The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1896-03-21
EARTH WABBLINGS.
A WISE MAN MAKES DISCOVERIES
WITH A PENDULUM.

It is curious old contrivance, this
world of ours. 1t has more motions than
almost any other eccentric body, and
the more il is studied the more motions
IL has. First Of all, it travels about the
SIM; then it takes whirl OF its own
accord around itself, like a top; then 1t
wobbles from one end to the other, Just
a little bit, it is true, but enough TO
make a motion. Now it has another
ouirk, and what that quirk is goodness
only knows The new quirk does not
exist at the equator, but it does at the
north pole. IL is very slight at sea level,
but up in the mountains 1t is quite per
ceptible Anybody can see it If he wants
to, this newly discovered movement OF
the world.
Suspended from the lantern of the
state capitol building, which is that
tall thin tower ON top of the dome and
reaching into the endorsement is
wire. 1t is of steel, one-sixteenth of an
inch thick, and ON the end Of it is
plumb, filled with wet sand and weigh
ing about 40 pounds. A wise man who
once had a similar continuance working
in Switzerland has started this one In
the capitol dome. His observations In
Switzerland got him into no end OF
trouble. He said the world made such
and such movement, or rather that his
pendulum did, and as the big pendulum
did it, then, he argued, the world must
do il amid its many other remarkable
acts. But the astronomers came down
on him like thousand Of bricks. They
hauled ont their papers and their tele-
scopes, their spectroscopes, their picro-
scopes, their algebras and everything
else they possessed and proved that the
experimenting scientist was not only
wrong, but quite wrong.
He said his pendulum described an
ellipse The astronomers said it did
nothing of the kind if not interfered
with and the worst of it was they
proved it. Now he has proved it him
self, and although it reverses his former
position he is immensely pleased with
the result of his observations. The ex-
pertinent made in the Alps several years
ago and that just made in the dome of
the capitol is simple and a very beauti
full one.
The long pendulum was suspended
and the center of gravity determined
that is, a spot was marked which was
exactly beneath the suspensory at the
top of the lantern. The pendulum was
then carried in straight line 10 feet TO
the north of the center of gravity and
released. This gave full swing of 32
feet. AS any one would suppose, the
pendulum went as a clock pendulum
IL. l.
it left the straight north and south
course through the center of gravity,
veering toward the west. Little by lit
tie the end Of the swing, which should
have always swung back to the north,
if it was to keep up the figure described
by clock pendulum, gradually crept
west, until it went through 40 degrees,
when it was swinging from south to
north. Then it crept east and around to
the point Of beginning. In As hours to
a minute almost a complete circle had
been described.
The experiment is said to have been a
complete success. Twice each day the
pendulum was given new impetus, its
own weight and natural laws tending
to stop it, Before grasping it the scien
fists conducting the experiment would
carefully sight between the two point.
on the basement floor il was oscillatine
over, and having fixed them to nicely
would seize the plumb, carry it to tn,
full IS foot point and release it for an
other l2 hours journey. For six day
this was kept up, and three times die
that pendulum make a complete revolu
tion.
What got the scientist who is now a
work in the capitol into trouble in Swift
zerland was a similar experiment 4
that he is now making He went as nea
the top Of a mountain as he could, an,
from the projecting bough Of tree sus
pended 300 foot pendulum. He fol
lowed there precisely the same method
he did in Denver last week, but instea
of his plumb travelling in sharp line
back and forth it described an ellipse-
that is, it made a long o.
This struck the experimenter as be
ing marvellous discovery. He wrot
about it in a most learned manner. Hi
pendulum did precisely what it did i
the dome Of the capitol. 1t made il
revolution. but the ellipse was wha
caused the immense excitement an
shook up the astronomers. Now the es
perimenter has decided that the ellips
was all occasioned by the give whic
tie bough of his tree must certainl
have allowed, no matter how stanc
the tree, and his experiment in the cal
itol quite bears him out in this position
The capitol was selected because it
over mile above the sea level, it is Al
solutely stationary, and the interior
free from all outside interferences, sue
as drafts or flying projections.
1t had been stated that the world hi
more quirks in it than were ever dream
ed about, and every time it is tamper,
with something new is discovered. III
fact is that it is all the time shakir
like an aspen. A basin Of mercul