The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-08-11
Diameter OF the Earth.

To the Editor Of nbe Republic:
Sin: AS in . recent controversy on the Light
house System, published in your paper, allusion
has been made to the earth's diameter, permit me
to transfer TO your columns a communication on
that important subject from the Inteisecer Of 18th
May, ls4l. runs thus:
To the Editors Of the National hlteLigencer:
GEsTLEmEs: On looking the labors Of the
Academy of Science of st. Petersburg Tor the year
1889, in your paper Of the 18Th ultimo, recognise
| an old acquaintance. (Coilins,) who ii appears,
among others, Is still endeavorng to solve the pro
blem Of the parallax of the fixed stars. For his
formation, and the information of all others
| concerned, affirm that this problem cannot be
solve1 until the earths diameter is known; for on
| this depends the solution Of all such problems, as
time Of observation, supposed to be in the centre Of
the earth. would. therefore, call the attention oi
the National Institution for the promotion OF sci.
ence in this city to this fact, and request that
il would in conjunction with the other literary and
scientific institutions all over the world with
which 1t appears to be in communion, give its
undivided attention to this subject until the earth
diameter be finally determined Then. and not
till then, shall we be enabled to determine, with
accuracy and precision, the parallax of the fixed
| stars, and of all the other heavenly bodies, whe
taer fixed or planetary; their diameters and
distances, attitudes and longtudes, the latitude s
and longitudes Of places on the earths suracc,
height 0f the atmosphere, dip of the horizon, and
distance at which objects on the earth's surface
HAY and can be seen in clear weather. their truo
position the earth's surface with respect to its
| rotation around the centre Of motion, and on -,
throughout the whole of the problems unsolved in
astronomy. From the days Of Hipparchus to the
present time this problem of the tarh's diameter
has occupied the time aud attention Of mathema-
ticians i'll general and astronomers in particular,
and 10 still for solution. Some make it 900 miles;
others, GIL miles, Sir Isaac Newton, 7,9i6.S miles;
the French academicians in general 1922 095
miles; Others 79Os5 miles; Hutton, 1857. rs miles;
Keith, 1864 miles; Gibson, 1921 S75 miles; Bow
ditch, 7,92l.l3 miles; and navigators in general,
1868 Is miles. Now, from this exhibition of va.
rous results, it is evident that the earths diameter
is still unknown, and that all the computations,
founded on the supposition Of it's being known, in
GLIDING the French tables Of money, weights and
measures, and the calculations founded on them,
are erroneous. Hence my reason for calling, at
the present time, the attention of the National and
its corresponding institutions all over the world to
this subject. Should they fail in the solution of
this interesting problem, pledge myself, in due
time. to give the solution, principles purely
geometrical and arthmetca., with the diagram
and it's demonstration. MATIlO.
WAsHlNoToN, May Is, lS4l.
N. Bit is now the 10th of August, 1852, and
this problem remains still unsolvcd. Will any
mathematician take up the gauntlet? M.