by Elliot Siemon

Created on: July 23, 2009

Moone Trip

Poets and philosophers had written about it, and as far as Dr. John Wilkins was concerned, he was going to the Moone. After all, great and wonderful advances were being made in mathematics, science and physics. Anything was possible.

As the young Warden of Waldham College, Somerset, he elevated the school's reputation, helping incubate shakers and movers such as Russel, Lovelace, Windham and Strangways. Following Dr. Wilkins as a founding member, students Ward, Rooke, Wren, Sprat, and Pope also joined him as part of the venerable science and knowledge institution, the Royal Society. And when the "Levellers" threatened to dismantle Oxford, he intervened, later becoming instrumental in its administration, a Master of Trinity Cambridge and member of the Oxford Philosophical Club. Son in law to Oliver Cromwell, when Cromwell passes away, Wilkins finds himself advising his brother in law, Richard Cromwell, as a member of the Council of State. You can hardly become more of a Royalist than that, except that he also authored highly regarded books on theology, science and ciphers.

Hitch hiking on the works of Johannes Kepler, who observed and wrote about the physical laws of the planet's orbits and how he conceived one could be transported to the Moone, Wilkins' first book also was on the subject. Associating with leading edge astronomical and scientific minds of the century, to the third printing of "The Discovery of a World in the Moone", on its habitability, added his "Discourse concerning the Possibility of a Passage thither." Also highly influential was Wilkins' "Mathematical Magic; or, the Wonders worked by Mechanical Powers and Motions" a well illustrated guide for engineers showing fanciful techniques for a wide range of devices, including repeating firearms.

With it's mountains, plains and features resembling sea coasts on Dutch maritime charts, the popular view was that the Moone and planets were inhabited. Wilkins certainly wanted to get to know the Selenites as he named them, trading withe them as they did with peoples around the world. Correctly conceiving we were Earthbound by a magnetism of sorts, but considering the floating phenomenon of clouds, he figured that above 20 miles in "flying chariots", one would escape Earth and freely fly away. When the perceptive, mirthful Duchess of Newcastle posed the question of where to tend her horses on the journey, he replied "Your Grace could not do better than stop at one of your castles in the air." Based on what they knew, all the scientists agreed, flying to the Moone indeed was possible.

Of course it was possible. He was mechanically inclined and invented an air gun and a device to record mileage, even a mist making device that produced a rainbow to entertain his garden party guests. As he figured it, all that was needed was ship of sorts, a "spaceship". It would have a powerful spring set by a gunpowder and piston type device and clockwork like mechanism to power a set of large feather covered wings; the feathers of course from high fling birds, like geese. And little food would be needed. Without the Earth's pull on one's digestive track you wouldn't feel as hungry. As for the symptoms mountain climbers experienced, he figured it was the result of lungs not being acclimated to the pure air of angels, and, like mountaineers, they would get used to it.

He commenced experiments with flying machines in the gardens of Wadham and Oxford with his friend and colleague, Robert Hooke. But over all, thirty years of accumulating scientific discoveries clarifying some critical issues like space is actually a vacuum, going to the Moone in 1670, suddenly became - just a dream.

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