Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-11
SAYS EARTH is WOB-
BLING ON ITS AXIS

pivot. Fix a pad Of paper at right an
giles to the pencil and touching its point
Spin the globe around, and so long as IL
is not joggled the lead traces small
dot on the paper. Oscillate the pivot
and the pencil traces snakeifke coll.
This is what the earth would do If a
north pole and allowed to write its rec
ord upon a fixed sheet Of paper in the
sky. Thus you see the trouble with old
Mother Earth is that the axis is not still
1t has two motions. one revolving, which
accounts for day and night, and the other
oscillation. the result OF which we have
not determined"
A technical explanation Of how astron-r
omers have proven this would throw q
layman into commissions. In few words.
however. the observer. through two sep
arate telescopes, watches the apparent
movements OF stars billions of miles. dis
tant. He selects few whose positions
have been well established and which
may be seen through his instruments BY
day as well as by night. Day after day.
week after week and year after year he
observes the latitude OF his Observatory.
Instead of following straight paths. the
stars appear to stagger across set
line and back again. These changes rep
stars or changes in our latitude. The
stars are, to all intents and purposes,
stationary, therefore the upright posi-
ton of the earth must be changing.
Now, IL our latitudes.' continued Prof
Held, ARE slipping up and down ever the
earth, like hoops over a barrel. the poles
of the earth must be changing Vega. one
Of the harp constellation. is the star most
observed. Astronomers agree that fne
earth Is rushing toward Vega and that IN
4 MI
either crash into 1t or pass very closely
to IL. 3.
Our discoveries have caused many M
teresting speculations. We know that
the south pole is making similar migra-
lions to those os the north pole. Some,
time the north pole may increase its oscil-
lations so that instead OF having an orbit.
Of but few feet, II will have an orbit or
many miles. Then the earth win III
over until the north pole slips down ID
our zone of latitude with regard to the
SUM- Evidence found in the arctics APP
pears to show that at one time tropical
vegetation abounded In these regions.
Should the arctics again come to their
own and claim the tropical rays OF the
sun, things about Washington Will have
a grand moving time or cold freeze out.
-.
..If Dane Nature should turn things
over and send the north pole to Washing
toms latitude. just think OF what would
happen. We might have to wait six
months for daybreak. and day once be-
ginning would last six months. Tho
railroads would all be buried In snow.
the rivers and oceans frozen. The people
would rush from the darkness 70 new.
temperate zones and on arriving there
find a vast domain OF rocks covered with
melting ice Of polar regions that had
been. . -
Brother scientists Of mine have pre-.
dicted that the earth Will cease 1ts rota-
lions and always remain with one side
toward the sun. Many have cited the
oscillations Of the poles OF the earth as
an evidence that the earth ID slackening
in its speed. Finally. II this II true. the
earth will cease its rotations and lie with
one side to the sun. Intending night
would freeze up one-haif Of the earth
shrivel up the other half There would
be q zone OF but few miles in width
which would be habitable- IS IS
I'VE do not want to scare the whole
human race with such predictions -
these. Tor although there Is continuous
change In the positions of the puies,
they have travelled but about 300 feet
from their original position in as many
sAstronomicaI records cover q period
OF but $50 years ana the FIRST ones OBJ.
tanned were not accurate. In order to-
satisfy ourselves that tho poles are
slipping north and south. respectively, We
will need records covering . period OF
at least 10 years. <t-ssfE -
the eye Of the practiced observer. We
have determined this And although we
can never hope to finally determine just J,
what is happening ut either extrenlity.sI
for one VIII continue my observations
and investigation until ! de- sss a9sst s