The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-04
ORIGIN OF MOON
CAUSES TROUBLE
Chicago Professor Says Mare
Island Observer Stole Dis
carded Theories

BERKELEY. Aug. S.-A shock was
sent through the scientific world to-
day by the charge that Professor ]. T.
See of the United States naval OBJ
servatory at Mare Island had adopted
and proclaimed as his own the discard
ed theories OF DIR. Forest Ray Moulton,
head of the astronomical department of
the University of Chicago. The accusa-
tion came from DR.. Moulton himself.
The eastern authority referred to Pro-
fessor Sees conclusions as "aberra-
tons and added that the Californian
was more to be pittied than censured.
The conflict of the heavenly attitudes
has been precipitated by DIR. Soe's re-
cent announcement of an interesting
theory as 10 the orig in of the naoon..
The Mare Island scientist declared in
an address delivered here last month
that the generally accepted belief that
the moon had been thrown off from the
earth was erroneous. Instead, he as
serted that it had been captured by
the earth from celestial space, that it
was approaching the larger sphere at
the rate of a quarter of an inch a year.
and that in time the two would become
welded
Rejected the Theory
in letters received here today, Pro-
fessor Moulton says that he and Pro-
fessor Thomas Chrowder Chamberlain,
president of the Chicago academy and
the Walker museum, discussed this
question a great many years ago and
rejected the theory that Professor See
now puts forth as his own.
Professor See is not pla giarist in so
many words. but Professor Moulton
writes of him in terms unmistakable in
their meaning and says that his con-
duct justifies the use of strong Ian
guage.
The Investigations of the Chicago
scientists. according to DR.. Moulton, be-
gan back in the early 90's and the sup
posed discoveries of Professor See were
made known at that time, they claim.
However. Professor See diverges in two
particulars which Drs MouIton and
Chamberlain claim they discovered but
rejected for good reasons
Are Noted Scientists
Both Professor Moulton and Doctor
Chamberlin occupy positions in the
scientific world which entitie them to
consideration. and statements denounc-
ing the discoveries of Professor See.
which caused the great interest here
when presented to the Astronomical
Society of the Pacific, are being care
fully weighed.
Doctor Chamberlin is head of the
Walker museum of Chicago and is a
member of all the scientific societies of
note throughout the world. He holds
a degree of doctor of laws and is pres
ident of the Chicago academy. Doctor
chamberlin is the author of score of
well known books.
DR.. Forest Ray Moulton. who occu-
pies a faculty position as head of the
department of astronomy of the Uni.
f6ISliy VI (ulCdSO5 Is DSIL6r known
than Professor Chamberlin as an au-
thor. His pet hobby is the nebular
hypothesis and he is thought by some
astronomers to be an authority on this
phase of astronomy. Doctor Moulton
says:
I'm Professor Sees paper there
are only two points of divergence
from the ideas fully developed by
Professor Chamberlin and myself.
The first is that spiral nebulas have
their origin in the meeting of two
or more streams of cosmical dust.
The second is that satellites are
captured bodies.
This latter view has been ad-
vanced by many amateurs and a
few astronomers. It was consid-
cred in my writing and rejected
for what seemed TO me to be good
reason. The resisting medium. on
which so much stress is laid, is
simply a special case of the coll
=. lisions of any character considered
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