The earth a plane john edward quinlan

Part

. . . T H E

. . .

EARTH A PLANE

BY

JO H N

EDWARD

Q U IN L AN V-

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S u r v e y o r of Sf. L u c ia a v d SI. Vincent.

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L o n d o n , S .W .

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PART I

THE EARTH A PLANE.

By JO H N

E . Q U I N L A N , 7, Charlwood Place, Pimlico, London, S.W.

I t is a n u n q u e stio n a b le fact th a t the e a rth is an e x te n d e d p la n e with an irregular la n d surface, a n d n o t o f sp h erical o r g lo b u la r shape w ith tw o flatten ed e n d s as scientists a n d astro n o m ers assert in th eir specu latio n s, a n d m o st p eo p le believ e. N e ith e r is it pt-arsh ap ed , as P ro fesso r VV. J . S o lla s suggested as recen tly as th e 2 4 th M ay, 1906, a t th e R o y a l In stitu tio n , A lb em arle S tree t, London.

T h a t th e earth is flat can b e verified b y o u r sen ses from ev ery p o in t o f view. P ra c tic a l d e m o n s tra tio n s can b e given o f th is sh ap e w hich sh o u ld satisfy ev ery u n p reju d iced a n d re a so n a b le m ind ; a n d there are n u m e ro u s references in G o d 's H o ly W o rd — th e B ib le— to an e a rth o f th is shape.

I am aw are th a t o n e o f th e first q u e stio n s th a t g lo b ites wi)l p u t to m e is : H ow can sh ip s sail ro u n d th e w orld if it is n o t a g lo b e ? In answ er to th is q u e ry , please n o te th a t sh ip s c a n n o t sail ro u n d th e w orld o n a u n ifo rm co u rse, w h e th e r th e w orld b e a globe o r a plane. T h is is im p o ssib le e.xcept in a la titu d e w hich is south o f C ap e H o rn . L a n d w ould in te rv e n e o n every un ifo rm co u rse th a t lies betw een th is ex trem e so u th e rly la titu d e a n d th e ■Arctic regions. B ut w hen a irsh ip s shall h av e b e e n b ro u g h t to a high sta te o f p erfectio n , a g lo b e -tro tte r will be a b le to sail ro u n d th e w orld on a uniform co u rse b y g etting in to o n e from a sailing ship w hen lan d was in th e w ay, a n d o u t o f it, b ack in to a n o th e r sailing ship w hen w ater was re a c h e d .

T h e m ag n etic co m p ass, th a t w ould h e lp th e g lo b e -tro tte r to keep on his course, alw ays p o in ts to th e m ag n etic n o rth w hen th ere are no local a ttra c tio n s. T h e m ag n etic n o rth is n e a r th e N o rth P ole. T h e N o rth P o le is th e c e n tre o f th e ex te n d e d p la n e — the e a rth — a n d n o t o n e o f th e tw o flatten ed e n d s of a g lo b u lar w orld as is so often a sserted .

I t was n o t by w hite sc ie n tists a n d astro n o m ers th a t th e m ag n etic attra c tio n to w ard s th e N o rth P o le was d isco v ered , b u t by lea rn e d C hinese w ho knew th e n , as th e ir offspring know' noW; th a t th e earth was flat.

4 T ak e a piecc o f card b o a n .1 a n d tra c e a circle o n it w ith a p a ir o f dividers. T h e cen tre p o in t o f th a t c irc le w o u ld re p re se n t th e position o f the N orth P o le on th e flat e a rth , th e c ircu la r lin e th e so u th ern extrem ity o f th a t earth , a n d n o t th e S o u th P o le. T h e re is no su ch point, a n d th ere n e v e r can b e, as th e alleg ed S o u th P o le. D raw an o th er circlc from th e sam e c e n tre , so as to be m idw ay betw een th a t p o in t a n d th e e x trem e circle, a n d this m id d le circle w ould rep resen t th e E q u a to r.

P la c e a m agnet near th e c e n tre o f th e circles a n d a sensitive n e ed le anyw here w ithin th e o u te r circle, a n d th e n e e d le w ould be b o u n d to p o in t tow ards th e c e n tre . T h is m u st b e so. A rig h t angle on th e right side o f th e n e e d le p o in ts east, a rig h t an g le on th e left sid e west, and th e o p p o site e n d o f th e n e e d le p o in ts to th e so u th .

