_Symmes's Theory; comprehending his description of the form of the
earth, and of the other orbs in the Universe; his principles of
gravity, and the points wherein he differs from the old or generally
received theories._
According to Symmes's Theory, the earth, as well as all the celestial
orbicular bodies existing in the universe, visible and invisible,
which partake in any degree of a planetary nature, from the greatest
to the smallest, from the sun, down to the most minute blazing meteor
or falling star, are all constituted in a greater or less degree, of a
collection of spheres, more or less solid, concentric with each other,
and more or less open at their poles; each sphere being separated
from its adjoining compeers by space replete with aerial fluids; that
every portion of infinite space, except what is occupied by spheres,
is filled with an aerial elastic fluid, more subtile than common
atmospheric air; and constituted of innumerable small concentric
spheres, too minute to be visible to the organ of sight assisted by the
most perfect microscope, and so elastic that they continually press
on each other, and change their relative situations as often as the
position of any piece of matter in space may change its position: thus
causing a universal pressure, which is weakened by the intervention
of other bodies in proportion to the subtended angle of distance and
dimension; necessarily causing the body to move towards the points of
decreased pressure.
It is a sound principle of philosophy, that the particles of the
common air of our atmosphere are of a repellant quality, and mutually
repulse each other. The whole system of pneumatics goes to prove that
air presses equally in all directions. Not a single experiment in this
branch of natural science can be performed that does not depend on
such a property. This being the case, if the boundless extent of the
universe, beyond the limits of our atmosphere, be an entire vacuum,
why should the atmosphere be retained in its present circumscribed
form, and not expand, by virtue of its repellant quality, far beyond
its known height? To prevent this, Symmes believes universal space to
be filled with an elastic fluid, inconceivably rare, and uniformly
distributed throughout; differing from common air, and from the
elastic fluids (which also are known to be repellant) existing in our
atmosphere. This tendency is what Symmes believes should be understood
by the term gravity; the laws of action governing which he holds to be
true, as defined by Newton: and he moreover holds that the application
of the laws of gravity, as laid down by Newton, leads a reasoning mind
to the belief of concentric spheres, with open poles, as all planetary
bodies are in his opinion formed.
In regard to the _effects_ of gravity, he pretends not to differ from
the generally received opinion of the age; but the _application_ of
them, as to the inner parts of insulated bodies, has enabled him to
_improve_ in a knowledge of the formation of planets; and finally led
him to form a correct idea of what _constitutes_ gravity.
The author of the new theory entertains a belief that the principles
of planetary orbicular forms, developed by him, extend as well to the
molecules of the most subtile fluids, as to the innumerable stars or
suns of the universe, and all their planetary trains: he contends that
though he may not have discovered any new principles in physics, yet
that he has made interesting advances in a knowledge of the application
of what was heretofore known.
According to him, the planet which has been designated the Earth,
is composed of at least five hollow concentric spheres, with spaces
between each, an atmosphere surrounding each; and habitable as well
upon the concave as the convex surface. Each of these spheres are
widely open at their poles. The north polar opening of the sphere we
inhabit, is believed to be about four thousand miles in diameter, and
the southern above six thousand.[1] The planes of these polar openings
are inclined to the plane of the ecliptic at an angle of about twenty
degrees; so that the real axis of the earth, being perpendicular to the
plane of the equator, will form an angle of twelve degrees with a line
passing through the sphere at right angles with the plane of the polar
openings; consequently the verge of the polar openings must approach
several degrees nearer to the equator on one side than on the other.
The highest north point, or where the distance is greatest from the
equator to the verge of the opening in the northern hemisphere, will
be found either in the northern sea, near the coast of Lapland, on a
meridian passing through Spitsbergen, in about latitude sixty-eight
degrees, or somewhat more eastwardly in Lapland; and the verge would
become _apparent_, to the navigator proceeding north, in about latitude
ninety degrees.
The lowermost point, or the place where the distance is least from the
equator to the verge of the northern polar opening, will be found in
the Pacific ocean, about latitude fifty degrees, near the north-west
coast of America, on or near a meridian running through the mouth
of Cook's river, being in about one hundred and sixty degrees west
longitude, the real verge being in about latitude fifty degrees and
becoming apparent to a person travelling northward at right angles with
the magnetic equator, at the distance of about twelve hundred miles
further. The verge varies progressively from the lowest to the highest
point, crossing the north-west coast of America between latitude
fifty-two and fifty-four, thence across the continent of North America,
passing through Hudson's Bay and Greenland, near cape Farewell; thence
by mount Hecla to the highest point; thence tending gradually more to
the south, across the northern parts of Asia, at or near the volcanoes
of Kamtschatka, and along the extinguished volcanoes of the Fox
Islands, to the lowermost point again, near the northwest coast.
