National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-08-26
A sRINDsroNE THEORY.
IL Accounts for the Creation OF tho Earth, Its
Motion in Space, and the Earthquakes
Which Disturb II.

TO me Editor.
WASHINGTON u. c., Aug. A-When a boy
used to turn griudstone during the harvest
season for the workmcn TO sharpen their
scythcs. The phenomena then obscrvcd--the
action or movement Of the water on the stone
reasoning by means oil the application of
natural laws, assuming these laws in force
universally, led to the formation of beliefs re.
speeding the planet we inhubit, It's origin and
destiny, and some of It's general features.
Though my "grlndstone theory" us it is
laughingly called by my friends, may be some
what amusing, | am persuaded II furnishes
food for thought, and 50 here present It.
Briefly stated my conclusion was rs to It's
origin, That the globe was hurled from the
sun as were the drops Of water from the grind
stone, and for time described, like them, an
overwhelming circle or orbit around II. Its
propelling force, the momentum given, weak
encd by the resistance encountered in part
from the medium through which It passes
Will In time be overcome by the attraction of
| the parent sun, to which, in due time, II will
| return by an evcrdiminishing cirClc-this its
| destiny ON leaving the sun the speed of the
| carth's orbtal movement decreases until 1t
has attilincd its maximum distance and in.
creases as the globe rctraces its course, so to
speak.
| Now to come back to the grindstone, I find
my drop of water-and applying the law, the
| earth-has also derived II rotary motion from
the impulse with the earth We call 1t a
| diurnal notion. This rotary motion, from
/ causes lllut Ill ike manner hueCt inc OrDlNl,
| also decreases. With this decrease there is a
| modification of shape At the poles the earth
| becomes more rounded; mt the equator there Is
shrnkage that develops earthquakes and
! wrinkles the globe with mountain ranges. The
| latent heat OF the substance of the earth under
| the immense pressure maniicstS itself in vol
| canic action. To recapitulatc TO the de-
| crease in rotary movement and the loss OF CEN
| triiugal force thus resulting | refer all those
! mighty displaCemcnts and cuteclysms that
have ever been to man source of awe and
! wonder
Return once more to the grindstonc. The
movement of the water on the surface, we
! perceive, ia entirely governed by the move
ment of the stone. II | turn 1t rapidly and
| regularly the water soon becomes still; If the
| speed be gradually increased the water runs
backward apparently; IL decreased, then for
ward from momentum is we note the waters
of the globe we find q state of unrcst-a rushing
hlther and thither, seeking equilibrium, but
finding 1t not. Their general direction of move
ment should be due east, but those tremendous
| wrinkles before mentioned which, for some
reason, tend more or less along longitudinal
lines, interpose distractions and we have de.
Elections. / have a suspicion, also, that the
tides are somewhat modified by the same
causes, If, indeed their existence Is not due to
| them.
Now, / submit If the illustration of my
humble grindstone Is not more simple and con-
sistent than the vagaries about heat and gases
so prominent as explanations of earthquakes
in certain quarters. OBSERVER.