The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-07-07
A HoARY PROBLEM,
- a.. Caansn he Fired From . Car Travel
=, the Rate Of . Mile . Minute, %.

a. C.ansn Ne Fired From Car Travel
,..., the Rate Of Mile Minute. 20.
The question was sprung in a BohO.
r.i.n den on Orleans street, after the
snTee was brought in. Suppose a
connon was mounted on an engine"
soid one Of the Inner Circle, and
"""Awl that's as old as Patti" sneercd
privileged guest, land as simple as
shut up" replied the charter mem.
her calmly, land listen to the PROPOSE.
t,on. S'pose a cannon was mounted
On q locomotive, pointing backward.
The cannon is so charged that it car.
Hos q ball exactly one mile in exactly
one minute and the engine is moving
Forward at a-mile-a-minute speed.
when the cannon Is fred what b..
comes of the ballT'
"Plain as day." declared the privt.
leged guest, who had been fidgeting
dTring the statement. When the
cannon is fired the ball begins its
6ight and thereafter has nothing to do
with .he engine OIL the gun. 1t simply
wings through space for a mile FROM
sts point Of departure, and there
etops This. according to the propoA
bon. requires one minute, dur0
who time the locomotive has EeVN
6ayalling steadily in the opposite d
rection ut equal speed, and has, there.
lore also covered one mile from the
pacc of explosion. Distance between
Is rnnt of arrival and point at which
bali drops, two miles. It's clear as by.
draut water Gimme cigarette,
somelody.'
"Your explanation is dead wrong"
eaid member who had been think
hg swiftly 1T ignores the most es.
ential factor in the whole problem.
You must remember. when the cannon
4 fired, that the engine is travelling in
fbe opposite direction Mt the rate of a
mile minute. In other words, the
tube, or gun itself, is being drawn
AWAY from the ball at exactly the
same speed the ball would develop if
ne gun was stationary, thus neutralz.
Ing the effect of the powder.
at is as if you struck at man at
be rate Of ten feet second and leap.
cd backward at the same speed.
Naturally, you wouldn't hit him. The
bhll of course, simply drops at the
11u7zlc Of the cannon. 1t don't go an
incl Il is inert, dead and motionless,
assembling, in tat respect, the think
Ing machine Of the gentleman who has
jnst favored us with his amusing"
#'Belay therew exclaimed the poet
larriate of the Quarter Latin, "doat
eel so gay and naughty! You've dim
u apprehended the principle involved,
bpt you've still away off yourself from
the real Pearl OF Truth. Listen to the
only genuine Buddha: Your explains
Ton is based on TIE assumption that
the speed of the bail and speed of the
Engine neutra,ize each other because
they are equal" yep" admitted the
charter member grudgingly. Pre-
cIsely,' continued the poet, land there,
ny boy. is where YOU fall down.
Tbeir speeds are not equal.
tHhe engine is moving forward at q
mile minute and goes as fast at one
part of its journey as at another, but
the speed of The ball, on the contrary,
Is constantly diminishing, until It
drops, spent at the end of it's flight. 1t
il evident, therefore, that it starts at
much more than mile minute, and
as equality Of speed is the basis of
your childish theory, you will consider
yourself squelched. Tell the miniOn
to pass the growler."
The charter member leapcd wratl.
fully to his feet ana five others began
10 talk simultaneously. "Orderr erie |
The boss Bohemian. pounding on the
hble with a mahl-stick. Gentlemen,
shp yelling or the place will be pulled.
his problem was unfortunate, but it
Illustrates most of the affairs of life.
We are deceived by surface simplicity,
rush widely at conclusions and take a
copper over some small, unobStrusive
fact which we hadn't noticed
tIhe cannon cOnundrum reeks with
fendsh subtleties. The ball, for ex-
anple, partakes of the momentum of
tho engine, which must be overcome
bef0re it budges. Then again, it is i'm
portant to know whether it was fired
wiz or against the revolution of the
eafth. Again you must determine what
percontage of the speed of the projec-
tile is developed before it reaches the
mpzzIe, and that in turn involves the
length Of the tube and character of the
boo
FIhese are things it would take a
shlled mathema tician 'steen months to
ngnre out. They would carry them in
todferential calculus and probably in
mthe asylum. Therefore, in the inter-
est Of sanity, declare the question