Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1830-06-02

the calculations Of the NeWtonianS tlCHi-
selves, that the moon having a sphere OF
attraction Of 5000 leagues only, cannot
extend that influence TO our ocean, which
is more than eighty thousand leagues dis
tant;--lhal if this influence was felt she
would attract all the atmosphere Of the
earth, which is nearer to her, aud which
is an element lighter, more fluid and more
elastic than watur;-that when the moon
passes the meridian and eevates the sea
only eight feet above It's level, who should
see, at the same time and at the same
PLACE, the atmosphere rise a quarter oil IT'S
altitude, because, as We are taught by
physical phenomena, a column OF water
thirty three feet 10 height is in equilibrium
with superintendent column Of atmos-
.phcric air, and with thirty inches OF mer-
curry. thence would result that the mcr-
curry IN our barometers would respond to
this sudden ascension and accumulation o.
the alr;-rise in their Ubes Proportlonably
E. as it desc IDS on the slmmlt OF high mouH-
tans where the superintendent air IS less
elevated. more rarifed and consequently
lighter, thar on the summit of the water
Iof the ocean Indeed, SAID | TO the pilot
these are objections Of considerable force;
hui permit me to suggest to you, that
astronomers intended. perhaps, that It IS
the earth which presses its ocean against
the mool; for they serve themselves lndlf
lGrcntlywlth the names of attraction aud
gravitaion. Although. replied the pilot,
this mnner of expressing the same idea
by two words of entirely contrary Signlii-
catlois is not at all philosophical, aStrOno-
mers could not better explain their lunar
systlm of tides; for, according 10 them,
the attraction or gravitation Of the moon,
[ ia, extent ofouly five thousand leagues:
And how could she exert it upon an O.
cea, distant more than eighty thousand
leagues without acting upon Its atmos-
phee! How could she give US a tide IN
The Atlantic ocean when she gravltates or
altrfcts the southern ocean at our nadir!
/ How so many contradictions, which New
ton himself so strongly felt when he ac-
knovledged when there was, in the sys-
tenn of the tides cause as yet unknown!
But our author goes still further. lie
proves that entire globes only act upon
each other; that a star cannot attract OBJ
iects that arc on the surface of planet,
without involving the whole heavens IN
confusion. The sun, which attracts all
planetary bodies TO distances regulated by
/ Divine wisdom, would easily detach from
those bodies not retained by a secondary
attraction. We should see belts, saiellI-
ties and atmosphercs, detached from. their
places near the plauets. yielding to the pa.
ternal power of the sun which would draw
them 10 hlmselE-we should see them, fly
inr through the heavens, revolve, without
functions. around the orb OF day.-Thc
moon. which they say, has been employed
so many ages in lifling up our seas, would
herself be borne away from the limits OF her
iorbt. The benefactrcss of our earth, the
sovereign of our nights; the spouse OF the
sun. would become his useless slave, and
b. lost m court of ght and lumber.
But let Us observe an experiment which
DESTROYS the theory OF luaar attraction at
the surface of our earth. Ii we suspend a
Roman balance. the lever OF which shall
he m eomll brum with a small weight and
eypose It 10 the moon, when she passes the
meridian. she ought to act with mnre force
u5on the lever than upon the weight, she
OUGHT then to destroy rs equilibrium as
,he - supposed to disturb that ofthe waves
of the sea Butth does not occur. The
experiment has been tried - London, and
since then IN France. but IN both cases
without the anticipated success.
He argues, indeed. that the moon eXcr's
a slipht influence on the ocean, not by her
attraction, but solely by the heat aud hight
ofthe sun which she reflects upon the icy
oceans which envelope the poles OF thc
earth As to the suPposl'on not long slncc
admitted by some astronomers that the
moon. in tgaverSing her orbit, turns on her
AXIS and discovers her other hemisphere
we have only to refer 10 voyagcrs who have
circumuavlgated the globe, and demand d
they have ever seen 'hc opposite surface Of
te moo To those who append 70 this
idea that the projecting stones to our earth,
by means of volcanoes, with an explosive
force of 5000 leagues, our author opposes
the leebleness Of our volcanoes which can
not throw their gnited proicctiles over two
leagues, although our globe is four times
, larger than the moon.
After having swept away, if may SO
speak, the fields Of Astronomy, INSTRUCTED
by ignorance, prejudice and error, the au-
4 thor regards the sun as the principle Of all
motions in the planetary system. He
looks upon this star, which occupies its
centre, as the first visible agent Of nature
although it may be frauehi with Attributes