, 1889-08-24
TheTerrestrial Globe at the
Paris Exhibition.

of the attractions of the show would be a
great terrestrial globe, one millionth of
the actual size of the earth. This globe is
now exhibited in a building specially
erected, near the Eifel Tower, for the
purpose, and it excites the warmest in
tereSt among all the visitors who have
devoted the slightest attention to geogra-
phical science. 1t was designed by M.
NJ. Willard and C0tard, and these gentle.
men, who have received many COngratu-
lations on their success, have lately issued
an account of the manner in which their
project has been realized. Maps on a
plane surface give, of course, a very made
quate impression of the real appearance
of our planet and ordinary globes are too
small to indicate, even vaguely, the extent
of the spaces represented on them. The
idea of making d globe one millionth of
the size of the earth deserves, therefore,
to be described as a ''happy thought" for,
although the meaning of a million may not
be fully appreciated, it is not absolutely
inaccessible to the human mind. When
we see a place or II district marked on Il
globe, and learn that the reality is a mil,
lion times larger, the proportions are i'm.
pressively suggested, with at least
some approach to accuracy. The dame
ter of The globe constructed by NJ. NJ.
Willard and C0tard is 1913 metres. 1t
has a circumference of 40 metres and a
millimetre of its surface represents a kilo.
metre. The globe consists of an iron
framework made chiefly Of merilians
united to a central core. This structure is
carried 10y a pivot resting on an iron sup
port. To the meridans pieces of wood are
attached, and on these are fixed the pa
nels composing the surface of the globe.
These panels are made Of sheets of card.
board bent 10y hand to the required Spher.
zeal shape, and covered with plaster eS-
p~ecially hardened. The total surface is
divided into forty spindle shaped spaces,
the breadth Of each of which at the ,equa.
ter is exactly one meter. Each spindle is
itself Subdivided, so that there are 600
panels of various dimensions. The de.
signs are painted on the panels before
they are put in their place, in order that
the globe may ultimately be easily dis.
mantled and removed. The edifce in
which the globe is shown has a metallic
framework cupOla. 1t is lighted from
above, and by great glass frames of the
sides. From a terrace or narrow foot
bridge at the upper part the visitor can
see the polar and temperate regions of
the northern hemisphere. AS he decendS,
he is able to see IN succession all the
N5ADA ~ IN SAOOO w nv IA OlO IA
the bottom he comes to the support of the
globe with the apparatus for putting it
i'll motion. Even the ~lOftiest mountains,
If shown in relief, could only have been
represented by elevations a few millime.
tres in height. Consequently the various
mountain range nave been painted on
the surface. The various depths of the
ocean are indicated in \ similar manner.
To facilitate the study of the globe, it has
been mounted with it's axis vertical, and
it may be turned upon the pivot which
carries it. 1t it's rotation were made to
equal that OF the earth, at it's equator, q
point of its surface would move at the rate
of half a millimetre in the second. This
movement would scarcely be visible, but
1t would, OF course, represent an actual
movement of the earth over half a kill.
metre IN the same time. A figure of the
moon, corresponding to this one of the
earth, would have a diameter of $50 me-
tres, and would be 1884 metres distant.
A like figure of the sun would have a dia.
meter OF 400 metres, and be distant
about 100 kilometres. The diameter ola
globe representing Saturn on the same
scale would be a little more than one
third of the height of the Eiffel Tower.
This is not the first occasion on which an
attempt has been made to suggest by
means of a great globe the size of the
earth. and the extent of it's oceans and
land masses. The globe of the Ohateau