Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-05-23
Claims Earth is Flat

that the millennium will come in 1914,
when the earth will become the eter'
nal home of the righteous. has the
counterpart in the efforts OF CEN
'tury ago to prove that the earth was
not "a globe, but a fiat surface,
Although not the originator OF the
belief that the earth is fiat, the cele-
brated Prof" William Carpenter, who
died at his home in Baltimore In 1880,
was the most effective OF his cult III
spreading his theories.
For 80 years Prof Carpenter had
wide notoriety both in this country
and abroad from his earnest unswer'
ing advocacy of his belief that the
earth has a fiat. circular form, re-
volving or a central axis. with the
stationary over the center. To him
the North Pole was the center OF the
earth's surface and the Antarctic
regions the outer edge.
CARPENTER became a disciple OF the
theory in the sixties by hearing iec'
ture by the founder of the creed,
DR.. Samuel b. Rowbotham. who wrote
many books on the subject under the
name of "Paralax. From that time
until DR.. RowbOthhm's death in the
eighties the two were warm frlends.
They called their belief "Zetetic
philosophy. from Greek 'Word'
meaning seekers after truth
For years Carpenter toured this
country and England preaching hls
doctrine. and he gained many dis-
cipIes. When in Baltimore he could
often be found in front of the johns
Hopkins University or the City Col
1ege waiting to accost students as
they came out and try to impress them
with the truth of his theories.
One Of his characteristics was to
t-y to draw into argument on the
question some Of the leaders OF re,
lieion and science. When they re-
fused to debate with him. Carpenter
would generally write an open letter
denouncing them. This he did to
Cardinal Gibbons. Or. Daniel Z.
Gilman, then President of the johns
Hopkins University: Prof Simon New
comb. the late Rev. De Witt Tai
mage and the noted astronomers,
Richard Proctor and George Airy.
Prof." Carpenter found con-
genial spirit in the later Brother
Jasper. the colored preacher, of Rlch
mond, whose celebrated sermon. lie
Sun Do Move" made him famous
CARPENTER and Brother Jasper met
when the former was on lecturing
tour. and when he found that the
darky had the same views as he about
tn. earth Carpenter as, delighted, aud
the two were ever afterward fast
friends.
With Alfred Russell Wallace, the
English naturalist. Carpenter waged
a violent controversy. John Hamp-
den. of Swindon, England. wagered
800 that the surface Of the earth S
water was level and did not have any
OF the alleged curvature of the earth.
Wallace accepted the wager, and
p fest was made with three boats
placed at a distance Of six miles on
the old Bedford Canal and by taking
measurements and observations. The
money was awarded to Wallace. but
Prof" Carpenter. who was one of the
referees, protested. claiming that 1t
had not been proved that the water
had curvature.
One of the interesting things about
CARPENTER was that nearly all the
numerous pamphlets he wrote were
set in type printed and bound by him
self. In his early life ne had been
printer. and established a printing
office at II Chew street. where most
of his works were published. Often
he would compose articles and set
them in type without first writing
them.
The hest known of Carpenters pub
lications Is his One Hundred Proofs
That the Earth Is Not Globe. pub
li.hed in 1885. In II he first gave 10
the world his complete argument In
support OF his theory about the
earth's form. The work while large
" circulated. has become SUCH
rarity as to be found only in few IL
traries.
Carpenters conception OF the earth
WAS that the so-calIed South Pole was
really a wall Of ice surrounding the
outer edge Of the earth. This con-
ception certainly fits well with the
idea Of the vas.ness Of the Southern
wastes Of ice which have turned back
all explorers The hardy seekers for
glory and the North Pole have come
much nearer the objects Of their
search and have made the region
around II seem small and familiar
compared 10 that at the south. which
10 true terra incogniio." In the fiat
earth map the North Polar region Is