P lace o ne leg o f j'o u r d iv id e r in th e c e n tre p o in t a n d th e o th e r leg n ear th e sensitive need le on its rig h t sid e ; th e n , by m a k in g a circu lar sw'ecp w'ith th a t leg o f th e d iv id e r till it to u c h e d th e needle o n its left side, an easterly co u rse W'ould b e tra c e d ro u n d th e flat e arth . R e v e r s e th e o p e ra tio n . F ro m th e left sid e o f th e n eed le m ake a circular sw eep back to its rig h t side, a n d a w esterly course ro u n d th e flat e a rth w'ould be traced .

I t is therefo re possible to o u tlin e a n d ev en tu a lly trav erse a uniform co u rse ro u n d a flat e a rth by m ean s o f a seagoing ship a n d a navigable airship.

W hen th e p etro l lau n c h sails ro u n d th e isla n d s th a t sta n d in th e c e n tre of th e lakes in th e p ark s o f th e L o n d o n C o u n ty C ouncil, E n g lish ch ild ren get a p ra ctica l d e m o n stra tio n o f th e p ossibility o f sailing ro u n d a flat e a rth — th e islan d s re p re se n tin g th e e a r t h - i n w ater th a t is alw ays in its n a tu ral sta te — a d e a d level.

L et scientists and a stro n o m e rs, w ho a sse rt th a t th e e arth is a globe, give us a practical d e m o n stra tio n o f th is by p lacin g a m ag n et n e a r th e N o rth P o le o f a n artificial g lo b e a n d a sen sitiv e n eed le anyw here on its convex su rface. I f th is b e d o n e it will be found a m atter o f im possibility fo r th e n ee d le to p o in t to w ard s th is N o rth Pole as a n eed le do es o n th e n a tu ra l w orld, a n d w ould d o on m y card b o ard . L et th e m also give us as p ra c tic a l an illu stratio n o f th e sailing o f a sh ip on a g lo b u la r ocean as I have given o f an ocean w ith a flat' 'surface in my illu stra tio n o f th e sailing o f a p etro l lau n ch on level w a ter ro u n d th e islan d s in th e p ark s o f th e L o n d o n C o u n ty C o u n cil.

A sea-going ship could sail ro u n d th e n av ig ab le w orld o n p o rtio n s o f a uniform co u rse, say lik e th e E q u a to r, in th e follow ing m an n er. I t cou ld s ta rt from th e east c o a st o f A frica at th e E q u a to r, a n d keep along th e e asterly co u rse till it rc a c h e d

th e m any islan d s o f th e E a s t In d ie s . I t co u ld sail ro u n d e ac h of th e islan d s till it got b a c k to th e E q u a to r on th e ir east s i d e ; it c o u ld th e n p ro c e e d o n its u n ifo rm co u rse across th e P acific till th e w est c o a st o f South A m eric a was re ach ed . T h e n b y sailing so u th erly a n d a ro u n d C a p e H o r n , a n d n o rth e rly till it re a c h e d th e E q u a to r n e a r th e m o u th o f th e A m azo n , it co u ld p u rsu e its u niform c o u rs e across th e A tla n tic O cean a n d th e G u lf o f G u in ea (w here it w o u ld cross th e m e rid ia n o f G reen w ich ), to th e w est c o a st o f A frica, a n d by ag ain sailin g so u th erly a n d a ro u n d th e C a p e o f G o o d H o p e a n d th e n n o rth e rly it w ould g et b a c k to th e p o in t from w h ich it s ta rte d ; b u t th e sh ip w ould have b een saih n g all th e tim e alo n g a flat o c e a n , a n d n ever a lo n g a con v ex or g lo b u lar o n e, a n d its c a p ta in w o u ld have been co n su ltin g a flat c h a rt, a n d n e v e r a g lo b e to sail it along th e d e sired course.

A s it is im p o ssib le for an y re a so n a b le m an to im ag ine su ch a feat as lo o p in g th e loop from th e o u tsid e o f th e circu lar rin g , so m u st it b e eq u ally im p o ssib le fo r him to ac c ep t th e rid icu lo u s d o g m a o f a sh ip sailing ro u n d a g lo b u lar e a rth . H e c a n n o t a c c e p t th is w ith o u t b e in g false to his reaso n .

