The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-05-23

Globe over 400 Feet in Diameter, on
Which All Natural Details Are to be
Keprodueed.-Mr. Alfred Russell Wal
lace Criticises and Amends the Project
In Essential Features.
(NeW York Times
N. Elsee Reclus, who is Frenchman,
equally famous as good scientist and
bad politician, as goographer who can
be trusted and rs an Anarchist of ideas
SO wild and dangerous that his own
country has twice driven him beyond its
frontiers, has recently published at Brus-
sells pamphlet in which he details at
length his latest scheme 1t Is very
large and not less interesting one-heing
nothing less than ga Project for the
Constru ction of Terrestrial Globe on
the Scale of to 100, O00'
In the May number of The Contem
porary Review Mr. Alfred Russell Wal
lace, the distinguished English natural
it. considers at length the plan of N.
Reclus and in most convincing manner
shows both its strong and its weak
points. From Mr.. Wallace's essay, the
reader cannot fail to roach the conclusion
that while, as conceived by the French
enthusiast the construction of globe of
the size he has in mind would be practi-
oally impossible and scientifically useless,
yet the idea is an admirable one, and, if
modified according to the oalmer English
man's suggestions, its execution would
add materially to the sum of popular and
technical knowledge.
A globe that would bear to the earth
the proportion of to loo. 900 would have
to be Alb feet diam eter This means
that the extremities of its axis would be
farther apart than the distance from the
tip OF the tallest steeple in the world to
the ground, while its circumference
would be nearly quarter of mile
And even on sphere Of this enormous
size, if mountains and valleys, plateaus
and low lands were modelled SO an to
show their true relation to the earth's
magnitude the inequalities produced
would be but trifing. The Himalayas,
for instance, would be only three and q
half inches high, and Mount Blanc
about two inches. STILL a duplication
of much more minute natural features
could be made with accuracy and still be
perceived. The Visibility of inequalities
of surface depends not ON actual magni-
tude SO much as no stsepness or abrupt
ness, and most hills and mountains
rise with considerable abruptness from
nearly level plains. All Irregularities of
surface are appreciated by us owing to
the effects of light and shade produced by
them: and by proper arrangement of
illumination the smallest deviation from
a plane oan be easily rendered visible.
IL is proposed that the globe shall al
ways be kept up to the latest knowledge
of the day by adding fresh details from
the results of exploration in every part of
the world. Then, By means of photog-
rapby, NJ. Reclus says, maps of any
country or district, and on any scale
could be made superior in accuracy to
those now drawn by any system of pro-
ieotion, while the facility of construction
would insure their cheapness. The uni
forinity of presentation would correct
wrong impressions that now exist as the
result of the custom of mapping familiar
countries on large scale. and those dis
tant, OF unimportant, on q small one.
NJ. Reclus fixed on the ratio of 1 to 1O0,-
600 because eng ineorlDg still could not
at present make larger globe, because it
Is the scale Of the best maps now in use,
or haoo iS ha oil
permit the modelling of very moderate
elevations.
The essential features of the proposed
globe are to To as follows: Nothing
about 1T must destroy or diminish it's
general effect 1t must not therefore,
rest upon the level ground, but must be
supported On some kind of PEDESTAL aud
it must be go situated as to he seen from
a considerable distance in every direction
without any intervening obstruction.
But, in our northern climate, the effects
of frost and snow, sun and wind, dust
and smoke, rain and hail, would soon de.
stroy any tintipg of this globe; it is
therefore necessary to protect it with an
outer covering, which will also be globu-
lar, its smooth outer surface being boldly
and permanently colored to represent all
the great geographical features of the
earth, so as to form an effective picture
at a considerable distance.
In order to allow room for the stairs
and platforms required in order to pro-
vide for access to eyeIy part of the sur
faoo of the interior globe, and to afford
the means of obtaining view of n con-
siderable extent of it, there is to be-
space of about fifty feet between it and
its covering. SO that the latter must have
an inside diameter Of about $40 feet It
is also to be raised about so feet above
the ground, so that the total altitude of
the structure will be not far short of 800
feet.
Nj. Reclus adds to his general descrip-
ton statement furnished by conpe-
font engineer, giving a general estimate
for the erection of the globe, with some
further constructive details, which aro
briefly as follows: Both the globe and
tho envelope arc to be built mp Of iron
meridians caunectsd by suiral bands