Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-04-26

ical test or the direction Of the earth's
curvature. He Is mathematician enough
to know that rectiline extended ~
right angles from the top Of perpen-
cave arc, or an exterior line parallel tc
the tangent on the convex arc. 1t IL
sufficient to say that In Koreshan SUR
vey the rectiline did form the chord OF
the concave arc, accordinSSto data sup
ported by tho sworn testimony OF forty
persons. For many years the Koresh-
ans had a standing offer of 100000 to
any scientist who would make sim
liar survey and demonstrate convex
| ity. None Of the scientists dared to
face the issue, although ever since the
DAYS OF Ptolemy they have been
searching for a positive proof OF the
convex theory Astronomers from the
Chicago University and the smitnson !
ian Institute were urgently requested
to be present at the survey. but they
refused After it was all over. few
scientists of some repute INDUCED IN
feeble criticism but the merciless logic
Of the Koreshans placed them in SO
ridiculous a light that they retired
from the field In confusion, and cannot
be coaxed back.
! Senex is aware that on the convex
earth the rays Of gravity would come
together at the earth's center. beneath
the observers feet, while In the con-
cave earth they would come together at
the center above his head. In the fall
OF 1901, plumb lines were suspended
in the shafts Of the Tamarack mine at
Calumet. Mich. 4,250 feet deep. Num-
erous tests were made. and invariably
the lines hung farther apart at the
bottom than at the top. The expert
ments were repeated in February 1909,
with the same results. The scientific
world advanced many different Eek.
plantations" of the peculiar behavior OF
the plumb lines, but each one encount-
cred insuperable objections, and had to
be abandoned. The facts Of the exper-
downward divergence OF the gravtc
rays, which could only obtain in the
consaye earth.
Now let us notice as briefly as pos
sible the objections Of Senex to the
concave theory. When he drew two
circles with common chord, he found
that the base Of the triangle was not
affected by either concavity or convex
ity, and therefore jumped to the con-
clusion that the angles would not pc
affected, either. The intersection OF the
two circles evidently confused him.
Let him try drawing them separately.
He will find that these conditions oh
tain: In each case, the line connecting
the earth with the object whose dis
lance is to be calculated is between the
two observers. In each case, the declln-
alton of the object is measured from
the respective zeniths Of the two OBJ
servers towards that line. But on the
convex arc, the plumb lines Of the OBJ
servers continually diverge upwards,
while on the Concave arc the plumb
lines meet at the center 1000 miles
above the observers heads. The angles
at the base Of the triangle are there
fore seen to be different in each case be
cause measured from entirely different
plumb lines. But Sennex contends that
if the objects were close. the parallax
would be something fierce" 1t would
be from the convex side Of the arc, but
not from the concave side Eenex has
no right to. use assumptions based
upon the convex idea in his criticism
Of conditions related to the concave
side. The relations are entirely dis
electric lamp, would he use a match!
II he desired to go awaiting, would he
use row boat? Upon the convex
basis, he Is justified in assuming that
|lirht is propogated In straight lines.
Upon the concave basis, such an as
sumption would not stand for min
ute. The rate Of curvature of horizon
tai light ray Is about inches to the
mile upwards from the concave sur
face, or 10 inches from the tangent
rectiline. Suppose we are looking at the
sun just rising. We know that the light
raw is horizontal. But we also know
that the sun is on the meridian 80 de-
grees east Of US. we know, therefore,
that the ray of light that enables us to
see the sun has curvated sufficiently IN
its progress through 80 degrees to en-
we always see the object in the direc-
ton from which the light ray is pro-
crossing when we receive It, the sun
appears on the horizon. The same
principle brings the stars down to the
horizon when they are 80 degrees from
the meridian. Thus, while the sphere
Of the heavens really presents the con-
vex surface to US, the curvation OF the
light ray makes it appear concave. IT
Senex has access to pseudoscope, let
him borrow a base ball from small
bow and observe how the instrument
apparently turns the ball inside out 1t
is upon this principle that the spher-
ical layers Of the atmosphere reverse
the relief Of the convex star sphere,
and make 1t appear concave. Parallax
is measured, as he says, upon the star
sphere. The sun has a parallax of S.S5
seconds That means that 1t Is within
a few miles of the star sphere. The
moon has parallax Of 81 minutes. 3
seconds which places it something like
rs miles this side Of the orbit of the
sun. About 20 Of the stars have observ-
able parahax. being slightly this side
of the uniform star sphere. Did Senex
ever hear Of stars having a negative
parallax? Two or three have. Upon
the convex basis, that would place
them beyond the possible limit Of dis
lance, which would be quite a condi,-
ton OF affairs. In the concave earth
they are simply a little inside the
star sphere. Senex objects that Hal
ley's comet, with a period of Is years,
must be drawn by an OK team. But
while it is here it manages to keep
pretty we'll with the rest Of the bunch
in their daily walk around the sphere
Of the heavens, about $4,000 miles at
the equator $50 miles an hour Is not
50 slow. opine that he does not keep
tab on it's behavior when it Is out Of
sight Comets have their function In
the cellular cosmos. They are an i'm
portant source Of the suns fuel Com
cts never return. When they disappear
It is because they disintegrate and are
drawn into the central sun. They have
! cycles Of development; that is. they
are produced at regularly recurring
! periods OF augmentation Of solar cleo
| tro-magnetic energy. They are simply
| u. ~r,{ Avsy