The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-03-03
LAND TIDES ARE
MEASURED BY
SCIENTISTS
EARTH'S CRUST IN ENGLAND
MOVES FIVE INCHES, IN SOUTH
AFRICA EIGHT INcHEs-sTATE.
MENT RlpIcuLED.

LONDON. March 3.-Camille Flam-
marion has "A way OF occasionally ut
tering sensational statements concern
Ing some natural phenomenon which
startles the public. but which on in-
vestigation proves To be familiar 10
all scientists.
Thus he made what he described as
an almost incredible announcement
that the solid earth experiences twice
day undulations corresponding TO
the tides OF the ocean. The only
start Ting feature OF this announcement
is that il should have startled any
body
That the attraction OF the moon
which causes such obvious periodic
movements of the waters of the sea
must produce "A similar effect on land.
the crust of the earth. has been recog-
nized by physicists and astronomers
for many years. For instance, Sir
George Darwin, in addressing the Au-
thors' club at the weekly house dinner
on the subject OF the influence OF tides
on man, referred to the experiments
he aud his brother Horace had made
20 years before in an effort 10 meas
ure the diurnal rise and fall OF given
point on the lands surface under the
influence OF the moon. Sir George
confessed their failure, but conjectur-
ed from the observations lately made
by DR.. Hecker AT Berlin that In this
latitude the land and wave rose and
fell four or five inches. Sir George
said:
Observations by Photograph.
"Dr. Heckers apparatus is in
chamber, cut out OF the side OF vel!
eighty feet below the earths surface,
and he has continued TO make observa-
tons by means of photography day
and night for six years. IL Is from
these observations that il Is possible
to determine how stiff the earth is. 1t
Is just about as slif as II made OF
steel. II it We're made OF steel 1t
would move mp aud down one-thi:d as
much as II liquid throughout"
Sir George. who is the greatest au-
thority on tides. dwelt in his address
on their effect on the evolution of the
planetary system. pointing out espe'
cially how the friction of the tides
acts as "A brake on the earths rota-
ton and reacts on the moon. the Ell
feet being To slow down the spinning
time OF the earth and drive the moon
further away
Sir George traced the history OF the
earth and moon from the time when
the latter was thrown of the former,
probably leaving the hole now filled
by the Pacific ocean For awhile the
TWO bodies side by side. went spin
ming around Then the tidal frictions
drove the moon away, and will drive
IL farther and further while II checks
~. he
terrestrial day is month long the
moon will again always face the same
side OF the earth.
Oscillations Recorded.
Or. Hecker telegraphs 10 The Daily
Mail explaining his methods:
When a ship mounts the crest Of
wave the masts lean backward. ana
phmmet hanging from the top Of the
mast will always swing from the base
Likewise. If you suspend plumUet
from peak or column standing trm-
lv on the surface OF the earth. the
plummet will oscillate as a tidal wave
rolls along the land II we use Won
Rebeurs horizontal pendulum We are
capable of recording oscillations MP 90
one.twenty.f of an
inch
the experiments Of Or. Won Rebeur
Paschwitz who has been working at
land tide measurement, nor TO the III
vestigations carried on the last few
years al the Kimberley Observatory.
which seems to show that the crust
of South Africa rises and falls eight
inches daily. Neither did he discuss
the possibility OF utilizing the energy
of the tides as the earths supply OF
fuel is consumed
II the suns energy is stored In coal
like bottled sunshine, there are Inn
mense reservoirs OF power In the bot
tied moonhine Of the tides. In ancient
times Phoebus was tabled to have
driven the horses of the sun. but 1t
may be. in reality in the future that
Cynthia will drive our motorcars and
steamships, and cook our dinners.