I f th e sh ip to w hich I h av e refe rre d h a d b e e n sailing a lo n g th e E q u a to r o f a g lo b u lar e a rth , ev ery six h o u rs it w ould h av e b e e n in th e follow ing different p o sitio n s : A t m id d ay it w ould b e in th e h o rizo n tal p o sitio n in w hich all sh ip s a p p e a r to o u r view ; six h o u rs la te r it w ould be in a p e rp e n d icu la r p o sitio n , w ith its bow p o in tin g d o w n w a rd s ; a t m id n ig h t it w ould b e topsy turv ey u p sid e d o w n ; a t six a .m . it w o u ld be o n c e m o re p e rp e n d ic u la r, b u t th is tim e w ith its bow p o in tin g u p w a rd ; a n d a t n o o n , tw entyfour h o u rs la te r, it w ould b e b ack in its form er h o rizo n tal p o sitio n .

If, on th e o th e r h a n d , th e sh ip w ere sailing n o rth erly from th e E q u a to r alo n g a m e rid ian : a t six p .m . it w ould b e lyin g o n its rig h t side w ith its m asts in a h o rizo n tal p o sitio n ; a t m id n ig h t it w ould b e u p sid e d o w n ; at six a .m . it w ould b e lying on its left side w ith its m asts again in a h o rizo n tal p o s itio n ; a n d on ly a t n o o n , as a t th e p rev io u s n o o n , w ould it b e in th e p o sitio n in w hich all ships a p p e a r to o u r view . Tt w ould be highly am u sin g to a re a d e r if 1 w ere to d esc rib e th e ho u rly p o sitio n s o f th e sh ip , b u t u n fo rtu n a te ly very lim ite d sp a c e disallow s o f m y d o in g so.

A ship lying in a d o c k fully la d e n has only a few feet o f w ater below its keel. I f it draw s a t n o o n i8 ft. 3 in ., th e m in u te st o b serv atio n fails to discov er th e difference in its d ro u g h t w hich o u g h t to tak e p lace a t m id n ig h t w hen it is u p sid e dow n. W ill scientists ex p lain ?

H av in g m e n tio n e d th e m e rid ia n o f G reenw ich, I m u st p o in t o u t, in c o n n e c tio n w ith th e a lleg ed in terferen ce of th e L o n d o n

C o u n ty C ouncil electric g e n eratin g sta tio n a t G reen w ich w ith th e d elicate in stru m en ts o f th e R o y al O b serv ato ry , th a t it is th e R oyal O bservatory th a t sh o u ld b e re m o v e d a n d n o t th e g en eratin g statio n . A n o b serv ato ry o u g h t to b e e re c te d o n a sp o t a t th e level o f a large sh e e t o f w a te r, w hich w ould serve as a n a tu ra l horizon. G reat B ritain is su rro u n d e d b y su ch w ater ; b u t G reat B ritain is otherw ise u n su ited for a p ro p e r o b serv ato ry for reasons w hich I give in th e n ex t p ara g ra p h , a n d also b e c a u se every m erid ian th a t p asses th ro u g h G reat B ritain crosses th e E q u a to r in m id o ce a n , w here a sister o b serv ato ry c a n n o t b e ere c ted .

All a re ag reed th a t w hen we have eq u al d ay a n d eq u al n ig h t tw ice a year over th e earth, th e su n is vertical to th e e a rth at th e E q u a to r, b u t it is n o t gen erally k n o w n th a t w hen th e su n is in th is p o sitio n —called its e q u in o x — o b serv ers a t 45'^ n o rth la titu d e a n d 4 5 ° sou th la titu d e m u st re co rd 4 5 ° as th e an g le o f elev atio n from th e horizon to th e su n ’s c e n tre at n o o n , a n d th a t th e sp o t n o rth o r south o f th e E q u a to r from w h ere th e su n is o b se rv e d at th is an g le a t noon is th e sp o t th a t m ark s th e ex act d ista n c e to th e E q u a to r as the sun is above th e E q u a to r. T h is s p o t— on th e n o rth sid e of th e E q u a to r— is exactly m idw ay b etw een th e E q u a to r a n d th e N o rth P o le.

