Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-10-22

The ideas of Ptolemy about the spher- icity of the earth were beginning to be held again. It was therefore not a great leap to think that perhaps the ocean on the east of China and the ocean on the west of Spain were the same ocean. Roger Bacon thought so, saying he fancied the distance from Spain to Asia was not so very great. Columbus thought so too. He never dreamed continent lay between. He argued that he had only to sail westward and he would soon come to the eastern coast of China or Japan, or, as he called them, Chafan and Zipangu.
 Columbus was aided by the map work of Toscanelli. This distinguished as tronomer, who drew E;s map about 1470, calculated the cirC ference of the earth prodigiously near the truth-he made it only 124 miles too great. This accuracy for that day is simply amaz- ing. Toscanelli, however, was all in dreamland about Asia; he elongated Asia till it covered the whole Pacific ocean. Then he pictured open ocean, beginning at about the longitude of California and extending east to Europe.
 Columbus pored over this map and carried it with him on his voyage as the nearest thing to chart which was ob- tainable Nevertheless Columbus had theory of his own about the width of the Atlantic ocean and about the cir conference of the earth. Columbus be- lieved that Toscanelli's figure of the earth's circumference was all too large; so instead of about the true circunfer- ence Columbus went back and accepted Ptolemy's estimate, and thus made it $500 miles too little. He calculated that to reach the wonderful Island of Zipangu, or Japan, ho would have to sail only about $500 miles from the Canaries. In other words, he put Japan little nearer Europe than the West Indies. Columbus squeezed the earth up till he made it's circumference just too small for America. Yet the conti- nent that his theory made impossible was to be his immortal glory.
 It was very lucky, however, that Co., lumbus thus jumped America in his reckoning, and that Toscaneli had stretched Asia across to California. For had Columbus known that the real dis tance from the Canaries to Japan was 12,OOO miles he of course would never have dreamed of undertaking that voy- age; America would have waited for her discoverer till she revealed her pres ence by some accident.
 Here are two exceedingly interesting l facts: Columbus sailed westward with 8 scientific purpose, in scientific spirit, simply in order to demonstrate the sphericity of the earth as practical means of reaching China, and in process of that demonstration he ran against an unlocked for continent. Mark Twain l truthfully declares that Columbus could not help discovering America; he only had to sail on till he bumped. Yet, though the finding of America was purely an ac- l cident, the whole voyage was more of a | scientific undertaking than if Columbus | had fancied new continent was to be | found. Had he gone to seek a continent he would have gone only on such knight errant quest as had been common enough | during the ignorant Middle Ages. It | would have taken no more bravery and been no moro significant than a thou sand chivalrous and foolhardy quests after nothing by the knights of Christen- | dom.
 His voyage was significant because ii was undertaken in the interest of science the new science of Europe. Columbus was the first man who had cared or dared venture out through what had been called the Sea of Darkness. to dem- onstrate properly arrived at scientific theory. This constitutes the real glory of Columbus over Jeff Ericsson, who may have visited America, but who was toe much barbarian to appreciate its sig nifcance.
 The other interesting fact is, that un- less Columbus had made the ludicrous error in his science he would never have made his extraordinary venture.
 FRANCIS BELLAMY.