The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-10-27

PRoPouNDs SOME HARD QUESTIONS

London to New York in three hours
time is a possibility according to pres
nt-day science!"
That is the statement M. K. Ryan,
editor of Civil Engineering, the big
London monthly, made to me. asked
him how it could be done.
scientists, both of the present and
the past" he answered, tell us that
the earth revolves at the rate of seven
miles a minute. If this is a fact, all
a man need do is to go up in balloon
in London, keep it stationary in the
air and let the earth revolve, for,
roughly, 1872 minutes, and then come
down-in New York"
Mr.. Ryan has startled the British
scientific world with harmless looking
little editorial paragraph in the Octo-
Der number of Civil Engineering. 1t
reads as follows:
cit is not generally known, even to
the engineering public, the develop
ments which nave taken place during
the past few months in airships of
various kinds, and space does not per-
NIT me to enter into details. Suffice
to say that arrangements have been
made to manufacture them in large
quantities during the coming winter,
and next season ballooning trips will
be nothing unusual The explorer
who first arrives at the north pole will
expect, do so in some form of airship
and will probably discover the founda-
and for all Of that ridiculous and alb
surd theory that the world is revolv-
ing in space"
Mr.. Ryan was asked on what he
based his theories. He counter ques-.
tioned-"On what proven facts do
astronomers and other scientists base
their present-day theories? I have
as ll6iC W put lOi Ill q tIOOI dS
they have. I have studied the sci
ences, and particularly astronomy, for
years. contend that the world is on
a solid foundation. If it is moving
there must be force to make it move.
gravity and that would be the force of
gravity outside the earth. Therefore
the force of gravity outside the earth
would be greater than the force inside,
Astronomers tell us a point in the
equator is revolving at the rate of
seventeen miles minute, but that we
are going so fast that we don't appre-
ciate it or are not sensible of it. They
tell us that we are kept on the earth
by the force of gravitation. If a man
is then standing on the equator, could
he be held there by force Of gravita-
ton if there was a greater force of
gravity outside the earth? We are
also told that the reason we do not
feel ourselves passing through space
is because the atmosphere is carried
around with the earth. If you go up
a few thousand feet in balloon, Where
the centrifugal force of the earth would
have no effect on the atmosphere, you
need only wait there until New York
came around to you and then descend
"Giving astronomers the advantage
of their arguments that we are held
on this world by the force of gravity,
the centrifugal force of the earth
would yet be much greater and we
would be thrown at once into space.
1.-THE foundations of the earth, /
contend, are situated at the north and
south poles. Nature has never allowed
US finally to explore these regions. The
first person that comes within range
with telescope will see the solid
It may perhaps, be a |
of rock, and if followed up
might l6dQ 10 the discoveries OF Otnor
hemispheres. Who knows? We can
merely theorize as we have done TO:
the ages dead and gone.
my theory, also. is that the move
ment of the sun is not an optical de-
fusion, but that it revolves around the
earth once in twenty-four sidereal
hours. I also claim that if we have
been moving through space for thou
sands of years, we would have arrived
at some destination or have received
some evidence of motion. 1t can also
be easily shown that the centrifugal
force of the earth does not carry the
atmosphere with it, as the wind blows
in all directions.
eff the earth revolves, it is absolute
ly certain that there is force which
makes it revolve."