Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-02-03
Correspondence.
p.oblem and Answers.


.,d;tor of The American.
THE ANERIcAs Of Dec. 20 gave the
[owing problem:
no,gbt in pounds Of rainfall OF one
W sovn ten miles square. Give the
vs. Of teams and length OF road tnat
w. reouired to haul the water, allowing
-, IN haul one ton and occupy space
'es' loot m length. Arranging the teams
.,abt line, with starting point at THs
of,;ce in Ellsworth and extending
s,.;ng no provisions for bodies OF
y nhsre would the other end OF the pro-
Jon bef
,nswers have been given to the
.,ostiop-one by p. g. Wooster, OF
80 Cal, to whom the question was
- and one by d, b. Alley, of frsn-
u,oster,s answer was as follows:
,her of pounds Of water, 1851 '7'4.7oa,-
s,her nf teams, 1850 $50; miles occu-
~ Az ss; length OF procession, around
Ia once and from The AMERICAN office
,Dnorth to some point in Asia on q sec
,uru around the world.
II. Alley 5 answer;
,,ber OF pounds OF water is'ozo'oov'Vo'
gss,.ooo; miles teams would occupy,
s;stance around earth In latitude OF
,5.4ol4 miles; length OF process
around the earth once ana iI'o'o'o "i''es
,.cond vurn around the wori1.
.h;nk Mr.. wooster's first answer OF the
~, a, Wounds of water either q mis-
in notation or print, as his other
as show. The small difference OF A.64
: in length OF procession, and the
M a;nerence in the number OF teams
i-ed between the answers OF Mr.
,.,er and Mr.. Alley, may be due to the
Dber of pounds taken for cubic foot
allon OF water.
,tv.two and one-half pounds OF
ia given for cubic foot, but slight
atom NAV be added or deducted from
amount as the weight OF water 10
ted slightly by temperature or BY
,oncss the water holds in solution.
water is heavier than warm water
i it reaches a degree OF temperature
re freezing process has begun; then 1t
mes lighter. Salt water il heavier
fresh water on account Of the brine
is held in solution.
will give a solution Of the problem
cb agrees with Mr.. Alleys, with the
lption OF the distance around the earth,
N he evidently has computed in nau-
miles, but as the procession has
given in statute miles, the distance
Ind the earth should also be computed
katute miles. Solution OF problem:
town ten miles square there are 100
re miles; $40 acres per square mile, 64.0o(
1850 square feet per acre, 2,7s',sfo ooe
re feet. Allowing 62i pounds OF water
lubic foot, there is one-twelfth Of that in
inch OF water on one square foot
5-24 pounds per square foot, making a.
D,ooo pounds on township ten miles
re. Number of teams required hauling .
B, 900 pounds. !, 26o, 900; each team occnpy-
pace OF twenty feet, 1920 900 feet; there
$3.50 feet to mile, the line Of teams
d be 1880 miles long. Distance around
Earth in latitude OF Ellsworth, 1853
|te miles.
us the procession would extend once
nd the earth, and more than half way
nd again, SO that the head OF the pro-
pm would be s.0i9.s miles east OF ELS
b, in northwestern China.
ese figures show the ample provision
nature has made for the distribution
oisture 50 necessary to the susten-
OF animal aud vegetable life, and
show to some extent the appalling
axe that person would have made
he taken that small rainfall to have
ed reasonable distance for season q
which doubtless some would have
had opportunity and satisfactory
peDsation been offered.
appreciate Mr.. Wooster's efforts in
pg what he terms "guess- work.
'er to the problem, and sincerely hope
Is not experienced any inconvenience
the task imposed.
pei 1t my duty, however, to gently re-
MI. Wooster that ne is departing
what from the customs Of the old
oiroom, which he well knows would
Tor one moment tolerate q ssguess-
answer to mathematical question,
very perplexing question there, az his
lory will doubtless recall, was demon
ed on the ''grind-grand" principle
tactness, and substantiated by proof.
re not sure but discipline might re-
MIN to remain after school and look
the work until he could be able to
ce his mathematical calculations to
ana dismiss the ''guess-work" part.
W. w. JELLIsoN.
surplus Money" In Surry.
ELLSWORTH, Feb. 1, 1903.