The Wichita daily eagle., 1903-08-19
IO SB||OI GUN
bT IRE MOON
Jules Ferns Trick to Be At
tempted.
FROM PIXIES PEAKS TOP
Wire to Be Attached Regular
Fairy Project
FROM PIXIES PEAKS TOP

Chicago. Aug. 1s.-The most amazing
project of the age is about to be put into
execution by syndicate of capitalists
acting under the direction of Professor
a. G. Whitney, of Chicago.
Arrangements are being made to tran
port a cannon to the top of Pixies Peak
and from that point TO fire vertically into
The air a thirteen-inch steel magnet which
shall pass beyond the earths atmosphere
and there remain.
To this magnet will be attached wire
descending 10 earth. 1t is expected 10
draw endless quantities Of electricity TO
be transmitted by cable 10 all parts OF
the world for manufacturing, Illuminating
and heating purposes.
Professor Whitney, who has devoted
more than twenty years TO study and
experiments to prove the feasibility aid
practica billy of his scheme, is sanguine
of its complete success
To correspondent who questioned him
from the point of view Of doubling
Thomas Professor Whitney presented a
startling array of arguments along bold
and original lines of reasoning, which, II
not altogether convincing. furnish what
a lawyer would call prima facie evidence
of the truth of his premises.
The projectie used, he said, will
be pear-shaped and viii weigh about 80
pounds, requiring 500 pounds Of smokeless
powder. Attached to the magnet viii be
a wire coil 80 feet long, held i'm place at
the end by disk Inside the projectile
rad IA
at the proper height it will remove the
disk from the bottom of the coil and per-
nit the twenty-three miles of wire en-
closed TO drop to the earth.
"On passing beyond the earth's atmos-
phere and entering the electric sea above
the magnet and its uncoiled wire attach
ment will take on a temporary luminosity
several miles in extent which can be
easily seen from the earth
Upon overcoming the force of grav-
ity. what holds the magnet in place or
prevents it from passing on to the moon
or Mars. for instance; surely, not the
wire?' was asked.
The Newtonfan theory that every two
bodies Of matter in the universe attract
each other with a force proportional di-
rectly to the Qaanlty OF HdblSl hiSS
contain. and inversely to the squares of
their distance is merely an absurdity
THE Newtonian theory of gravitation
Is Illogical, and upon slight investigation
the fallacy of the theory is clearly ex-
posed.
Two bodies of matter placed in the
ether, a few inches from each other 80
that their radii did not touch, would each
take up an orbit of its own, as indie
pendent of the other, as the orbits of the
earth and Mercury are Independent OF
each other The projectile which / shall
send into ethereal space will, after pass
ing beyond our atmosphere, assume
condition of absolute inertia inherent In
itself.
1T will no longer be a part of this
earth but viii be an independent body.
floating. as the earth floats. just as two
bodies of different size. having the same
specific gravity as water. can float in the
water beneath its surface without colid-
ing with each other
What we call ether. which is sup
posed to fll all ipterplanetary space, is
electricity. The planets and other bodies
of matter of the universe are immersed
in seas Of e.ectscity. which seas have
counter currents that may be compared
10 the currents in the waters OF the
earth