The Washington times., 1921-12-11

> vent water from invading the
- cavern) metal vault of hem
ispherical shape-the sky-called the
armament" because II was supposed IT, he
oDlid and substantial structure, beneath
which were the sun. moon and stars
Above this sky-yault were waters, and
tAQPe were windows In 1t which were
oNt1ed by celestial beings to let down the
ra1n. Thus II will be seen that the earth
OF the Dark Ages. with it's over
arohjng vault Of metal was entirely sur
ruunded by water. There were waters be-
meath II. around II and above it.
Examination of the literature Of this in
teresting subject makes it manifest that
Wilbur Glenn Voliva has derived many OF
his ideas from an authority named Gilbert
Johnson. who published a little book about
IL half century ago.
Johnson like voliva) asserts the North
Pole to be the centre of the earth disk
Az We stand and look NORTH he says, I'VE
are looking toward China. The shortest
path by which to reach China is by way
OF the North Pole-going north to the
centre, that is to say, and then south to-
ward the opposite edge of the earth. But
the centre is so far away from the sun
that II is very cold there; so. for greater
convenience. we take longer route"
Voliva's idea Of the ice rim OF the earth
disk Is not original either: he gets It from
another and earlier authority Johnson
does not mention it, He writes: AT the
extreme south we come to where earth
and sky Join together like the lid and rim
OF q watch. The air between the face OF
the earth and the sky (helped perhaps by
volcanic yases) holds the earth afoat in
space. The sun, moon and stars are be-
tween the face of the earth and the sky
the seas, which are level, all join to-
gether.'
From what Las gone before it will be
understood that according to the voliva-
Johnson conception. all paths pointing
south lead to the rim of the earthdisk.
IL <one were at the North Pole one might
start in any direction and, If he kept on
long enough in a straight line, would fetch
ap at the earth's rim.
According to that conception the place
or the South Pole is taken by the rim
which is the outermost circumference Of
Tho pancakeiike earth. That rim hens in
the waters of the great southern ocean,
which occupies all the outer portion of the
ea nth platter the continents of land being
in the middle.
The diameter Of the earth-platter (says
ohnson) Is $4,000 miles Thus. starting
rom the centre. or North Pole, and going
tr0fght in any direction, one would have
. travel $4,000 miles before reaching the
im.
the circumference OF the earth in our
latitude is $4,000 miles. At the. Equator
thaR way TO the rim) It is $4,000 miles. At
the southern limit toutermost edge) 1t is
81. 900 miles.
n we were at the centre of the earth's
ACE 1.-THE North Pole), the North Star
centre starr would be directly overhead
nd the sun. moon and movable stars
plan ets) Swould run in circles around 1t.
The sun according to Johnson) does not
0Snoath the earth when II sets. 1t
ereay circles around, always at the same
,sssnce (2.7OO miles) above the terrestrial
w. The phenomena of rising and set
mE are optical Illusions, due to distance
special interest attaches to the John
sou1uD theories because OF the evident TACT
that Voliva's ideas are derived from him.
With Installations.