The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-03-04

before the Male High.School to-day at noon
on the arctic regions, devoted espcc,a'ty 10
reyiyinp the theory of his father, the late
CANAAN John c. Symmes, OF the United
States army. concerning polar Vofds ana con-
centric spheres. .
The lecturer began by saying that he had
rndartakcu the task as filial duty; and
sneskins of his Father and his theory, he
said in substance:
For the las; ten years Of his life be never
devoted thirty consecutive days 10 business,
Int dedicated oil bis time, energy, and
strength to the study OF philosophy and he
worked out theory Of bis own In relation
to the formation Of our earth, which be
called "Symmes's Theory Of Concentric
Spheres and Polar Voids this theory being
that the earth IS hollow and nabitabe within.
The climate there, be contended, was open
and genial, and the whole country abounded
in life Of almost every kind, all of which has
been proven true to the letter, as far as en-
plorstions in the North have been made,
since his day, be having died in May, 1929.
NV father being without means to lit out
an expedition for exploring these regions,
petitioned Congress for aid; but his peti.
ton was politely laid on the table. He made
an effort, in featuring tour, to tit out the
expedition by private subscriptions, but also
failed in this. His health also failed, and be
was brought home to die. deeply impressed
to the last with the idea that there was an
open Polar Sea, and that the earth was hol-
low, and habitable within, which he arrived
at bv "puttipg this and that together by
putting the idea OF hollow earth alongside
oftbe known phenomena OF nature, terrestrial
and celestial. To the very last he held to
his theory, and contended that there was
new world beyond the Arctic and Antarctic
lines awaiting new Columbus-a new In.
ferno that Dante bad not visited within this
outer shell of earth.
CAPTAIN SymmeS was coDverSant Wild Sir
Isaac Ncwton's theory Of She law of gravity.
Newton was undttined in one point. He
Eeyer thoroughly understood magnetism.
This was always riddle and bother to him.
The earth is a magnet, or has a magnet in 1t.
How was the magnet made! Analogy-not
always right, TO lie sure, but more often right
than wrong-wonld lead us to believe that
any section OF the earth perpendicular to it's
axis-to the magnet, say, within it-thatscc-
ton, for instance, made by the plane OF the
Arctic or Antarctic circle, like that made by
a stiff paper, on which, if you place iron
filings they will gradually arrange themselves
into concentric spheres il Il bar magnet be
held over the tlingSand the paper be tap
ped would give conceDtric circles. From
this theory OF the magnet sprang my fathers
theory.
0ly father was not 4 mere theoriSt, but |
viii relate his theory, Which is os follows:
According 10 bis theory the earth Is globu-
lar and widely open at the poles. The di-
ameter OF The northern opening Is about
600 miles: the southern opening is some
L. "a r,iapa. ri tbGSa nnpniDuS
me parallel to each other, but form an angle
81 II degrees with the equator, so that the
hishc>t part of the north plane is directly
opposite the lowest part OF the south plane.
':ic shc! Of the earth is about 1000 miles
rp,rk, and the edges of this shell at the
0!cuiEg are called vergeS, and measure
r.. IN ne regular cOncavity within to the
REGULAR concayty without about 800 miles.
The vcr.cs occupy about % degrees, and.
II iclineatcd on Il map, would show only the
outer bali OF the verge, while all above OF
larther from The equator, both north and
south, Wuliid lie on the apex and within the
verge. All the polar regions upon the pres.
,ut map wou'd be out CT sight. The merid-
ian lines extend 1T right angles from the
equator TO the outer edges Of the vcrges, and
then wind round along the surface of the
yer2cS. terminating ut the points directly I'M
der the highest parts OF the rerges, both
north and south. From the regular convex
ltv OF the interior conc:rtv of the Garth
across the verge is 1900 mles-a distance
50 great that vessel sailing over the verge
would rot perceive the change in her drcc-
ton except from the apparent change of the
heavenly bGCics or from observations of the
difference in the eXpalse Of the visible
b JriZon.
The slip going north along the DETECTED
mcrir,ans upon and over tue verge causes
the arparcnt charge in the North star that
Captain Perry mentions, for he says, when
sailing rCrihward in high Latitude the North
STAR rises over the bow of the ship TO the
Zcnilh. and then declines toward the stern.
On the NeH!onian theory the ship must have
,a;led directly under the star and over and
duwn upon the opposite side Of the earth.
tDt this can not be true, for no navigator
iaS sailed so far north. But the vessel must
have been sailing over the verge and intc
tie eurth, which must necessarily bring the
North star over the stern Of the vessel.
Captain Ross, another experienced nayi-
gator in the north, when in high
attitudes beyond the verge, Srelks OF
the Arctic Sea As being calm and
clear of ice, while south of him was a wide
belt of ice. He describes the currents of air
coming from the north as being so warm as
TO dissolve The snow and ice around him and
far to the south. Captain Perry makes fire..
quent mention OF these warm currents of air
coming from the nurth and eaSt-thatis is, from
the interior of the earth. The true causes
which produced this change OF climate in the
Arctic regions heretofore supposed to be
one vast solitude of eternal ice may not be
IN Ia L. ltn nf SpipG 20 md
the discoveries of explorers will soon shed
more light on this interesting subject.
ALI explorers agree that Is and 10
degrees north latitude is the summit OF
the verge, aud the farther you 60 north
from that point the warmer it gets, for
at so and up to s. degrees Captain Hall
found it much warmer, and got into Il region
of country full Of life. DrlllwoOd is found
in great Quantities on the north side Of Ice
land, Norway, and Spilzbergen, while none
Is found on the south side. Trees OF large
size and of different kinds. such as were sup
posed 10 be walnut and ash, are found, some
il good preservation. Vegetables of sipgu-
lar character, and flowers of peculiar fra
sfance and color, unknown to botaniStS, are
sometimes found in this drift. This interior
world would be lighted by the convcrging OF
the rays OF the sun rtlracted and reelected.
Immense shoals of herring, in good order
anu condition, according to Button, come
down from the Polar seas, and are never
known 10 return. Ii they return in the
spring, why are they never observed as well
As When they so south: Admit the Symmes
theory, ard the conjecture would not be un-
reasonable that they make the annual circuit
OF the earth over the exterior and interior
surfaces, and through both openings at the
p2les.
An ithaca e,ot. Ln;nr E, ,,lr acto ll;cbo1 by