The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-06-06
THE KORESHAN THEORY
The Earth Hollow Globe and Its In.
habltants Living inside.
NEW IDEA Of A HOLE IN THE GROUND
A"reshans Are Making II Systcnlntic
Effort 10 Dfscreilit the Copernfcnn
Ihcory0f the Earth's Convexity
and TO Revo1uttonizc Universally
Accepted Theories.
Nhlcago TineS-Herald.)

(CllicaSo TimeS-Herald)
Inc NoreShans are eXulting over the
prospective demonstration of the prom
use OF the system founded by DR.. Cyrus
Il. iced. of Chicago. For many years
ior. reed has advocated the theory Of
the earth's ,concavity-that the earth is
q hollow globe, with the inhabitants liy-
ing on the Inside. Such q theory pres
entS Il striking antithess TO the pre-
Falllng views concerning geography,
astronomy and cosmogony, The cellular
cosmogony If 1t were proved to be true.
would completely revolutioniZe all mod
ern scientific beliefs. Scientific facts
are claimed to lie at the basis Of this
new and startling system, and an effort
Is being put forth to demonstrate that
Its premise Is true.
About January LIST the Chicago Korc-
shanS sent an experimenting exhibition
10 the Florida west coast. headed by
frof. u 6. Morrow, Of this city, for the
purpose Of conducting observations and
geodetic operations during the winter
| months. The members Of this party,
consisting Of staff and corps OF opera
tors. selected the coast near Naples
Fla. as the field Of work. Since their
arrival in the South their work has been
Vigorously prosecuted and a number Of
experiments and observations have been
made. the results of all OF which they
claim TO be favorable to the Koreshan
theory. The principal experiment is now
IN progress, in which the rectillineator
| is employed, and the Koreshans are
| expecting that the results Of this sur
Vey will be sufficient to overthrow the
usual theory that the earth's surface is
convex.
1t is not difficult to understand the
specific proposition made by the founder
or the koresshan system concerning a
test Of The earth's contour. II is decid-
edly new and original, and If the prin-
clpleS can be accurately applied there
seems to be no doubt that the test pro-
posed can be made to determine whether
the earth Is convex or concave. Here
tofore Seodetic operations have con
sisted In the survey OF base lines, from
Which trlangleS and Quadri1atcralS are
extended. The aereas bounded by these
geodetic lines are too large to lie on a
fiat plane, and hence the deduction Of
spherical triangles, as triangular figures
upon o globe OF given dimensions will
embrace greater areas than triangles of
the same dimensions upon q plane. The
Koreshans claim not TO dispute the ac-
curacy OF these geodetic measurements,
but hold that the results obtained upon
the concaye and not upon u convex sur
face Of Il globe 5000 miles in diameter.
DIR. Teedhas claimed for several years
that II an absolutely straight lne-an
air line-starting at right angles to the
perpendicular at any given point, were
extended for q number Of miles 1t would
run into the earth's surface. If the earth
be convex such a line would be tangent
to Il convex arc, and the farther it is
| extended the higher 1t would rise above
| the water level. The work Of this Kore-
shan gcodetic expedition IS being con-
Quoted in anticipation that such @ line
will strike the waters surface as the
sine OF aret, the cosine Of which will
complete the chord, the eXtremities Of
which strike the water in two directions
at q distance proportionate to the alti
tude of the beginning Of the line OF sur
vcy.
The ratio OF curvature held to exist in
the Koreshan concavc theory and that
calculated on the basis Of the earth's
conveXity are about the same-cight in
cheS to the mile. In the convex theory,
held by all scientists, the earth is sup
posed to possess q declnation from the
external tangent; in the Korcshan sys-
tenn the earth curvates upward to the
chord of arc Of any given altitude in
the same ratio. The rise Of the earth,
then, in the new system would he in the
same proportion as the declinaton from
q tangent line in the old school In one
mile, the "air line" If the earth be con-
VcN, should be eight inches in excess Of
the altitude Of the starting point; If con-
cave, eight inches nearer the water than
at place OF begnning-a difference Of
six teen inches in one mile in the two the
cries.
The problem Of surveying such g. line
in which the factors OF refraction and
perspective foreshortening must be re-
moved has for time been considered by
Professor Morrow, one Of DR.. Teeds en-
thuSlastic followers His study Of the
problem led to the invention Of the rccti-
lneator-an apparatus consisting Of a
number of sections Of double r. straight
edges. the right angled across arms OF
which are arranged for adjustments.
The method by which the surface Of the
earth is now being tested is that Of prac-
tically building q line-mcchanically
forcing a straight line from the middle
or leveled section to the terminal point
Of survey. The I<oreshans have dared
to stake their faith in the system upon
the work Of such an apparatus, and ac-
cording to their own statements they arc
not being disappointed. Professor Nor
row says that not only has the appara-
tus been proved to be accurate by ac-
tual tests and trial surveys OF the air
line, constituting the main work and
purpose OF the expedition, the horizontal
axis Of the apparatus is gradually ap-
preaching the waters surface.
The geodetic work, which it is claimed
by Koreshars will demonstrate the
truth Of the greatest discovery Of the
nineteenth century began March 18th,
and up to last week over q mile has been
accurately surveyed upon the beach at