The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1901-05-01
CAUSE OF THE D E
rhe Theoav mat They Are Dne 20
Attraction Is Now Opposed ny
scientific Observers

MANY theories as to the cause OF
various phenomena have been demol-
ishea by the advance of science. IL
IS only within the past few years Tor
example, that the belief in the EN-
cacy of the Gulf stream to moderate
the climate Of northern Europe mas
been practically supplanted by an eA-
planation that seems more adequate
asys the New York Sun. just no"
the tim%e-honored theory OF the cause
of tides is being assaulted. ~ re-
mains 10 be seen whether the eVl-
dence in favor Of the new theory IS so
wen grounded as to relegate the ola
belief that the mutual attraction OF
the earth, moon and sun has me PEE
cllliar effect upon the sea which re-
suits IN the tidal wave.
The opponents of the theory that
tides are caused by attraction call at
4ention to the work OF the Challenger
exnedition in 1872. One Of the main
objects of this expedition was 10
solve the problem of ocean currents.
The scientific world accepted it's dem
enstration that the circulation OF
ocean currents is due to differences
az temperature in the air which
causes persistent atmospheric cur
rents that drive along with them a
mart of the surface waters Of the sea;
and also to differences in the temper
allure of the ocean waters causing
sbeir movement and interminglng.
The moor has no hand in this work.
Neither, say the opponents OF the
tidal theory, is it the cause of the
other circulation of the ocean known
as the tides.
Mr.. alexander Brownie, who sets
forth the new theory of the tides
in the Bulletin of the American Go
~ographical society, gives many rea-
sons for d~iscrediting the part as
SIGNED to the moon as a side LITTER"
Among them is the fact that the tlde
is instantaneous over many degrees
Of longitude, while the moon takes
hours to travel the same distance.
The new theorists rely upon graylta-
ton to unlock the tidal mystery.
They say, as Prof. G. H. Darwin
does in his book, ''The Tides that
the form of equilibrium can never pc
attained by the ocean. They assert
hat tide is due to different levels in
contiguous masses Of water, one
mass standing at high level immedl-
ntely contiguous to another at low
level. 1t is well known, for example
that when tide is high in a vast area
around the Bermudas, extending
clear to Ii coasts, it is low in the
waters of Greenland and the West
Indies. The theory is that when the
tide is high in this large Bermuda
basin its higher waters must grayl
tate toward tine contiguous lower wa
ters. In like manner when tide i
hiph in the Greenland and West In
dies basins, it is low in the Bermuda
basin, and their high waters gravl
tates simultaneously toward Der
muda's low level; thus high leyel'
and low levels on the ocean surface
constantly succeed one another ant
the tidal phenomena are produced.
The theory Of grayitation is thu
arrayed against that Of attraction a
explaining tidal phenomena, 1t is wei
that this scientific controversy ha
arisen. Science grows by the knock
ing over as well as the setting up Q
theories. Truth is often evolve
when opposing theories clash. Som
men Of science hold that the tida
problem is i~nsoluble; but the presen
opposition to the old theory may pos
sibly establish the cause Of tides O
grounds SO convincing that there WI
no longer be room for divided opir
ion.