持哪一方呢？从土地的适用性、通信的便利性、交通的快捷性来说，这两个州旗鼓相当，不分伯仲。至于政治条件，也都没有问题。

巴比凯恩为此犹豫不决，举棋不定了很长时间，最后他决心摆脱困境。他把他的同事们召集在一起，向他们提出了一个非常明智的解决办法，我们马上就可以看到。

“仔细考虑佛罗里达州和得克萨斯州之间刚发生的事之后，”巴比凯恩说道，“很明显，同样的种种困难也将会出现在被看好的那个州的各个城市之间。竞争将越来越扩大，从州到市，难度也愈发地加大。而得克萨斯州就有十一个城市符合规定的条件，它们都将为争夺这份荣耀而博弈不止，这又将给我们制造出一些新的麻烦来。而佛罗里达州却只有一个城市，因此，我们就选择佛罗里达州，选择坦帕城吧！”

这个决定一公布，得克萨斯州的代表们便惊呆了。他们怒火中烧，愤恨不已，指名道姓地大骂大炮俱乐部的会员们。巴尔的摩的行政官员们只有一个办法，他们便采取了这个办法。他们让人开来一列特许专列，硬是将得克萨斯人塞进车里，以时速三十英里的速度把他们送走了。

然而，尽管把他们全都迅速地送走了，可他们仍然没有忘记冲对手们最后再挖苦一句，威吓一下。

他们挖苦佛罗里达州小得可怜，只不过是两个大海中间夹着的一个狭小的半岛；他们还声称，佛罗里达州肯定承受不住炮弹的冲击，大炮一响，准会被震上天去的。

“好呀！就让它上天去吧！”佛罗里达人以一种古斯巴达时代的简洁语言回应道。