I t th erefo re follow s, as a m a tte r o f c o u rse , th a t th e exact d istan ce o f th e sun ab o v e th e E q u a to r a t its eq u in o x is exactly h alf th e d ista n c e b etw een th e E q u a to r a n d th e N o rth P o le.

T w o o b servatories are th erefo re in d isp e n sa b le , o n e a t th e liq u a to r an d th e o th er 4 5 ^ n o rth o r so u th o f th e E q u a to r.

T h e re a re no su c h observ ato ries in ex isten ce, a n d 1 v e n tu re to say, w ith o u t fear o f co n tra d ic tio n , th a t th e re a re only tw o sp o ts in th e w o rld on th e sam e m e rid ia n — o n e a t th e E q u a to r, a n d th e o th e r 4 5 ° n o rth o r so u th o f th e E q u a to r— w here th e an g le of elevation to th e su n could be m e asu re d from a n a tu ra l ho rizo n .

T h e A stro n o m er R oyal a n d h is fellow -scientists m ay hav e th is o p p o rtu n ity of saving th eir faces b y n am in g th e p o sitio n s o f th e s e tw o spots before I p u b lish th e m la te r o n .

W ith obseryatories at th e se tw o sp o ts th e d is ta n c e o f th e su n from th e earth , w hich is th e very fo u n d atio n o f all astro n o m ic a l research es, could b e know n exactly. S c ien tists a n d a stro n o m ers say it is ab o u t o r nearly 9 3 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 o f m iles. H o w d id th e y m easu re it ?

H e re is a p ractical illu stratio n o f th e infallj'b le m e th o d I h a v e g iven fo r finding o u t th e d istan ce o f th e su n a ccu rately . T a k e a sq u are p ie c e o f p a p e r ; each o f th e fo u r co rn e rs form s a n a n g le ot 9 0 '’, a n d to g eth er a total of 3 6 0 ° ; th e sam e as th e d eg rees o f a circle. T h e fo u r sides o f th e p a p e r a re o f eq u al le n g th . F o ld th e p a p er diagonally, a n d it b eco m e s o f tria n g u la r sh a p e . T h e

trian g le th a t it form s is n o t o n ly a rig h t-an g le d trian g le, b u t o n e th a t h as its d ia g o n al a t a n an g le o f 4 5 ° o r o n e h a lf o f 9 0 '’. As th e four sides w ere o f eq u al len g th , th e tw o sides th a t are a t th e rig ht angles re m a in o f e q u a l len g th .

H o ld up th e trian g u lar p a p e r before y o u w ith o n e p ro lo n g e d side o f th e rig h t angle p o in tin g tow ards th e c e n tre o f th e heavens, a n d th e o th e r tow ards th e N o rth P o le, an d im ag in e th e c o m e r p o in tin g u p w ard to be th e su n a t its e q u in o x a t n o o n : th a t p o in tin g n o rth w a rd to b e th e sp o t o n th e e a rth w hich is 4 5 “’ n o rth o f th e E q u a to r ; a n d th e th ird c o rn e r to b e th e sp o t a t th e E q u a to r w hich is p e rp en d ic u la rly u n d e r th e su n a t n o o n w hen at its eq u in o x . T h is clearly d e m o n stra te s th a t th e sp o t from w here th e su n can b e seen a t n o o n a t an angle o f 4 5 ° a b o v e th e h o rizo n , is a t exactly th e sam e d ista n ce from th e E q u a to r as th e su n is above th e E q u a to r, a n d n o t a foot m ore or less. A n d w h e th e r th e e arth be g lo b u lar o r flat th e sam e m e th o d answ ers for a scertain in g th e exact d is ta n c e o f th e sun.

S cientists a n d astro n o m e rs w ho h o ld to th e g lo b u la r w orld th eo ry have th e n no excuse for saying th e su n is a b o u t or n early so m any m illions o f m iles aw ay w hen th e re are tw o sp o ts w ith n atu ral h orizons even on a g lo b u lar w orld for a sc e rta in in g th e ex act d i s t a n t . A n d it is w ith th e ir u n ce rta in d is ta n c e o f th e sun th a t th ey m easu re th e d istan ces o f o th e r heav en ly bodies. H ow m u ch b e tte r to have an acc u ra te a n d reliab le b ase w ith w hich to m ak e th e se m easu rem en ts. A re scien tists a n d a stro n o m e rs ig n o ran t of th is m e th o d ?