The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-18

Astronomers Calculate the
mfr a This Old Globe.


.ne sc,ml 'gdrth'' Of the world is
] - -. ANON phlcA scientists differ, plac-
90 s,,rt5er Iack than any Of tfe reiis-
tss void. yet ise fact that the
4, s..,5rfaaaF' - pow celebrated upon a
s,,e Constitutes az. interesting time
go 70 -Ass con- pliiAtiSns-
- n,,.eh I'll. tne earth weasn upon lis
- Is question asked not only
& se.easkc standpoint but from a
tu,zr Ole
. ns,az askei 90 "wa4gb'' an article the
r rss,grally teyerts 10 pair Of scaies
xasch Il, object - placed with
-. opr5s.t Waea the scale bal
r. 49, weFEts are read and then the
Iii Is kno~G
!. rrhsr III, Object II larger than any
~ ssaleq or os nature that Il can
II. tif,ed NON 6 scale then the task
srrss more difficult How are you going
- sosashlr. without, scale ana
.as.t The Esovef ei moving the OBJECT
- vosi Ye.e asked 10 weigh very
II = sngshpad Of water upon a G-pouud
IL - soales 90 larger than needed for
I-ax,s weigh. What would you DOR II
/ - saesn eirYso.e - y0d. You would take
80 Ziyen 1Ianaty OF water aud weigh
II rAsn knowing TIE contents Of the hogs
v0a wsu.a multiply your small
T.. l,y the qlitity in the hogshead,
tasy vii ths added weight Of the
rshAad i,sel: wodd give YOU the weight
&se whole
/ 1. weighing IN. eaTth' You know that
8 sarta j. n4de 0e sand. You would.
Irptore. weigh certain amount of sand
4 sould multiply t. by the number o.
81 fss, In the rssth. But here you would
ia trouble II tba earth We're Of San.
tslgn and tIsUugh--a solid mass OF
ssd-your compilation would &C correct.
q ua:orfslBafsy FOR your tx arss. IL is
srs.sssd lafreg Of min4f6ls aI6 water
se-e are rocks ores of az a.nds. clay and
l. jlglfef saetances. All these have
sir ONT VI II. Compare the relative
1isa. o. q asdfu! Of SAND ard "A handful
iran ore. sne q Light. the other. per
lse all y0g Kan carry. Wood. water and
la are Nghsr iian sand. but iron, lead,
igrsr AID is fact all metals are heavier
Ifae difficulty would he obvIated If we
IsH Obtain cubic yard Of material, con-
Eng Al sssffge OF all the substances of
= earth bu, unfortunately. this Is not oh
snabe. thesf1Tc We are compelled 10 re
u TO othes nathodS.
Me best method used today for deter
tans the seigat os the earth Is the Airy
shod, 50 rallied because first used by
Dr. AiFy shea ne was the first court as
tnaseg o. England.
Ihe AIRY method is based upon the prin-
~ that ile attraction o. the earth at any
81 belCv the surface Is the same as IL all
=, part bout the point were removed. or.
ssfiier cords. as IL the world were that
IN snsller. The difference in the earth
~esetna Is asCer;ained by means of n pen
pun As the fspiaity with which the lat
r osiilates depe nds upon the intensity
kfa earth's attractive force.
~ greater Tie force, the quicker the
fsTncnts ~ the pend alum. by locating
sssssfduuns Of the same length, one at
II surface uf the earth and the othc. at
ts1tiom ~ q deep mine. the difference h
y tine required to make an oscillation
y show the difference IN the attraction
nFaylly ln that way the attraction due
eAe portion of the earth below the bot
II OF me mile ansl that due 20 the she'll
f-nundiEg II car be ascertalnei
Pea. by calculating the cubic contents
Se Shell, ari Its density. we can gets It's
hai, atd haVins found the weight OF the
p Vs. can determine the weight OF the
flcr globe. ana thus the whole earth.
us a meihod that was employed about
y years ago though In n crude way.
Pc method ~ obtaining the density OF
outer She'll is interesting. but too
fsthy for discussion here.
Pc Results By this method show that the
iHage weight Of the earth IS abont six
hair tinoa as great al that OF water.
Is cubic foot Of water weighs ga.
lsaas. !he weigh; az Il cubic foot O. the
'sth would hr a. pounds As one cuhl,,
r. contains 1855, epo 20 cubic feet. the
tshi ~ one cubic mile should be g.. 900
taAes'. Tae total volume of the earth
s'seat y. Ns' So 90 cubic miles: the -.
ssigW. therefore. amounts to nor very
Ton 'ts's - t's. tQp .0n. co eo pounds or
r ~. - 's,t'e 40 net tons.
f'sesa Figures look very large. bur whom
I eonSier ;ha; the sun weighs -. ~
fsss As mfca. We realize that they are
" comparatively large.
u fiN That astronomy foSsessa$
- attraction fr th. majority OF neo.
e an .nqu.r'ns mind hut the nstrnno-
ss'fniS from HIS mountain ~ esteem
= 'shdS Ap4n 80 ordinary level when
ss'p'siHS iar simple laws ~ which his
ass tonlNreacus.b,e results ara oh
A'l''S' Louis Globe-D Democrat.