In the southern hemisphere, the highest point, or place where the
distance is greatest from the equator to the verge of the polar
opening, will be found in the southern Pacific ocean, in about latitude
forty-six degrees south, and perhaps about longitude one hundred and
thirty degrees west; and the lowermost point, or place where the
distance is least from the equator to the verge of the opening, will be
found on a meridian south or south-east of the island of Madagascar,
in about latitude thirty-four degrees south, and longitude about
fifty degrees east; thence passing near the cape of Good Hope, across
the Atlantic ocean, and southern part of the continent of America,
through a chain of active volcanoes, to the highest point; thence
bearing regularly toward the lowest point, passing between the two
islands of New-Zealand, or across the most southerly one, and the
northernmost part of Van Dieman's land, to the lowest point, which is
south or south-east of Madagascar; the apparent verge being several
hundred miles beyond the real verge.[2] Consequently, according to
this formation of the sphere, the degrees of latitude, on different
meridians, will vary according to their distance from the polar
openings; and the magnetical equator, which encircles the sphere,
parallel to the plane of the polar openings, would cut the real equator
at an angle of twelve degrees. A person standing on the highest part
of the apparent verge would appear to be under the polar star, or
nearly so, and at the ninetieth degree of latitude. The meridians
all converge to the highest point of the verge, or the ninetieth
degree; consequently, in tracing a meridian of longitude, you would
pursue a direction at right angles to the equator, until you arrived
in the neighbourhood of the real verge of the polar opening, when
the meridians would change their direction and turn along between
the real and apparent verges towards the highest point, until they
all terminated at the ninetieth degree of latitude; this being the
direction a person would travel in order to have his back to the sun
always at 12 o'clock, the time of his greatest altitude. Although
the particular location of the places where the verges of the polar
openings are believed to exist, may not have been ascertained with
absolute certainty, yet they are believed to be nearly correct; their
localities having been ascertained from appearances that exist in those
regions; such as a belt or zone surrounding the globe where trees and
other vegetation (except moss) do not grow; the tides of the ocean
flowing in different directions, and appearing to meet; the existence
of volcanoes; the "_ground swells_" in the sea being more frequent; the
Aurora Borealis appearing to the southward; and various other phenomena
existing in and about the same regions, mark the relative position of
the real verges.
The heat and cold of the different climates are governed by their
distance from the verge of the polar opening, and do not depend
on their nearness to or remoteness from the equator. The natural
climates are parallel to the planes of the polar openings, and cut the
parallels of latitude at an angle of twelve degrees. When the sun is
on the tropic of Capricorn, the circle of greatest cold would be about
twenty-three and a half degrees south of the apparent verge, and when
the sun is on the tropic of Cancer this circle would probably be just
under the umbrage of the real verge: hence it follows, if this doctrine
be correct, that the climate of forty degrees north latitude on the
plains of Missouri, in the western part of the continent of America,
will be as cold in winter, as the latitude of fifty or fifty-two
degrees in Europe; and observation has fully confirmed such to be the
fact.
The magnetic principle which gives polarity to the needle, is believed
to be regulated by the polar openings, and that the needle always
points directly to the opening, and of course parallel to a line drawn
perpendicular to the plane of the opening. And when the apparent verge
shall be passed, the needle will seem to turn nearly round, so as to
point in an opposite direction; having the contrary end north on the
interior of the sphere, that was north on the exterior, the same end
being north on the interior which was south on the exterior. Hence,
when navigators arrive in the neighbourhood of the apparent verge, the
variation of the needle becomes extreme; and when the verge is passed,
the variation is more or less reversed. The meridians run from the
highest northern to the highest southern point on the verges; hence,
in tracing a meridian, or sailing due north, we would pursue that line
which would conduct us directly from the sun at his greatest altitude;
and when we come to the verge, the meridian would vary, and wind along
the vicinity of the edge of the real verge, until it brought us to the
highest point of the apparent verge. The magnetic needle, on arriving
at the verge would appear to cease to pursue the same direction, but
would in reality continue to maintain it, and lead directly into the
polar opening.
