The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-05-07
prom The London Globe. April ISL

i i. H. H.
49, HIS RorATinN or THE i:AHrH
REaDsKsD VISIBLE. The experiment,
nowglieiias, ,cxhb'l'.l i,t Paris, hv which
the tliIrnaI rotation nf The rnrlh is
rendered palpnbic Ia The senses, IN one
Of the most rrlnnrkabl. of tho modern
verlficnli,,ns Of theory. Altnnuh Tho
demonstration bv which III" rotation Of
tl,eacarlh has been established h" such
as to cnrrv II conviction ,o III" minds ni
oil who nre cap ,blo Of c"inprrhr,ndinu
1t, to which nothing can b" imagined tn
ndti ciillcr force or cl"nrnrsS. n,v.r.
theless even the natural philosopher
himself cnnnn, rrgnr,l The present rx.
pertinent, wilhou, feelings nf profound
interest untl satisfaction. mnd Ia the
grent mass, to whom tho complicated
physical phrnomcnn bv which Tho 70
tnlion OF tho earth has been establish.
ell are inconpclrnshl". tins exp ri.
mcn: is invaluable. A, The ccn,r,. Of
tho ,lomn Of the Pnn,hron IL finc wire is
attached, from Which sphere of metal,
four or five inches il diameter. is sus
pended so ns TO hang near The ilonr
Of tho building. This apparatus is put
In vibration nftcr the manner Of
pentlulum. Under, and concentrated
viii, it, is placed circuInr table, some
twenty feet in diameter, the crcum
ference Of which is divided into dc.
grces, minutes. &C.. and tho divisions
numbered. Now. it Can he shown bv
the most eIcIn'n,nry principles Of me
chahcs. that, surprising The earth to
have the dinrnnl motion upon its axis
which is imputed to it, AMI which
explains the phenomena Of 'ay anil
might, &c, tho plane in wh'ch this
pendulum vibrnlcS will no, hc effected
by This diurnnl motion, bu, will maintain
strictly The sutnn direction during
twenty four hours. In This interval.
however, tho table over which tho
pendulum is suspended will con, nuall,
change its position in virtue of III.
dinrnal motion, so MS to make n
complete revolution round its o. nlrr.
Since, then. Tho table thus rrvnlvcs
and the pendulum which vihrnl, nvr,
1t does not rrv"lvc, IN" cons q,r ncr is
that line traced upon the table hv u
point projecting from the bottom Of .ln.
Gall will change it's direction relatively
tu the table from minnie 10 min,it.. nil'i
md from hour 10 hour, so That if such
point were pencil and tIn, paper
were spread upon lhc table, The
course formed bv this prncil during
twenty. four Iinurs would form n SvS
tenn Of lines rntlaling from the ccn,r,'
OF The tables. ana The Two lines inrmr,l
atier The interval of ono hour would
always form m nnglr with cnch other
OF an angle with each 9th r nf Is deg
beng the twcntv-E'urll, pr, oi III" cir.
cumfrrcncr. Now this is rrn'l, red
actually visible 10 The crowds which
daily ilnck IL the Phnnllron IL witness
This remarkable experiment. The,
practis''d eve ot corr"c observer.
especially # aided by proper op,i:nl
instrument. ,nav nclunity scc lhc motion
which the table has, in common
viii. sl,s cart. under Inc pendulum.
steiRren two successive YilE",.ons. Il
5js:.fi,sin stact, appar' u, ,h", N" bail, or
= faflier the point attached tn the bottom
Of .l,c ball, dors not retain precisely
10 tn" same pnin, "f the circnmfrrrnc"
of The tables after two successive,
vibrations. This is rendered visible.
the motion which the table has
in common with the earth. II is
true That, correctly speaking, the table
does moi turn round It's own centre,
for although the table b. turned
in common with tho surface of,hc earth,
round tho eur,h's AXIS, the pniui Of S,iS.
pension Of the pendulum is turned
also in the same time round The, Sarir.
axis, being continually maintained
vertical abnvc the centre Of the lnll
he plane in which the pendulum.
vibrnlrs does moi. however, pnriakr oI
the mo'ion, and, consequently, has
tho appearances of rrvnlvin. once
in twenty four hours over The ,nhl..
while, in reality, ii is the table. which
revovrs once in twenty. four hours
under il.