Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-25
written for The Herald.

written for The Herald.
The first discovery that the earth has
magnetic pole some 1900 miles dis
tant from the geographical pole was
made by Sir James Ross in 1s91-S2. He
found the pole in latitude 20 degrees 8
minutes and longitude 9S degrees As
minutes west.
Although 1t has been stated by one
Of the city papers that the south mag
netic pole had not yet been located I
would say that this is an error. The
Southern Cross expedition in the ant
arctic regions, reported in the Marine
Record of Cleveland, o., dated June "a,
1901, located the south magnetic pole
in latitude IS degrees % minutes south
and longitude 146 degrees east.
In 1s41 Sir James Ross noticed that
the pole had shifted 1 degree 80 minutes
since its first discovery, showing posi-
lively that the magnetic poles were not
stationary.
There are very many interesting
questions which have not been solved,
caused by the movement of the mag
netic attraction which is shown by the
compass. To make the proposition
plain. the earth has four magnetic
poles, which are directly opposite each
other and there is a line of attraction
running between the north and south
poles on each side of the earth. The
line on this side of the earth passes a
few degrees east of Cuba, touching the
east end of South Carolina, the east end
of Kentucky, passing through the eX-
treme west end of West Virginia,
through the center of Ohio, touching
the west end of Lake Erie, where it
makes a short westerly turn, caused no
doubt by counter attraction. thence
through the straits of Mackinaw, which
separate Lake Huron from Lake Mich
igan, passing through the east end of
Lake Superior and then on to the north
magnetic pole.
BY the latest government charts 1t is
noted that the magnetic line on the op-
posite side of the earth has been traced
from Hongkong through the island of
Luzon. extending north through the
Pacific to Kamchatka, and on to its
northern pole.
This line running between the poles
is called the line Of no variation, and
on this line the compass points due
north. or strictly following the line; but
when the compass is east of this line it
points as many degrees west of the true
line Is it is degrees from it.
1t is the same when the compass is
placed west of this line; it then points
toward the east, according to the dis
tance from this line.
The most singular thing which re-
mains a mystery is that this magnetic
line, designated the line of no varia-
ton, is on the constant move.
It moves from the Pacific ocean
across the American continent, cross
ing the Atlantic to England, where it
remains stationary for a short time and
then slowly commences it's backward
way, gradually increasing its move
ment to its center and following the
same cause at its Pacific end of its
route. The magnetic poles move with
it, and that is why our late arctic ex-
plorer Capt. Amundsen, did not find
it in the same location where it was
found by Sir James Ross, and yet he
failed to give its present exact loca-
lion.
1t is evident that this magnetic line,
which controls the compass, has been
moving in an easterly direction, for
the reason that the compass pointed
7 1-2 degrees east in 171o at San Diego,
and until recently it was 131s degrees.