OSCILLATING THROUGH SPACE.--EARTH'S SHELL ABOVE ME.[14]
[14] For detail illustration of the earth shell, as explained in
this chapter, see the plate.
Continued my companion:
"We have just now crossed the line of gravitation. We were drawn
downward until at a certain point, to which I called your attention at
the time, we recently crossed the curved plane of perfect rest, where
gravity ceases, and by our momentum are now passing beyond that plane,
and are now pressing against the bond of gravitation again. This shell
in which gravity centers is concentric with that of the earth's
exterior, and is about seven hundred miles below its surface. Each
moment of time will now behold us carried farther from this sphere of
attraction, and thus the increasing distance increases the force of the
restraining influence. Our momentum is thus retarded, and consequently
the rapidity of our motion is continually decreasing. At last when the
forces of gravitation and mass motion neutralize each other, we will
come to a state of rest again. When our motion in this direction ceases,
however, gravitation, imperishable, continues to exert its equalizing
influence, the result being a start in the opposite direction, and we
will then reverse our course, and retrace our path, crossing again the
central band of attraction, to retreat and fly to the opposite side of
the power of greater attraction, into the expanse from which we came,
and that is now above us."
"Can this oscillation ever end? Are we to remain thus, as an unceasing
pendulum, traversing space, to and fro across this invisible shell of
attraction from now until the end of time?"
"No; there are influences to prevent such an experience; one being the
friction of the attenuated atmosphere into which we plunge each time
that we cross the point of greater gravity, and approach the crust of
the earth. Thus each succeeding vibration is in shorter lines, and at
last we will come to a state of perfect rest at the center of gravity."
"I can only acquiesce in meek submission, powerless even to argue, for I
perceive that the foundations for my arguments must be based on those
observed conditions of natural laws formerly known to me, and that do
not encompass us here; I accept, therefore, your statements as I have
several times heretofore, because I can not refute them. I must close my
eyes to the future, and accept it on faith; I cease to mourn the past, I
can not presage the end."
"Well spoken," he replied; "and while we are undergoing this necessary
delay, this oscillating motion, to which we must both submit before we
can again continue our journey, I will describe some conditions inherent
in the three spheres of which the rind of the earth is composed, for I
believe that you are now ready to receive and profit by facts that
heretofore you would have rejected in incredulity.
"The outer circle, coat, or contour, of which you have heard others
besides myself speak, is the surface crust of our globe, the great
sphere of land and water on which man is at present an inhabitant. This
is the exposed part of the earth, and is least desirable as a residence.
It is affected by grievous atmospheric changes, and restless physical
conditions, such as men, in order to exist in, must fortify against at
the expense of much bodily and mental energy, which leads them,
necessarily, to encourage the animal at the expense of the ethereal. The
unmodified rays of the sun produce aerial convulsions that are marked by
thermal contrasts, and other meteorological variations, during which the
heat of summer and the cold of winter follow each other periodically and
unceasingly. These successive solar pulsations generate winds, calms,
and storms, and in order to protect himself against such exposures and
changes in material surroundings, man toils, suffers, and comes to
believe that the doom, if not the object, of life on earth is the
preservation of the earthy body. All conditions and phases of nature on
this outer crust are in an angry struggle, and this commotion envelops
the wretched home, and governs the life of man. The surrounding cyclones
of force and matter have distorted the peaceful side of what human
nature might be until the shortened life of man has become a passionate,
deplorable, sorrowful struggle for physical existence, from the cradle
to the grave. Of these facts man is practically ignorant, although each
individual is aware he is not satisfied with his condition. If his
afflictions were obvious to himself, his existence would be typical of a
life of desolation and anguish. You know full well that the condition of
the outer sphere is, as I have described it, a bleak, turbulent surface,
the roof of the earth on which man exists, as a creeping parasite does
on a rind of fruit, exposed to the fury of the ever-present earth
storms.
"The central circle, or medial sphere, the shell, or layer of
gravitation, lies conformably to the outer configuration of the globe,
about seven hundred miles towards its center. It stretches beneath the
outer circle (sphere) as a transparent sheet, a shell of energy, the
center of gravitation. The material crust of the earth rests on this
placid sphere of vigor, excepting in a few places, where, as in the
crevice we have entered, gaps, or crevices, in matter exist, beginning
from near the outer surface and extending diagonally through the medial
and inner spheres into the intra-earth space beyond. This medial sphere
is a form of pure force, a disturbance of motion, and although without
weight it induces, or conserves, gravity. It is invisible to mortal
eyes, and is frictionless, but really is the bone of the earth. On it
matter, the retarded energy of space, space dust, has arranged itself as
dust collects on a bubble of water. This we call matter. The material
portion of the earth is altogether a surface film, an insignificant skin
over the sphere of purity, the center of gravitation. Although men
naturally imagine that the density and stability of the earth is
dependent on the earthy particles, of which his own body is a part, such
is not the case. Earth, as man upon the outer surface, can now know it,
is an aggregation of material particles, a shell resting on this
globular sphere of medial force, which attracts solid matter from both
the outer and inner surfaces of earth, forming thereby the middle of the
three concentric spheres. This middle sphere is the reverse of the
outer, or surface, layer in one respect, for, while it attracts solids,
gases are repelled by it, and thus the atmosphere becomes less dense as
we descend from the outer surfaces of the earth. The greater degree of
attraction for gases belongs, therefore, to the earth's exterior
surface."
