Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-09-16
Curious Facts Relating to the Earth's
DiurnaI Revolution.

THAT such huge body as our globe
should completely turn around on its axis
every twenty four hours, causing our
heads to point in the direction of our feet
turning all the wells and rivers and
seas and oceans bottOm-sIde up, ana
placing the foundations of all our build
incs where their roofs ought to be-that
all this should take place every few hours
was once deemed so absurd that those
teaching it were regarded as beside
themselves. and as guilty of subverting
the divine Oracles of God. But all this is
now clearly proven. And yet many are
wholly unacquainted with the proofs. |
notice but briefly the more common proofs
of the apparent revolutions OF the sun,
moon and stars around the earth-simply
remarking that it is preposterous to sup
nose that these millions of immense
bodies, at such immense and various dis
tances, should all have their periods of
revolution so exactly timed as to stimuli
taneously revolve around our compare
lively insignificant globe.
If we ascend to the top of lofty place,
as that of our Bunker Hill, and drop
from its summit pebble, it will not fall
to point exactly beneath our hand, but
little to the east of it. How is this ex-
planned? Only by the revolution of the
earth on its axis The top of the monu-
ment being farther from the center of the
earth than the base, it describes it in
the same time; therefore the top of the
monument moves faster than the base
Now, as we find the pebble always falling
east Of the point from which it fell, we
can account for it only by supposing that
the earth turns round on its axis from the
west to the east.
Again, if we take u clock from a high
latitude to the equator, we shall find that
is too slow; but if returned to the high
latitude it will again keep good time,
This can be explained only by attributing
it to the same cause of increased rapidity
Of motion The clock at the equator is
farther from the earth's axis than when
nearer the pole, and therefore describes a
much larger circle than it did in its North
ern home. But it describes it in the same
time, and thence must travel faster than
before. Now, this more rapid motion
will tend to throw it from the surface with
more force; and thence the attractive
power of the earth is somewhat overcome,
and the weight OF the pendulum is de-
creased, and there moves sloWer-a clock
from London losing 1876 vibrations in
twenty-four hours.
SO we find all bodies weigh less at the
equator than in the higher ATTITUDES, al
ways losing one pound for every 800
pounds-and this because, at the equator
they describe circle Of $4,000 miles cir
conference in twenty -four hours, while in
higher ATTITUDES the circles vary accord
ing to their distance from the equator, and
at the poles describe none at all, being
perfectly stationary. Did our globe re-
volve on its axis in eighty-four minutes,
bodies at the equator would have no
weight; and if it revolved in less time,
then they would be hurled out into space,
Just as water is thrown from the tire of
carriage wheel when revolving rapidly.
How happens it that we have such an
exact adjustment Of these opposing forces
that bodies are retained upon the earths
surface and safety guaranteed to us all?
Is this the result of chance? And so that
most remarkable fact that the attractive
power of the earth is so exactly adapted
to an animals strength. Thus the eaIth's
attraction of the elephant is far greater
than its attraction Of a rabbit, and its
strength is propOrtiOnately increased. We
commonly say the strength Of the animal
is greater because his weight is greater
But weight is wholly the result of the
earths attraction. Now it happens that
this attractive power of the earth is invari-
ably in proportion to an animals strength
Suppose a rabbit-or even a man-to be
attracted with the same force as an Gle
plant.
Then the rabbit and man would be
chained down in utter helplessness to the
surface of the earth, wholly unable to
move even a finger or limb. But we
find a universal law operating, namely:
to their quantities Of matter; and hence
we find the rabbit and the man not at
tracted as is the elephant, but only in pro-
portion to their muscular strength, and so
are able to carry their bodies without in
convenience over the earth's surface,
while the ponderous elephant also does the
same
Whence this law? Is all this mere
chance? Does it not clearly show great
originating cause, and also prove that
cause to be not only all-wise, but all-pow-
erful and benefcent? He who denies this
cannot claim to be Of sound mind nor of
right heart.-San Francisco Morning CaU
Why Do the Clouds Float!
For too long a time the scientific world