Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-03-16
The Moon Hoax.

In the year 1885 the American scientific
world was convulsed by the publication.
of what purported to be the discoveries OF
Sir John Herschel (the younger) at the
Cape of Good Hope. The account aP-
neared in Moses Y. Beach's New York
S,lp. and was supposed to be communicated
to the Edinburg Journal cf Science. or
this hoax Richard Adams Locke, whose
death is Just announced, was the author.
So clearly was the narrative written that
for time the mavelous story was accept
ed as genuine. The article, as originally
printed, appeared under the formidable
title:
s'GREAT ASTRONOMICAL DIsCOvERIESLAT
LY MADE BY sIR-JodN HERsCHEL, LII. D.,
FRS, AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE"
The article then goes on to state that
Herschel, by means of vast telescope
constructed on an entirely new principle,
had, at an elevated point in South Africa,
succeeded in making the most extraordln-
ary discoveries in every planet of the solar
system, but especially had penetrated all
the mysteries of the moon. Every detail
of the information was accounted for with
mathematical accuracy and scientific inge-
nuity, and scholars who had devoted their
lives to the especial study of astronomy
could bring no conclusive reasons for
doubling the truth of the pretended dis
coyeries. The account stated gravely that
the elder Herschel had devoted his life to
the perfection of telescopic lens which
would, by combination of ingenious
contrivances, reduce distance to nothing
ness. By means of its lens and combl-
nation of achromatic contrivances, COM
prehensible only to the initiated, this
wonderful instrument magnifed $4,000
times, bringing the most distant planets
close enough for investigation. Objects
on Saturn not over eighteen inches in
diameter were made perfectly plain.
Herschel, it was stated, expressed his
ability to study even the entomology OF
the moon. A transit of Mercury was to
occur in 1885, and the Cape of Good Hope
was the only spot offering the needed
facilities for its accurate observation. This
explained quite satisfactorily the spot
where the alleged discoveries had been
made.
The astronomical expedition, it was
stated, consisting of Sir John Herschel
(the younger). DR.. Grant, and Lieut..
Drummond of the Royal Engineers, F. r.
A. S., and a large corps of skillful me-
chanics, left London in September, 1884,
and the results of their labors were thus
given to the world one year later. The
work of the explorers on their arrival at
the Cape of Good Hope, with the selection
of the observatory and the erection of the
telescope, are suscinctly and minutely de-
scribed. "The lens, which is inclosed in
frame of wood, and braced to its corners
by bars of copper, is suspended upon an
axis between two pillars, which are nearly
one hundred and fifty feet high. The field
of view from this colossal telescope had
diameter of fifty feet.
WHAT WAS SEEN IN THE MOON.
After many days of preliminary investl-
cation, in which stars and comets were re-
duced to commonplace spectacles, the su-
preme work-the exploration of the moon
took place. :" 1t was about 10 30 o'clock,
on the night of the 10th of January, the
moon being then advanced to within four
DAYS of her mean ibation, that the astron-
omer adjusted his instrument for the in
spection of her eastern limb" The whole
immense power of the telescope was ap-
piled, and to its focal image about one
half the power of his microscope. "On
removing the screen of the latter, the field
of view was covered throughout its entire
area with beautifully distinct and even
vivid representation of basaltic rock! Its
color was greenish- brown, and the width
of the columns, as defined by the the in
terstices on the canvas, was invariably %
inches. No fracture whatever appeared
in the mass first presented, but in few
seconds, a shelving pile appeared of five
or six columns width, which showed their
figure to be hexagonal, and then articula-
tions, similar to those at the basaltic forma-
ton at Staffs." Here flowers were dis
covered, such as bloom in our own fields.
The earth's diurnal rotation, causing a
rapid ascention of the moon, seemed to
present new features to the obervers every
instant, and upon the canvas appeared every
moment green fields, such as the world has,
with all the other attributes of sublunary
life. The trees, said the narrative, were
for a time of an UNMARRIED kind, and unlike
any have seen, except the largest kind of
yews in English grave yards, which they,
in some places, resemble. After the trees, a
green plain 40 miles in extent was reflect
ed on the canvas. In time, an inland lake
appeared, which was described as most en-
chanting. The beach was white as snow,
and girt with castellated rocks, of appa-
rently green marble, varied at chasms
with grotesque blocks of chalk or gyp-
sum, and feathered and festooned at the
summit with clustering foliage of unknown
trees, while the water was as blue as that
of deep ocean, and broke in large white
pillows on the sandy strand. In this vi
cinity no animal life was discovered
Hundreds of miles of moon were thus
travelled over, and great anxiety began to
grow upon the gazers, for some sign of
life in the new world thus wonderfully
brought to their feet. Presently novel
train of scenery appeared upon the lens,
and DR.. Herschel was thrown into won
der of ecstacy and delight. A lofty chain
of obelisk-shaped, or very slender pyra-
mids, standing in irregular groups, each
composed of about thirty or forty spires,
every one of which was perfectly square,
and as accurately truncated as the finest
specimens of crystal They were of faint
schel proved these to be wine -colored am
ethysts. They reached an altitude of sixty
to ninety feet. The whole breadth of the
northern extremity of this sea, which was
about three hundred miles, having crossed
the telescope plane, wild, mountainous
region, abounding in forests of very much
larger trees (apparently of English forest
oak) than had been hitherto seen, was en-
tered upon. These trees were covered
with a superb foliage of broad, glossy
leaves, like laurel, which hung in the open
glade from branches to the ground. This
having passed, a valley was entered which
filled the observers with astonishment.'
1t was oval, surrounded, except at a mar
IOW OptuuS GOWdTu Iue SOutu, Dy nils
red as the purest vermilion.
Here the object of the astronomers
search was finally achieved; animal life
in various varieties was discovered Vas
herds of brown quadrupeGs, resembling
the bison, but more diminutive than orl
species, were discovered. They had re
markable fleshy appendage over the eyes
crossing the whole breadth of the fore
head and united to the ears; character
istic of all the animals afterward seen il
the valley Of the moon. This, says tn,
narrator naively, DR.. Herschel pronounced
providential contrivance to protect tn
eyes of the animals from the great ex
tremes of light and darkness to which al
the inhabitants of our side of the mool
are periodically subjected. Another ami
NAL, about the size of goat, with singl
horn, was found in great numbers. Thi
singular beast afforded the sub-lunary oh
servers great amusement by its antics
which were faithfully reproduced on D1
Herschers lens" In this beautiful valley
large hranchinp river was disooveroG