Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-02
THE ORIGIN OF THE EARTH
Prof. Moulton Not the First to Deny
the Nebular Hypothesis

Cope Whitehouse in the New York Times
A special telegram from Portland Ore
to the New York Times, which states that
the earth is solid and did not come into
existence through rings breaking away
from cooling and condensing mass, ap-
pears to ascribe this theory to the labors of
Prof. Forest Ray Moulton and his asso-
ciates during a period of ten years It is
curious coincidence that 1 spent the day
or which this paper was being read, at Co.
iumpia University, examining photographs
OF nebulae for a scientific article which the
editor of the Booklovers' Magazine had ex-
pressed willingness to publish. But the
theory was communicated by me to various
scientific societies. including the New York
Academy of Sciences, the Royal Astronomi-
cal Society, the Royal Society and the
Academic des Sciences, several years ago.
so FAR as the rejection of the nebuar by
pothesis Is concerned, priority was claimed
Tor me In an anonymous communica ton in
the New York Herald. August II. Cope
Whltehouse communicated theory denying
the nebular hypothesis to the astronomi-
cal section Of the British Association at its
meeting in Montreal" The writer might
have added: Where it was refused ac-
ceptance. He summarizes my theory as
follows: PLANETS are Interruptions in the
free circulation of electric force, and de-
velop light and heat as the film in an cleo
trio lamp. The ether is not transparent,
and may contain matter of all kinds. The
stars are only points at which the-vibra-
tory ray becomes light land heat ray by
entering the terrestrial ATMOSPHERE
These studies long anticipated the year
1895. In 1875 the chaplain of the lord
bishop of Nassau had been invited to lunch
with me at the hotel in Nassau, in the Ba-
hamas. When he went to the washstand
he uttered cry of alarm. In the bowl
there foated a small oblate spheriod of a
yellow hue. provided with white antennae
1t was not a dangerous tropical insect as L
explained to him, but only an orange with
four match ends. which / was using to
study the connection between the preces-
sion of the equinox and the differentiation
of species. In 1884, offered to read a
paper before each section of the British As
ISOLATION. at York, in which proposed to
show that that particular section was
unanimously wrong; but the papers failed
to meet. at that time, the approval of the
respective committees. 1t was sad pity;
because the picturesque combination of
!vanhoe and Martin Luther could hardly
have failed to suggest itself to others as
well as myself. The engineering geogra-
phical. anthropological and economic sec
| tions have since that date repeatedly af-
forded me hearing, but the truly nebular,
or nebulous, theory of La Place was never
fairly penetrated in public session of a
| scientific body until my paper was read be-
fore the astronomical section of the New
York Academy of Sciences. with Prof.
Pupin. actively dissentient, in the chair
| 1t appears to have found permanent lodg-
ment, for the first time, in the Ukraine.
Wnen f>TOf. SKWOrtZOw OF the University
of Krakow appears as It's propagandist
He frankly admitted in private communi-
cation OF the president of the National His
torical Society that he was exposed to some
risk. The fate of Mazeppa might have
been, metaphorically. his. Prof. Pilsudski
in northern Russia followed his scientific
colleague as to part at least while Prof.
kaptegn of Gronngen. according to the
New York Times of August 10, entertained
the British Association at Cape Town with
SO much of my theory. that stars were in
two great streams. meeting In space" as
was pointed out in June, 1903. with special
reference to Harmonious nebulae
Priority Of publication is priority of dis
covery, when there Is no charge of plagiar-
ism. The cosmo-dynamic theory of the
universe and the denial that the sun is the
center Of a sphere of radiant heat were, 80
far as am aware. exclusively mine after
Robinson Crusoe fashion, for many long
year. / object to the fragmentary treat
ment of the Subject. If La Place, Kepler,
Copernicus and Newton are to be relegated
to honored oblivion, they will take with
them every other writer on terrestrial and
celestial physics, especially including Lord
Kelvin. 1t ought to- be the subject of
discussion and agreement at some sort of
international scientific peace congress, SO
that the publishers would know what to do
with the countless volumes which would
cease to have an educational or CONNER
ciai value.