The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-18
DOES EARTH
STAND STILL?
Revival Of Tychonian
Theory.
GEN. De PEYSTER'S LOGIC
Published a Pamphlet to Prove The
the Sun Revo.ves About
The Earth.

eishty-psge pamphlet. entitled The
Earth Stands Fast; Proofs That the
Earth Revolves Neither Upon Its own
20 implicit Is issued with the formal pur-
pose Of challenging the serious consider
alton of scientists for the views that 1T
advocates. and Gen. de Peyster is ac-
lcordingly giving IL wide distribution. 1t
Iembodies a careful translation of a lee
tire delivered in 1854 by Prof. C. Schoept
fer Of Berlin. to which is aoded an ex-
tcLded supplement in the form of COM
munication to Gen. de Peyster by Frank
Allaben. The Generals own contribution
Is, the discussion is strictly editorial. con-
sis ting of preface and concluding re-
marks. In his preface he relates how he
came to be disbeliever in all the receiv-
cd theories Of astronomical science.
/ -Four years ago." he says, I was rid
ms with an investigating friend in the
country. discussing how it was that God
should have selected the earth as the the
atre of His revelations to the Jews and
To the Christians. linen one of US sud-
del My remembered that German profess
sor, DIR. G. Schoepffer, in a public lecture
In Berlin had maintained the truth of the
Tychonian theory. founded on the suppo-
sition that the earth stands still in space.
that the sun revolves around the earth,
and that the planets and other members
| OF our solar system revolve about the
sun. SO far from being ridiculed. this
startling proposition of Tycho Brahe.
suddenly revived about three centuries
after it, announcement by the famous
Dnnc, received serious attention, and the
facts on which DIR. Schoepffer based his
49, g.f.
lille. whatever Judgment may be passed
uron his conclusions.
1 After discussing the matter. one of us
rem arked: II Schoepffer Is right that
tahlishes the literal truth of the Bible
The other replied: Rem acu tetigistir-
Nuisarly translated You have hit the nail
on the head"
The General then requests an impartial
Examination of the scientific arguments
of Prof. Schoepffer on their exact merits.
and without any further preliminary pre-
stnts the translation of the lecture.
DIT. Schoepffer first combats the hypoth-
lesis OF the rotation of the earth upon its
axis. He maintains that the pendulum
,eXI eriments which are supposed to afford
visible proof of the earth's rotation are
utterly inconclusive as TO that point, as
ssrting that in all such tests ultimate de-
viatlons of the pendulum have been OBJ
served. which are irreconcilabie with the
tablish. lie points out that the pendulum
test II absolutely the only presumed
demonstration of the earth's rotation that
we have. and. after declaring it to be an
ins efficient one. he urges the extreme diff
lficulty In the way of accepting the rota-
tor theory from the circumstance that nc
J. pheromena in any manner suggestive OF
the supposed rotation are presented by
, tho general configuration Of the globe. by
, the currents of the ocean or by the at
me spheric conditions.
II, he says, the earth reyolved on its
axis. the distribution of its land masse,
! ought TO be mainly from east TO west, in.
stead OF from north to south. Further
> h argues that II there is really a rota
I ton. causing pendulum started in &
, north and south direction finally to swins
I east and west, IL Is inconceivable that NJ
Ike phenomena assignable TO terrestria
D rotation are afforded by oceanic and at
] 'mospheric currents. The greatest philos
e iophers have postulated an influence of tn
4 rotation of the earth even upon the soli'
a mass OF the body OF the earth. causing
10 to bulge out In the equatorial regions
! and II this deduction Is reasonable. hov
u Is IL possible. he asks. that the earth
water and atmosphere should remain TO
e tally unaffected by so powerful an agen
q lcy?
a I'VE cannot" he concludes, "perceiv
: the rotation OF the earth In any way. w
: car not demonstrate IL. There are no al
= currents which We can Justly regard as
IT or even suppose To be-consequences @
y this rotation. These facts ought to b
proofs against the existence of a rotatio
N of the earth. Indeed We wholly lack
: consideration indicating rotation whic
: car be substantiated."
Regarding the assumed revolution
the earth about the sun. Prof. Schoepffs
"a finds difficulties in the way of belief whic
" he thinks are insurmountable. Such
< revolution implies necessarily that III
In earth Is the subordinate body and is keI
In its course around the sun by the sun
attraction. III this were so. he says. II
- law OF attraction would require the r.
IN vclving earth always TO present the san
ly face 10 the sun. as the moon does to Il
ly earth. But everybody knows that to
e. contrary TO the truth. the whole of Il
20 earth being illuminated daily by the su
o. Hence. the professor reasons. We mu
W either reconstruct the law of gravity
abandon the Copernicau theory of Il
C revolution of the earth about the SUI
tn lie finds II easier TO do the latter.
es Rejecting the belief in the diurnal rot
al tion OF the earth on its axis and that
e its orbital movement about the sun, not
-, inE remains but TO revert to the astr
nc nc mlcal system OF Tycho Brahe. W
Dy maintained that the earth stands still
es the center of the universe and that I
en- sun and fixed stars revolve about II. TT
liz Involves. according to DIR. Schoepffer.
mi ALTERATION OF material points in astron
- my. since II remains the same with {
- different calculations whether We expls
" the local changes OF the stars by rot
lre tiop Of the earth or by a rotation of
le- starred armament" II Is requisite. no
1T ever. 20 revise our notions both of I
III distances and masses of the HEAVIER
IA bodies.
-, To overcome the apparent difficulty
-e' tn. latter point. he explains that wro
me principles have been followed In calculi
ro- lar the size and remoteness of these b'
It'll les In all such calculations the fact
me been ignored that the law by which
jects appear smaller in proportion to tn
distance cannot be applied to shin
49,. bodies. An ordinary object becomes
IN. visible at a distance 5000 times its dia
eter. III this law held good for the sh
md ing bodies. then light with a diane
= of one inch could no longer be seen q
distance of 225 steps. But IL may be 81
ess In unchanged size at distance OF so
ay. odd' thousand steps. The stronger
uld light Of n shining body. the farther II
Iav be seen in unchanged size: and the ST
% - H. our, hafpO very Intense. the