Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-07-15

Is the latitude of this place chang
ing?
Is your home closer to the equator
or the pole than 1t once was?
These may appear to be foolish
questions to the average man. lie mas
no doubt grown to look upon the
earth's belt and its axis as immov-
able lines. even though they are inn
aginary. But an astronomer in Lon.
don was quoted the other day as as
serting that the distance between Ma
pies. Italy. and the equator has been
shortened by mile and half during
the past IL years. and that Greenwich
has apparently moved half mile to-
ward the tropics in less than two dec
AIDES. The possibility Of such
changes In latitude is discussed in the
following bulletin from the Washing.
ton headquarters Of the National Geo
graphic society
There Is no question that ATTITUDES
change. but there is very large ques-
ton whether the changes are of any
considerable magnitude and whether
they continue for any great length Of
time in the same direction. The vnrla.
tions that have been established are
due To slight wabbling of the earth,
like that of n top which is not spinning
evenly around its axis. This Irregular
ity does not change the direction of the
IL. .s,.A
on the earth's surface (the pole-poinD
frOIa which the axis energies. BY such
changes most points on the earth
would have their positions altered with
reference To the poles and TO the equa.
tor. which Is always 90 degrees from
the pole-point and therefore follows it
In any movement which IL makes
What the Wabbles Do.
"lf the earth's simplest possible rO-
tation had had a single wabble added
to IL. the pole-point would trace a
closed path that is. II would return
to the same position again and again
after the completion of definite, equal
periods But there are at least two
distinct and unequal wabbles known:
one completed in a year and one in
about fourteen months. Their cOmbi.
nation causes the pole-point to wander
I'm a rather uneven way, tracing lines
that are very roughly eiiptlcal and
which cross and recrOss each other.
But these two known wabbles cause
only very slight variation from
steady rotation the 'wanderlngs' OF
the pole point because OF them are be-
lieved to be always within circle 60
feet across The latitude of any city
would be changed, therefore because
OF these two recognized wabbles OF the
earth. at most only 30 feet north or
south of its mean position.
"There are other possibilities how
ever. In regard to change Of latitude.
One Is THAT there are other as yet un-
recognized wabbles extending over
longer periods which cause the pole
point TO wander In circles or ellpses
that may be larger than the 60-foot cir.
Gle.
"Whether there Is n progressive
change of ATTITUDES has long interest
ed astronomers. In 1900 the Interna-
tiOnal Latitude Service was formed
and string OF six stations was eS-
tablished, forming band around the
world. all within n few feet OF the par.
allel Of north latitude. 30 degrees 8
minutes. These stations were sltuat-
ed In Japan. Russian Turkgstan. Sar-
DINA. Galthersburg, Md. Cincinnati.
o.. and Ukiah. Cal. Observations were
made AT all the stations for II years.
The stations In Turkestan and Mt
Gaithersburg were closed nj the end
OF 1914. and the international latitude
work was discontinued at the Cincin-
natl station al the end of 1915. The
remaining three stations are continu.
Ing the observations.
Little Change In Million Years.
THE Information assembled by the
International Latitude Service has
been interpreted In various ways. The
changes in attitudes observed were
very small and It is recognized that
the possibilities Of error due to i'm
ptrlttl lHStFuHleHtS, inaccuracies IN
star destinations. and the human equa.
ton, were many. One careful analysis
by the United States coast and geo.
detic survey. however seems to lndi-
cate that the pole-point is shifting
progressively southwark toward the
continent Of North America. This
would mean that. In effect. the cities
OF the United States are moving slow.
ly to the north.
"You need have little worry. though.
over the likelihood that the North Pole
will turn up some day in your back
yard. Even though one becomes gen.
er0us with assumptions and assumes
that there is a southwark movement
Of the pole-point and that II will con.
tinue steadily. Its slowness makes the
assumed shift almost negligible. The
analysis referred TO seems to Indicate
a southwark drift Of the pole amount
ing To a trlfle over six inches a year.
This would amount to less than one