New-York tribune., 1841-12-20
THE TRI L N E /.
DR.. Lardner's Ninth Lecture.


Of extreme interest and importance tina, relating
to The peculiar form of the Earth and the planets
Their form is generally assumed to be sphere
but when they accurately examined We shall
be convinced not only that they are not, but that
they ought nor TO be spheres.
If sphere revove upon its diameter as an axis,
any loose body upon its surface tends TO fly off; but
the direction of this centrifugal force Is not from
the centre of the sphere, bu, from the centre OF
tie circle in which the body revolyes. But its
gravity is al the same time drawing it toward the
centre Of the Earth-and it cannct obey this
force, it takes direction between the two, and
thus tends toward the equator. Thus if the Earth
we're a sphere it ia easy TO that all the fluid
upon its surface would collect around the equator;
so that should have vast equatorial ocean and
Two polar continents. But this we see is not the
ase so that we may conclude with perfect GER
tainiy that the Earth is not sphere.
Butt may be asked-weuld not the same thing
happen, no matter what shape be given to the
body If We suppose the Earth TO be globe,
with the equator 30 far elevated above the poles
that the difficulty the fluids should encounter in
approaching the equator by virtue of their attrac-
ton to the centre, should Just equal their cenrifu
gal force, it is evident that the two forces would
balance each other and the water would ROMAN
iuditierently well upon whatever part it might be
placed. Now there is certain degree Of convex
ily the Earth might have, which would render the
tendency of the fluids in the situation Just desert
bed to descend by virtue Of the attraction Just
equal to their tendency TO ascend by virtue of the
centrifugal force. If tho Earth had greater con-
yexity, (Which moreover is easily calculated by
mathematical principles the waters would fall to
the poles by their own gravity and we should have
Two polar oceans and one equatorial continent. II
on the other hand the protuberance al the equator
be less than that then the fluids would fall to
the equator, and we should have one equatorial
ocean aud Two polar continents. But the fact is
that neither of these the true condition Of things
the distribution of land and water is nearly equal
The inference ~ that the convexily Of the Earth
!. Just such as s required by the principle laid
down and no greater. Now by the length of our
dav we know the velocity of the Earth in turning
upon its axis-its diameter and magnitude are
known and the tendency the waters have to collect
around the equator is easily found so shat 1t Is
easy to calculate what degree OF protuberaace the
equator ought to have-in other words, how much
greater the equatorial diameter should be than the
polar.
H..
pressed upon his mind, and in the middle OF his
life he actually calculated what ought to bs the eN-
&C, numerical proportion between the TWO diane
tiers. The only question that remtined to be sol
we'd was. whether this did actually obtain-whe-
Their there was in fact, as there should be accord
ing to theory this exact protuberancc Al H., equa-
tor The degree of il to be sure was extremely
small. Toward the end of Newton's life the de-
gree of latitude was subjected to strict and careful
measurement Several of the Continental Gov
srrments, with England, made appropriations OF
money to send scientific TO different parts OF
the globe and to make close observations touching
this point Strange as it may appear, there arose
a very curious contrarieiy of error: the first re-
suits of their observations led TO conclusion the
reverse of Newton s-namely, that the Earth
sro,u5crance was at the poles-that this planet
WAS shaped more like egg than turnip Sub
,eouent observatioBs, however, were made, and
Newton lived to learn that the actual truth OF ms
theory had been proved 10 tie last degree OF mi
.nu,encss Ii was found that the Earth was pro
iubcrant at the equator, AID in the exact proper
lion which his calculation had established the
true and necessary one.
Now this form efthe Earth Is one otvast imPor-
lance in the economy of the universe. For whe-
Their this form be assumed as matter of physical
necessity or ~ given 10 the Earth by the hand OF
Him who made it, knowing it 10 be best, II can be
conclusively shown that II is absolutely necessary
10 its permaneEce and stability. There appears 10
be in certain minds disposition to take every
beautiful arrangement of the creation out OF the
hands of special Providence and assign II 10
some provision OF nature-as itthey took pleasure
III uscribing 20 physical necessity what belongs 10
the Creator, and in hiding the special arrange
mcnts OF Providence from the eyes OF his crea'
lures.
There are two ways of accounting for this form
OF the Earth In the first place it is said that the
Earth, in It's original shape, was mass OF mud
which ultimately coalesced and formed the globe
Just as the particles OF vapor form the drops OF
rain. A rotation upon it's axis was then given 20
IT by some unknown cause-Perhaps by the impact
of some body-whics caused ii 10 turn upon it.
axis once 10 tweSty-four hours. 1t is then demon.
struted by the laws OF physics that ii fluid be
swiftly turned in this way i, will assume the form
which the Earth actually has. This may be shown
BY simple experiment. Then, say the advocates
of this theory, the mass cooled and became the
solid globe that it is. difficulty at once
srses which is quite fatal TO this theory: there is
no historical evidence whatever that the Earth
ever wa. 8 iuid mass
Another mode of explaining the form of III,
Earth, still more ingenious thsn that Just noticed
bu, hardly more tenable, supposes the Earth t
have been of any fsrm-saya globe-composed o
solids and fluids. If it be globe, the first ehec
OF its rotation would be that all the water wsai.
collect round the equator. aad we should have
lara o.anr M txvn nnlnr