Evening star., 1896-11-28
At the Enrth's Center.

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
Without stopping to reply in detail to the
attacks Of my numerous opponents on my
theory Of the falling ball through the i'm
agined hole through the earth's center, 1
propose to fire whole broadside, and
straight for the bull's-eye.
There is one vital factor in the correct
solution Of the problem which 20. c. G."
and Another Writer" have ignored entire
ly, namely, inertia, and the momentum of
the falling ball.
1t is a well-known law in physics that
rest or motion Is equally the natural state
OF matter; that Is to say, body when in
motion has no power of itself to stop, re-
tard OR accelerate Its motion.
Neither has 1t power in or of itself when
at rest to put itself in motion. Therefore
1t follows that body having acquired a
motion from any cause would continue that
motion forever on the straight line on
which it started, and maintain the same
rate of motion until some external force
should retard, accelerate or defect it from
that straight lire Of motion.
Now. then. falling body at the surface
of the earth. falling in a vacuum and with
out resistance. falls 1908 feet the first sec
ond and 1924 feet during the second second
and SO.4O feet during the third second, and
SO on, In that ratio. in ever increasing
velocity q (minus) the gravity of that
ing into hole in the earth; and 1t follows
that the ball falling through the supposed
hole through the earth's center of gravity
is constantly accelerated in its fall until it
arrives at the earth's center. Why? Be
cause the earth's mass Is greater in front
Of the falling ball than it is behind 1t, until
it arrives at the earth's center of gravity,
when it will be attracted in all directions
alike. But 1t will not stop nor pause there
because 1t has acquired fearful velocity In
falling 1900 miles.
l will admit an ever diminishing force
exerted on the falling ball until it arrives
necessarily diminish the speed Of the fall
ing bali, when the force ahead of 1t is
greater than that behind it.
Therefore the falling ball is not retarded
in its flight to the earth's center. for the
reason stated above. but is retarded after
passing the center with an ever increasing
fcrce until it arrives at the earth's surface
again-S,OOO miles from its starting point
when Its momentum Is overcome by the
earth's attractive force, and 1t returns to
repeat it's journey over again. ind SO on
eternally. or until some external force in
terferes with this universal law Of gravita-
ton.
OF course. II the ball fell through air, or
water. or any other material substance, its
performance might be different. II the
imagined hole in the earth were filled with
air II would be very dense. as q column Of
air one inch square and reaching from the
earth's surface. or at sea level. to the top
or the atmosphere weighs about fifteen
pounds. and variously estimated by scien-
lists ai from ilfty TO 30 miles In depth
Now " this comparatively small depth Of
air weighs fifteen pounds TO the square
Inch, ! leave II to the mathematicians to
tell un NNw much column OF air one
inch square and Asa miles deep ito tho
center Of our earth) would weigh, II being
perfectly elastic and comprcssiblc.
! h'lieV" n II estimated that about one
half ~ the mass OF our atmosphere is
Within seven riies ~ IN. earih's surface.
H. n. X.