The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-22
ASTRONOMY WRONG, HESAYS
GEN. DE PEYSTER ARGUES THAT
THE EARTH STANDS STILL.


He Has Published a Pamphlet to Prove That
the Sun Revolves About the Earth Lee
turs by Prof. schoepher. Letter FRO" nv
fr'eno mr. A''aoen ana Notes oS '"
There has Just been published in this city oy
Gen. j. Watts de Peyster an eishty-page amph-
let. entitled The Earth Stands Fast; Proofs
That the Earth Revolves Neither Upon lts own
Axis Nor Yet About the Sun" The painphiet
Is issued with the formal purpose OF challenging
the serious consideration OF scientists ior the
views that II advocates. and Gen. de Peys'er
Is accordingly giving II a wide Distribution
1t embodies a careful translation OF a lecture
delivered In 1854 by Prof. c. Schoepner oil Der
lin, 10 winch is added an EXTENDED suppieinehtih
the form Of a communicates to Gen de register
oy FRANK Alaoen. Inc Generais own coh.'i-
button to the discussion is strictly editorial
consisting OF a preface and concluding remarks
In his preface he relates how he came 10 Do a
oisoeiever IN all the received theories OF asuo-
nomioal science,
-Four years ago. he says. 4 was ridlhs WIN
an investigating friend in the country, DISCUSS
ing now II was that God should nave seiecteo
the earth as the theatre OF His revelations 10 the
Jews ana To the Christians. Then one OF US
suddenly that a German professor,
Dr. [. Schoepfer. in a public lecture IN Berlin
had maintained the truth OF the Tychoniah
theory. founded on the supposihon that the
earth stands still in space. that che sun revolves
around the earth, and that the planets ana other
members of our solar system revolve about the
sun. SO Tar from being ridiculed. this startling
proposition Of Tycho Brahe. suddenly revived
about hree centuries after its announcement
Dy the famous Dane, received serious Afternoon,
and the IACtS on which DF SNhOADIoT DASpU Ills
were felt to be ncontroveruole
Whatever Judgment may be passed upon MS
conclusions
AFTER discussing the matter. one OF us re-
marked; III Schoepher is right that establishes
the literal Truth OF the Bible The other re-
Piled; KEN ocu ts~ho'sh"- translated
fou nave nit the nail on the head
Inc General then requests an impartial
examination OF the scientlno arguments OF
Prof, schoepfer on their exact merits. and
"lthout any iurther presents the
translation OF the lecture.
Dr' Schoepner first combat the hypothesis
OF the rotation OF the earth upon It's AXIS lie
maintains that the pendulum experiments
which are supposed to afford visible proof OF
the earths rotation are utterly inconciusive
as 10 that point. asserting that In all such tests
been observed. which are irreconcilsb!e with the
theory that the tests are intended to establish.
de points outthatt the pendulum tests absolutely
the only presumed demonstration OF the
earths rotation that we have. and. after declar-
ing IT TO be an insufficient one. he urges the
extreme difficulty in the way OF accepting
the rotation theory from the circumstance
Thai no phenomena In any manner suggestive
0f n ElnnnGnn 1nf1nnn r. nrAlanfan IN tha
general configuration OF the globe. by the
currents OF the ocean or by the atmospheric
conditions.
II, he says, the earth r~evolved on its axis,
the distribution of It's land masses ought to be
mainly from east to west. instead Of from north
TO south. Further. he argues that II there is
really a rotation. causing a pendulum started
IN a north and south direction finally TO swing
east and west. 1t is nconceivable that no like
phenomena assignable 10 terrestrial rotation
are Afforded by oceanic and atmospheric cur
rents. The greatest philosophers have postu-
lated an Influence OF the rotation OF the earth
causing II to bulge out in the equatorial regions
and II this deduction is reasonable, how is 1t
possible. he asks. that the earth's water and
atmosphere should remain totally unaffected
by so powerful an agency
We cannot, he concludes, perceive the
rotations Of the earth in any way. We cannot
demonstrate II. There are no air currents