According to this formation of the sphere, a traveller or navigator
might proceed true north any where west of the highest point of the
verge, say on the continent of America, until he come to the verge. The
meridian on which he was travelling would then wind along the verge to
the right, until he arrived at the ninetieth degree; and by proceeding
south, in the same direction, he would arrive at the coast of Siberia,
without going far into the concavity of the sphere, and without knowing
that he had been within the verge. Should such a journey be effected,
it would appear to confirm the old theory of the form of the earth,
and put the subject at rest; although pursuing the needle might have
directed the traveller into the interior, and enabled him to discover
those fine countries which Captain Symmes alleges to exist there.
Each of the spheres composing the earth, as well as those constituting
the other planets throughout the universe, is believed to be habitable
both on the inner and outer surface; and lighted and warmed according
to those general laws which communicate light and heat to every part of
the universe. The light may not, indeed, be so bright, nor the heat so
intense, as is indicated in high northern latitudes (about where the
verge is supposed to commence) by the paleness of the sun, and darkness
of the sky; facts, which various navigators who have visited those
regions confirm; yet they are no doubt sufficiently lighted and warmed
to promote the propagation and support of animal and vegetable life.
The different spheres constituting our planet, and the other orbs
in creation, most probably do not revolve on axes, parallel to each
other, nor perform their revolutions in the same periods of time; as is
indicated by the spots on the belts of Jupiter, which move faster on
one belt than another.
The atmosphere surrounding the sphere is probably more dense on the
interior than the exterior surface, the increased pressure of which
must increase the force of gravity; as the power of gravity must
increase in proportion as we approach nearer the poles.――Clouds formed
in the atmosphere of the convexity of the sphere, probably float in
through the polar openings, and visit the interior, in the form of rain
and snow. And the long continuation of winds, or regular monsoons,
which occur in some parts of the earth, may be supplied by winds
sucked into one polar opening and discharged through the other, thus
performing the circuit of the sphere; without which supposition, it
would be difficult to account for the long continued winds which, at
certain seasons, are known to blow constantly for several months, more
or less obliquely to and from the poles.
The disciples of Symmes believe that each sphere has a cavity, or
_mid-plane space_ near the centre of the matter composing it, filled
with a very light, subtile, elastic substance, partaking somewhat,
perhaps, of the nature of hydrogen gas; which aerial fluid is composed
of _molecules_ greatly rarified in comparison with the gravity of the
extended or exposed surfaces of the sphere. This _mid-plane space_
tends to give the sphere a degree of lightness and buoyancy. Besides
this large _mid-plane space_, perhaps numerous other interstices exist
in the sphere nearer the surface, and of more limited extent. The gas
escaping from these spaces is, no doubt, the cause of earthquakes; and
supply the numerous volcanoes. This gas becoming rarified and escaping,
must occasion most of those great revolutions and phenomena in nature,
which we know to have occurred in the geology of the earth. This aerial
fluid with which the _mid-plane spaces_ are filled, may possibly be
adapted to the support of animal life; and the interior surfaces of
the spheres formed by them, may abound with animals, with organs only
adapted to the medium which they are destined to inhabit.
In many parts of the unfathomable ocean there may be communications
or passages from the surface of the sphere on the outer side to the
surface of the inner, at least all except the great _mid-plane space_,
through which liquid apertures, light and heat may be communicated,
perhaps, to the interior surface of the sphere.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] National Intelligencer of June 10th, 1824.
[2] A tolerably correct representation of the sphere might be made by
taking a hollow terrestrial globe, such as are used in colleges, and
insert a saw at north latitude sixty-eight degrees in Lapland, sawing
obliquely through, so as to come out at latitude fifty degrees in
the Pacific ocean. The aperture thus produced, will show the general
dimensions and slope of the north polar opening. And in the southern
hemisphere, commencing with the saw at south latitude thirty four
degrees, in longitude between fifty and fifty-five degrees east, in
the Indian ocean, and sawing obliquely through, in the same manner, so
as to come out at south latitude forty-six degrees, and longitude one
hundred and thirty degrees west, in the South Pacific ocean, you will
represent the appearance of the south polar opening; and the whole will
exhibit a general representation of the sphere, according to the new
theory.