Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-17
An Extraordinary Globe.

There has just been completed AT
Lincoln. ILL.,. the largest scientifically
made globe for the study of geography
ever constructed in this country. and
probably the largest ever made in the
world Larger balls have been made,
but only for show purposes. and they
have been wanting in scientific value.
while this one is accurate in its small
est details.
The Lincoln globe was made by
George Christian Schneider. an expert
Matchmaker OF this city, and is 10 feet
in circumference at the equator. This
makes it upon scale of one-haif inch
To the degree at the equator, and the
diameter is about 50 inches.
Mr.. Schneider spent $500 hours In
hard work and diigent study in com
piling and constructing the globe. and
so far as can he learned Ii is correct in
every particular The whole is nrisi
nal except the geograp hical information
and this is credited To the various
authors. The expense for maps and
aliases alone was $500. and the globr
contains more than double the amount
OF information and detail shown IN any
map OF the World OF equal scale. Asia
and Africa are especially ahead Of any
other general map. or even any special
map in existence.
The foundation for the globe is an
iron frame spun over with telegraph
wire which was covered half al inch
thick with cotton batting soaked in
glue. Above this a paste consisting Of
sifted sawdust and varnish WAS added
to the depth of another half int Il and
ali was painted over many times
The portions representing the land
Mere then built up in relief from blot
ting paper. which was also painted
over many times and then rubbed down
smooth To receive the drawings.
This process has produced a shell as
hard as wood and one in which all danger
of cracking or chipping is removed. and
the whole is vanished and can tie
washed without injury. There is not a
penstroke upon this globe. but every
letter has been engraved upon 1t and
filled in with black oil paint. and any
new discoveries can be easily added at
any time. The land is painted in "a
light tan and the water light blue
and every part. no matter how small
is clear and distinct. and though many
of the names are 50 small thai they
cannot be read with the naked eye.
Yet under the magnifying glass they
show up sharp and clear. AS an en-
ample of this 5000 names appear in
Australia, $500 names in the Indies,
100 in the province of Manchura. and
40 in German East Africa.
Every railroad and canal of any i'm
portance is shown. and all the principal
steam and sailing ship routes. together
With the distances between the prin-
cipal seaports. These distances are
given in English statute miles instead
of geographical miles, and hence are
more easily understood than those
given on the ordinary globe or map.
For convenience in finding distances
east or west a table of the length of
each degree of longitude for each de-
gree of latitude is given
River courses and mountain ranges
are indicated so far as space will per-
nit. and the attitudes of the principal
peaks are indicated.
Ocean cables and ocean currents.
both warm and cold, are shown. and
the islands in the oceans are given in a
more comprehensive way than in any
one map.
Mr.. Schneider began work on his
globe on January ). 1895. and completed
the task on March u. 1885, although
the work of preparing it for exhibition
was not completed until this week
He will exhibit it in this country for
two years, and possibly in the Illinois
building at the Omaha Exposition. and
then will take it to the Paris EXPOSE
ton. His hope is that he may eventu-
ally place it in the hands of some in
stitution of learning.
AS a result of his study upon this
matter Mr.. Schneider is convinced that
the portion Of the globe upon which we
live IS the unoer instead of the upper
portion. The proportions of land and
water and their relative positions cause
him to De sure that what we call the
north pole is in reality the south pole.
and vice versa.-Chicago Chronicle.