The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-01-26

AWAKEN much controversy in the near
I future. Scientific men are already busy
proposing theories. DR.. N. Herr suggests
| n rather improbable electrical explana-
ton, involving the opacity OF the earth
| to the electrical rays from the sun. Ger
! tain perturba tons, others say, are also
| caused by the varying attraction of the
| moon, due to the earth's uneven rota-
| tiGn Rainfall and spring freshets from
melting snow might add to the general
effect, while Prof. Newcomb Of Washing
| ton calls attention to the discovered
changes in sea level mentioned above as a
coincident pheno n alon. Periodic high
| tides, ocean currents, and the movements
OF the atmosphere Internationally play
| important parts in complicating the move
| rlent. - - E-. ~ - 49,. -.
| Another and very interesting theory
comes, from Prof Vito Volterro, the
| famous Italian mathematician, who is
able to account for the observed motions
| by assuming permanent currents in the
molten interior Of the earth.
| Special attel.ti1n has been drawn to the
| still more positive factor in the pheno-
| menon, namely. the unequal distribution
of land in the northern hemisphere as
well as its uneven massng around the
earth from cast to west.
Prof: Newco,nb hints at possible COM;
biEation of all these causes operating to
| produce the observed fiuc ;uations. If this
| is fact, it might easily happen that
they might at some future time all oper-,
ate in conjunction in the same direction
and produce a great increase in the velo-t
city of motion of the poles which could
not at present be predicted, but which
would seriously affect geographical posi-,
| lions and boundaries determined in tern1sE
| of latitude and longitude. -
Prof. Chambers results showed a great e.
need for a. more widely extended series
of observation, planned especially for this
| purpose. In twenty-nine series of observ-i
atoms, made at eighteen different sta;
tions, Prof. Chandler has tested. his
theory thoroughly at three different.
langitudes-that of Kasan, that of Ber-
lin and that of Bethlehem, Pa-and in
each case the results have been con-
firmed.
Perhaps the most rigid test of his con-
clusicns was his willingness 20 rest his
theory upon the accuracy Of his predic-
ton of the movement of the pole through
several years. Already the correspondence
Is found to be remarkable. and in spite of
the slight discrepancies not yet accounted
for: the Observa tons confirm the pre-
4dictions so remarkably as to "cut the
ground from under the feet of those who
wish to put aside the variation Of lati-
tude as empirical or not proved The
evidence for its existence and for the
general truth of the law formulated by
Prof. Chandler is already overwhelming,
and new dissertations only add to it.
+ The international Geodetic association
has prepared an elaborate scheme for the
systematic observation of these variations
Of latitude. The same general form Of
zenith instrument will be used in all the
obse batteries, and the best for the pur-
pose. Although three stations could have
determined the polar motion with con-
siderable accuracy, yet for the sake Of
greater precision six stations have been
selected. The work is now in progress,
and the following are the official observa-
tories cooperating in the INVESTIGATIONS:
1. Tore di San Vittorio, Carloforte, in
the Island of San Pietro, near the coast
Of the Island of Sardinia.
.. A place nine kilometers north of
Charjui, on the Anu Daria.
g. The observatory at Mizusawa, in the
valley of kitakami, Japan. -
4. The observatory established espe-
cially for this work at Ukial, Cal.
s. The permanent observatory Of tie
University of Cincinnati
6. At Gaithersburg, Md, a station on
the Baltimore G. Ohio railroad, about
thirty miles northwest of Washington.
The work of observation has been in
augurated, and reports are already being
received at Potsdam from Carloforte,
o,.;,,
that the observa tons shall extend
through a period of five years. Deduc-
Lions of the observations will be made at
tha Potsdam observatory
The possibility of variation in latitude
was first raised by a German astronomer
named Leonard Euler, who some years
ago was studying the mechanics of ro-
tating bodies, with special reference to
the movements of the earth. He came TO
the conclusion that theoretically the axis
of rotation Of the earth could not be per-
fectly fixed, because of the unequal dis
t1ibution Of the land masses, the land
areas being rnassed In the northern heni-
sphere. The earth was 'topheavy'' and
would probably show some gyrations like
top. AS result he predicted that the
axis of the earth's rotation would be
found to be unstable. This he believed to
be theoretically true. but although the
most precise methods of observation Of
his day were turned upon the subject
yet only negative results were obtained.
The great mathematician, Leplace. be-
lieved, on the contrary, that the earth's
axis was fxed-that is, that latitude
would never vary. It is now known that
at his time instrumental precision had not
reached point where the existing per-
turbations could have been detected At
any rate, Euler's idea was laid aside, and
down to the time of kustner, Fergoia
and. Chandler astronomers have worked
on the supposition Of the stability Of the
poles. The first attemE. to test EEler's
theory, however, was by c. A. F. Peters
OF Pulkowa observatory IN Russia. Moth
ing came of the work; the results were
negative. The OF Observations at Washing
ton yielded no evidence, nor did the re-
search work Of Clerk Maxwell and Down.
ing upon data provided by the Greenwich
observatory. Finally, upon suggestion
OF Kustner, who noticed certain errors I'm
previous observations, the Geodetic asso-
citation adopted new methods, which met
with immediate and conspicuous success.
Pref. Chandler. to whom the Creates.
credit is due, made the most mastery
study OF all available data, ard himself