Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-09-24
Misesllaneoas Rsading.
MONUMENT TO A DEAD THEORY.
John Cloves Symmes's conceit That
the Earth Was Hollow.

John cIeves symmes's coneeit That
the Earth Was Hollow.
Standing in the city park at Hamil-
ton, o., Is a queer looking monument
Upon a marble plinth stands globe
followed at each pole and marked with
the lines Of geographical measure.
ments. 1t was erected by Americus
Symmes before the civil war out o1
respect to the memory Of his father
John Cleves Symmes, author Of the
remarkable Theory Of Concentric
Spheres, Demonstrating That the
Earth Is Hollow, Habitable Within
and Widely Open at the Poles"
The monument and the countless
books and pamphlets that ere writ
ten following the PRONUNCIATION Of this
theory are testimonials to what may
be accomplished by mere persistence
in any cause even though 1t be faulty
and entirely erroneous, as was the
Symmes theory. The discovery Of the
north pole by DR.. Frederick hlbert
Cook and Lieut.. Shackleton's near ap-
proach to the south pole have forever
settled the previously admitted alb
surdity of open or concave poles. II
Is interesting to recall the fact that
there was a time when this geographi-
cal doctrine had many supporters.
Symmes, who was q nephew Of the
first landlord of the country on the
Ohio river between the Miami rivers,
first announced his discovery CD in
1918 at ST. Louis. In his short bro
Gchure he asked for 100 brave COM
panions, well equipped, to start from
Siberia in the fall with reindeer and
sleighs on the Ice Of the frozen sea-
engage we find warm and new land
stocked with thrifty vegetables and
animals, If not men, on reaching one
degree north of the latitude Of 80 de-
grees. We will return the following
spring"
After series Of public lectures he
petitioned congress in 1892 through the
famous Richard M. Johnson Of Ken
lucky for subvention In order to
equip an expedition. The canny SEN
ate unanimously rejected this appeal
and two years later the general as
sembly Of Ohio took similar action.
One Of his converts, jeremiah N. Rey-
nolds Of Clinton county with the CO.
operation Of Messrs. Rush an South
ard, members Of President Join Quin-
cy Adams's cabinet, and DR.. Watson,
a wealthy resident Of New York city,
in 1929 fitted out the ship Annawan
and set sail in October for the warm
and fertile concavity they believed to
exist at the south pole. They reached
a latitude Of 50 degrees south and thus
fully demonstrated the incorrectness Of
the Symmes theory.
It's author died in May, 1929, fully
believing that his calculations were
correct.
It Is interesting to note that he was
the first to select the winter season
LUZ Tic pOldI JouihCyb Oil ioCo "hiSh
Peary and Cook made part Of their
scheme of exploration.
AS far as can be ascertained John
Cleves Symmes was never nearer the
north pole than lower Canada, In
which he fought as soldier in the
war Of 1912. His polar regions exist
ed only in his imagination, but 80 in
genious were his pleadings that thou
sands Of otherwise sensible men firmly
believed in "Symmes's Hole" as the
of that day had it. That
nickname became part Of the slang Of
the period between 1920 and $780,
When a man disappeared under sus-
picious circumstances he was account
ed for by saying, Hes gone down
Symmes's hole"
So has this ludicrous theory effec-
tually been demolished by the practi-
cal and physical work Of hardy line
Of brave men.-Cincinnati Enquirer.