The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-07
SAY PLANETS CAUSE
|. AERIAL ACCIDENTS
AviatOrs Blame Gravitational
Action on Fluids Of
the Earth.
MOON Is CHIEF OFFENDER
"Black" Days and "White"
Days Affect Success
of Flights.
MOON Is CHIEF OFFENDER
Special Core spondence TO TnE srx.

LONDON, May 29.--Sclentifc men dar-
Ing aviators. builders OF flying machines.
all alike have deeply concerned themselves
with the problem OF aerial catas,rpphss
Metcorologists are giving careful ntten-
ton to atmospheric conditions, the more
so as most OF the fatal accidents which
cannot be satisfactorily explained on the
grounds Of defects in the machine or OF
want Of skill in the victim have happened
In consequence Of a sudden gust of wind.
Curiously enough. these fatal gusts
frequently take place In circumstances In
which the atmospheric conditions did not
seem to be threatening In the slightest
So that 1t Is not surprising that avlators
assert that there Is undoubtedly a r1ys-
FERROUS unknown factor which contributes
powerfully to increasing the number Of
victims.
Grahame-White stated not long ago In
the English Reuieio, in an article on THE
Perils OF the Air." that TO the question
What risks does the aviator rum" tn
reply must be given: Certain OF his
risks are known but many are still un.
known; and 1t lis the unknown perils
which are, naturally. the greatest"
II Is quite possible. even probable that
the chief OF these unknown factors Is
the supplementary gravitational action
which the planets exercise In certain cir
oumstances not only upon the mean
descent mass below the ~earth's crust
thus causing earthquakes and volcanic
eruptlons. and upon the oceans. so giving
rise TO marine disasters. but also on the
aerial ocean
The theory Is very simple. All bodies
,Sercise their tide producing gravltational
elton on the fluids OF our planet In direct
proportion to their masses and In inverse
str.a -. H.. H.. - hu..- It.s,
not the square. az IN the better known
formula OF the general law of gravita-
ton). Now the bodies which exercise
this activity 10 any degree worthy of note
1re FRS. the moon. second the sun.
and then. OF very much less importance
hut still to be taken into account. the fol-
lowing planets In order of intensity :
Venus, Jupiter. Mars, Mercury and Sat-
urn
Planetary conjunctions are not the only
causes Of disasters In which number
Of well known factors enter. such rs rash
ness lack of skill. defects of machinery
and so on. 1t Is obvious that all these
factors, independent as they are OF celes-
tal phenomena, are not likely to occur
with any greater frequency on days OF
conjunction than on ordinary days. The
mysterious accidents unexplained by any
known causes must be allowed to deter
mine the difference and II this d'rerence
on the side OF the astrologically dan
gerous days IL found to have been veri-
fed and continues to be verified experts
will have In the long run TO take this new
and important factor Into consideration.
Above all, aviators will pay due regard
| TO Il In the choice OF days for flight.
Generally the number OF 'black' DAYS
IL smaller than the number OF white
days, which does not prevent the number
OF disasters being much greater than on
white" days For Instance, In 1918. there
were only 174 "black'' days, as against
1871 white" days, and yet the total num-
Der Of catastrophies mentioned by the
daily press earthquakes. volcanic erup-
t,ons shirwrecks and aer'a, traredies)
was only s,xty-seve on white" days. as
against 1873 on "black" days
The results OF 1912 are more striking
still; 159 'black" days with 1879 disasters,
as against 207 white" dsvs with only
twenty-one catastrophes. And the figures
Of 1911 are very similar. In 1918 there
were only thirty-four aerial disasters on
the 1911 white" DAYS. while the smaller
number Of 'black" days. 174. showed the
largely Increased figure of sixty. the last
, victim in that year being British aviator.
Cant Lushirgton. who was the night
commander Of the naval wing or the Rovsl
! Fiying Corps and used to be the airman
| OF the First lord Of the Admiralty. He
was killed ut Eastchurch on December 2.
a "block" day. since there was con-
! junction Jupter-Moon the previous day.
In 1912 th.re were forty-hHe aerial
! tragedies on the l59 "black" days. while
; only fourteen occurred on the 2o7 white
F.! days OF that year. And during the frst
1 two months Of the present year there
| were twelve aerial disasters on ''black''
days. as against two only on white"