Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1889-07-26
A Monster Globe.
M London Engineering.

From London Engineering.
Among the many specially interesting
things to see at the Paris Exhibition is the
model of the earth, constructed with the
utmost accuracy to the scale of nc milli-
metre per kilometre-that is to say, one
millionth of the natural size: and this is
carried out in design and executed with
consummate skill whether regarded from a
scientific, from an artistic, or from a me
chanical point of view.
The construction of an accurate model
of the earth -millionth of its natural
size has not been done without encounter
ing many difficulties. 1t meant the build
ing up of sphere the diameter Of which
is very nearly forty-two English feet, and
painting on it all the details of the surface
of the earth, followed by its erection under
a domed building in such a way that every
portion of its surface can be erSily seen and
examined.
SaECTURE OF THE GLOBE.
The gloGSNs built upon a framework or
skeleton of wrought iron, forming num-
Der of meridianal ribs attached at the poles
to a certral vertical axis or shaft. The
| outside surface of these meridians is cover
ed with wood, to which are fixed the pan
els upon which the geographical surface is
painted The panels are formed of sheets
of special kind of hand made mill board
of the requisite spherical curvature, and
are covered with hard coating of plaster.
| The spherical surface is divided into forty
segments, each of nine degrees of longitude
| and these are each made up of ten tapering
bands or panels, the width of the equat or
ial band being exactly one metre along its
horizontal center line; there are, therefore,
400 of these panels of different sizes, and
the geographical painting upon them was
done before they were fixed in their places,
which was effected in such a manner as to
facilitate their removal and replacement
when the globe is taken away at the close
of the exhibition.
LANDING NEAR THE POLE.
The building which surrounds the globe
is a twelve-sided iron and glass structure,
surmounted by dome, the globe being
supported from below on a vertical axis,
The building is entered by lift. which
lands visitors on platform near the top,
somewhere opposite the latitude of Spitz-
bergen, but the polar regions may he
examined by passing over the north pole
by means of three light iron semi bridges
or stairways, uniting radically at the cen
ire Immediately over the axis. Except at
the part opposite the door of the lift the
platform is not level, but is so constructed
as to form a spiral gallery descending by
an almost imperceptible slope until it
reaches the ground after making a number
of turns; thus every portion of the earth's
surface can be minutely examined, and,
moreover, as the globe is capable of being
turned on its axis with the greatest ease,
the whole circumference of any parallel of
latitude may be looked at without the OBJ
server changing his position, and so per
feet is the centering and balancing of the
globe that although it weighs nearly 13
tons boy can with the greatest ease rotate
it by means of handwheel attached by
bevel and intermediate gearing to the
south polar end of the axis.
FINE CARToGRAPHY.
The execution of the autographed por-
ton of the work is extremely beautiful, and
it must be remembered that the surface is
of such a size Ono less than 525 square feet)
that very considerable detail can be well
shown upon it. Not only are the forms of
countries and the contours of large dis
tricts easy to be depicted, but even cities
may have their general form and size
drawn to scale and some of the principal
thoroughfares represented. For example,
the city of Paris on this globe is very near
ly a centimetre long, and occupies space
large enough for the Siene, and even the
exhibition, to be fairly marked, as well as
some Of the principal streets and buildings.
Thus the actual proportions between the
areas of great cities and those of CONT
nents, oceans and the earth itself are for
the first time accurately shown, and, as
everyone is fairly familiar with the size of
the city in which he lives he is enabled by
this model to form tolerably accurate es-
innate of dimensions of the great divisions
of the earth.
Perhaps the most striking illustration of
this, and proving the great value of the
model as an educational object, is the fact
that not only are the dimensions of the
seas and continents altogether different
from the mental estimate one is accustom-
ed to make, but their very positions seem
to take one by surprise. This is easily ac-
counted for by the fact that the maps in an
atlas are all necessarily of the same SIZE
their scales being chosen so as to reduce
each country or continent to the dimensions
suitable for the size of the plates.
OUT OF SIGHT OF LAND
Again, it is customary to place continent
in the middle of the map, the ocean being
represented only by very small portion
to the right or left of it, as the case may be,
and few people have any clear conception,
for example, of how very small or how
very far north Europe is, how far north is
the Indian Peninsula, or how for south are
Australia, New Zealand and Cape Horn.
The great globe at Paris, however, reveals
these things at a glance. When the oh
server is at a level considerably above
equatorial regions of Africa, Europe is al
together invisible. 1t is round the corner,
or, as sailors would say, 'hull down." and
India and even CeylOn are tar above the
level of the eye. Australia and New Zea-
| land. on the other hand are invisible
southwark, the steamer routes leaving
Colombo and Gales on the north pass di-
agonally over the apparently boundless
ocean, and disappear over, or rather under
the rotundity of the water to the southeast.
But by far the most surprising fact that is
clearly illustrated by this superb work is
the enormous size of the Pacific ocean.
The eye of the observer may have con-
siderable range of position north and south
and east and west of its central region, and
yet see no land in any direction. the whole
globe seen from points within this area be
ing only of water, with here and there
groups of small islands sprinkled, as it
were, over its surface. Numbers of steam
er-routes are seen to come from nowhere
and end in nothing, and one has to walk
through considerable are of the circle be
fore land appears on either side.
MOUNTAINS AND OCEANS.