Round the Moon Chapter 20 - The Soundings of the "Susquehanna"

In which the noble corvette Susquehanna conducts deep soundings off the American Pacific coast in pursuit of a suitable site for an ambitious submarine telegraph cable, while officers ponder the fate and whereabouts of intrepid travellers voyaging beyond the lunar frontier. Suddenly, their contemplations are interrupted by a thunderous meteor striking perilously close to the ship, heralding a startling celestial return that commands urgent attention.