The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-07-08

Rev. DR.. Haydens President of st
Patrick's College, Manly; the Very
Rev. John Ryan, s. j., Superior of the
Jesuits in Australia, and several of
Fathers Pigot's colleagues.
The experiment was merely for ex-
hfbition, or, as Father Pigot puts it,
Qualitative" purposes. The real work
has been done at ST. Ignatius' College,
RiYerView, with As feet pendulum,
whereby he not only measured the ro-
tation of the earth, but compelled the
"old Mother" to write it down herself.
And this is where the distinguished
Sydney scientist earns his laurels.
For, while the pendulum experiment
is not new, the recording apparatus is
his own invention He has had placed
in the specially constructed ball of the
pendulum, accommodating cells, and a
small electric lamp, which shines
Through a lens in the bottom of the
ball, striking a sheet of sensitised
paper spread beneath the pendulum.
An electrically-timed exposure takes
place every five minutes, clearly trac-
ing the movement of the earth on
which the paper rests as compared
with the plane on which the pendulum
swings. AS the earth rotates, the
pendulum from swinging in a straight
line describes an ever-increasing
eclipse, which, if the pendulum swung
long enough, would become a perfect
circle. The As feet pendulum at River
view, by the way, swings for several
hours. Father Pigot has named his
new Photographic recorder of the
earth's motion a "geogyrograph."
q It is highly interesting to know how
closely the Church has been connected
with this scientific discovery. The
visual observation of the earth's rota-
tion was first made by Viyiani, of
Florence, 200 years ago; but the great
French physicist, ]. B. Leon-Foucault
q819-1S6S), was the first to prove the
law, that long, heavy pendulum will
change the direction of swing at a rate
proportional to the size of the
latitude At the Poles it would change
at the rate of Is degrees an hour,
while at the Equator it would keep it's
original position. Foucault made his
experiments under the dome of the
Pantheon (Paris) in 1851, and, later
in the great Cathedral of Cologne, in
the presence of Cardinal Won Geissel
and 1000 spectators. Foucault's name
is identified with many celebrated in
ventions, such as the gyroscope; a
form of heliostat; method of meas
uring the velocity of light; an auto
matte regulator for the arch-lamp
which made electric lighting practic-
able; discovery of "eddy-currents" in
electricity, and many others. He made
the great reflector for the Paris OBJ
servatory in 1859.
Foucault, early in life, was lax
Catholic, but became very fervent,
and, when almost speeches. from
paralysis, could pray aloud almost
without trace of impeachment. The
| pendulum experiment has since been
done for scientific purposes, as distin-
guished from mere exhibitions, in
various centres; but only once in the
southern hemisphere, at Rio Janeiro.
/
| Charles O'Connell, S. j., then at
| Riverview, expressed his great desire
to see the experiment carried out
there by means of a As foot pendulum
hung from the top of the main stair
case. A request from the director Of
the Vatican Observatory a year ago
to Father Pigot to endeavor, if pos
Icyih To hi 5oI; 4
interesting research in a southern sta
| ton led to the realization of this
project. These researches were to be
| made with a theodolite and chronom-
eter, but Father Pigot's application OF
self-actfng photography applied to the
| experiment much more exact and
easily-calculated method. Father Pigot
is preparing the photographs which he
calls geogyrograms, that is, marks Of
the earth's gyration, for publication in
a scientific magazine.
The exhibition in Sydney was
opened by His Excellency the Apes
tolic Delegate, who started the pendu-
lum in an exact east-west direction b.
burning the fine metallic thread which
held the 60-lb. ball out of the per
pendicular. After swinging n few
minutes it was found that the ball was
changing east by north, west by south
thus showing that our planet was
moving in the opposite direction
Father Pigot is to be heartily con.
/ graduated on this latest instance OF
his original work in physical science.
And the Church is proud of her new
| Calico, who will, however-unlike his
prototype-scrupulously allot to
science the things that belong TO
science, and to faith the things that
are faiths.