Chapter 1306: Whims of the Steam Age
Chapter 1306: Whims of the Steam Age
Joseph wasn't surprised in the least.
France had previously faced an all-out war, and military expenditures alone had practically devoured the national treasury. Naturally, allocations for new projects had been slashed.
He reassured the Director, "Once the World Cup concludes, our financial situation will improve significantly, and the Engineering Design Institute will be given top priority for funding."
"That's wonderful, thank you, Your Highness!" Carnot bowed swiftly, then added with a touch of hesitation, "It's just that the Ministry of Industry has requested we cancel almost a third of our projects within this month. You see, some of them were on the verge of breakthroughs..."
"Oh?" Joseph halted, a frown creasing his brow. "Why such extensive cancellations? Is it a matter of funding?"
Under France's current administrative system, the Ministry of Industry was responsible for both project approval and funding allocation for the Engineering Design Institute.
Carnot nodded. Before he could elaborate, he spotted Mirabeau and Theresa hurrying towards them, accompanied by several subordinates.
The previous evening, Joseph had confirmed with his father that the design and testing for the new steam forging machine were largely complete, ready for production line setup and mass manufacturing. He had dispatched someone to summon the heads of the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Transport to make the necessary arrangements.
Once Mirabeau and his delegation had offered their respects, Joseph immediately brought up the subject of the Design Institute's projects. "Investment in technological research and development is second only to wartime expenditure," he stated. "Even with tight budgets, projects should not be easily scrapped. To cancel a third all at once would severely hinder our nation's industrial progress."
Mirabeau felt cold sweat bead on his brow, startled by the Crown Prince's stern tone. It took him a good three or four seconds to compose himself. He shot a sharp glare at Carnot before hastily explaining to Joseph:
"Your Highness," he began, "Director Carnot has likely not fully elucidated the situation. These cancelled projects have all undergone meticulous evaluation by the Ministry of Industry and will absolutely not impede industrial output."
He turned, casting a glance at the brick-red workshop nearby. "For instance, that 'Underwater Walking Ship' project has already consumed 40,000 francs, but I swear, that contraption is fit only for a circus act."
Carnot immediately bristled. "No, that vessel could very well spark a revolution in shipping!"
"Your Highness, it's driven by a steam engine, allowing it to operate regardless of river conditions. It can continue to travel during dry spells or even when grounded. It's even capable of briefly traversing land between two rivers."
Joseph asked, surprised, "A project like that exists? What's its current status?"
"A working model has already been constructed, Your Highness," Carnot replied, gesturing toward the brick-red workshop. "It's right in there."
Joseph gestured to Mirabeau. "Let's go take a look."
"Very well, Your Highness, if you're truly interested," Mirabeau conceded.
Minutes later, Joseph gazed at the wooden steamship, more than two meters long, before him. A twitch pulled at the corner of his eye.
Four mechanical legs extended from either side of the vessel, powered by two steam engines connected via a series of rods.
These four legs moved in alternation, propelling the hull forward. As the steam engines puffed out thick plumes of smoke, the entire contraption exuded a distinctly steampunk aesthetic.
Carnot continued to champion his invention. "Once this vessel is put into service, we can maintain navigation even during dry spells. You know, the nation's waterways experience an average of twenty-seven days of low water each year, which would translate into immense commercial gains..."
Joseph raised a hand, cutting him off. "How does it swiftly adjust its balance when the riverbed lacks sufficient support?"
'He recalled that even the robotic dogs of later eras would stumble when unexpectedly hitting a rut, and those were controlled by chips processing hundreds of millions of operations per second. This current era certainly couldn't solve such complex problems.'
Carnot paused, taken aback. "That... that is indeed a significant problem..."
Mirabeau offered a faint smile. "Your Highness, I actually commissioned experts to calculate it. The resistance of these mechanical legs in water is enormous. In water three meters deep, it would deplete all its coal after traveling just 2.6 kilometers."
Joseph let out a sigh. "Alright, this project should indeed be terminated. Are there any other questionable ventures?"
Mirabeau promptly replied, "There are quite a few more, Your Highness. Take, for example, the 'Automatic Music Player.' It uses a punched paper strip to control a series of cams, gears, and bellows, all designed to play a flute."
Carnot interjected, "It performs without issue."
"Yes, but that 'delightful' music would surely drive everyone to madness."
'Joseph nodded silently. Given that the only power source available in this era was the steam engine, he imagined the resulting "music" likely resembled the screech of a train whistle.'
Mirabeau's assistant leaned in and whispered a few words to him. The former then quickly announced, "Oh, and speaking of 'marvelous' inventions, we have the 'Urban Sanitation Compressor.'"
Joseph looked at Carnot. "What is that?"
The Director lowered his gaze.
Mirabeau couldn't help but gloat. "Believe me, Your Highness, you absolutely do not wish to lay eyes upon it."
That only further piqued Joseph's curiosity. "Where is it? Is there a prototype?"
"Yes..." Carnot murmured softly.
This time, they walked for a full twenty minutes before Joseph finally encountered a grimy machine in a small shed tucked away in a corner of the Design Institute, accompanied by a truly suffocating stench.
Mirabeau, pinching his nose, introduced, "Your Highness, this device is designed to process 'backyard matters.'"
'Joseph frowned. "Backyard matters" was a polite euphemism for human waste; no wonder the smell was so acrid.'
Mirabeau pointed to the opening at the machine's top. "First, those... 'matters' are poured in through here, then sealed. After that, a screw rod, driven by the steam engine, continuously compresses the 'fragrant material' within the iron cylinder, ultimately yielding a golden-brown 'plank.'"
Carnot interjected, "Your Highness, the moisture is extracted from the waste, leaving behind material weighing only 30% of its original mass, compressed into a highly solid form.
"What initially required five horse-drawn carriages to transport can be carried by just one after processing. And the extracted liquid can be directly sprinkled onto the ground, where it dries quickly in the sun."
'Under the directives of Paris's sanitation regulations, vast quantities of waste were indeed collected daily and carted away by horse-drawn carriages to the surrounding countryside. This invention, in principle, seemed to possess a degree of utility.'
Joseph, however, immediately slapped a hand to his forehead.
'What kind of "heretical" technology was this?'
'The problem wasn't merely about compacting waste; what was truly needed was a comprehensive urban sewage system!'
Mirabeau chuckled, teasing, "Farmers are quite fond of those dried liquids, apparently. Furthermore, the compressed 'hard planks' still require them to be manually broken apart, and their composting time is extended severalfold."
His assistant added, "The tedious process of transporting the waste to a treatment plant, feeding it into the machine, and then compressing it, is far less efficient than simply hauling it directly out of the city."
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