"Exactly at the earth's exterior surface?" I asked.
"Practically so. The greatest density of the air is found a few miles
below the surface of the ocean; the air becomes more attenuated as we
proceed in either direction from that point. Were this not the case, the
atmosphere that surrounds the earth would be quickly absorbed into its
substance, or expand into space and disappear."
"Scientific men claim that the atmosphere is forty-five geographical
miles in depth over the earth's surface," I said.
"If the earth is eight thousand miles in diameter, how long would such
an atmosphere, a skin only, over a great ball, resist such attraction,
and remain above the globe? Were it really attracted towards its center
it would disappear as a film of water sinks into a sponge."
"Do you know," I interrupted, "that if these statements were made to men
they would not be credited? Scientific men have calculated the weights
of the planets, and have estimated therefrom the density of the earth,
showing it to be solid, and knowing its density, they would, on this
consideration alone, discredit your story concerning the earth shell."
[Illustration: THE EARTH AND ITS ATMOSPHERE.
The space between the inner and the outer lines represents the
atmosphere upon the earth. The depth to which man has penetrated the
earth is less than the thickness of either line, as compared with the
diameter of the inner circle.]
"You mistake, as you will presently see. It is true that man's ingenuity
has enabled him to ascertain the weights and densities of the planets,
but do you mean to say that these scientific results preclude the
possibility of a hollow interior of the heavenly bodies?"
"I confess, I do."
"You should know then, that what men define as density of the earth, is
but an average value, which is much higher than that exhibited by
materials in the surface layers of the earth crust, such as come within
the scrutiny of man. This fact allows mortals of upper earth but a vague
conjecture as to the nature of the seemingly much heavier substances
that exist in the interior of the earth. Have men any data on hand to
show exactly how matter is distributed below the limited zone that is
accessible to their investigations?"
"I think not."
"You may safely accept, then, that the earth shell I have described to
you embraces in a compact form the total weight of the earth. Even
though men take for granted that matter fills out the whole interior of
our planet, such material would not, if distributed as on earth's
surface, give the earth the density he has determined for it."
"I must acquiesce in your explanations."
"Let us now go a step further in this argument. What do you imagine is
the nature of those heavier substances whose existence deep within the
earth is suggested by the exceedingly high total density observed by man
on upper earth?"
"I am unable to explain, especially as the materials surrounding us
here, seemingly, do not differ much from those with which my former life
experience has made me acquainted."
"Your observation is correct, there is no essential difference in this
regard. But as we are descending into the interior of this globe, and
are approaching the central seat of the shell of energy, the opposing
force into which we plunge becomes correspondingly stronger, and as a
consequence, matter pressed within it becomes really lighter. Your own
experience about your weight gradually disappearing during this journey
should convince you of the correctness of this fact."
"Indeed, it does," I admitted.
"You will then readily understand, that the heavy material to which
surface-bred mortals allude as probably constituting the interior of the
earth, is, in fact, nothing but the manifestation of a matter-supporting
force, as exemplified in the sphere of attractive energy, the seat of
which we are soon to encounter on our journey. Likewise the mutual
attraction of the heavenly bodies is not a property solely of their
material part, but an expression in which both the force-spheres and the
matter collected thereon take part.
"Tell me more of the sphere in which gravitation is intensest."
"Of that you are yet to judge," he replied. "When we come to a state of
rest in the stratum of greater gravity, we will then traverse this
crevice in the sheet of energy until we reach the edge of the earth
crust, after which we will ascend towards the interior of the earth,
until we reach the inner crust, which is, as before explained, a surface
of matter that lies conformably with the external crust of the earth,
and which is the interior surface of the solid part of the earth. There
is a concave world beneath the outer convex world."
"I can not comprehend you. You speak of continuing our journey towards
the center of the earth, and at the same time you say that after leaving
the Median Circle, we will then ascend, which seems contradictory."
"I have endeavored to show you that matter is resting in or on a central
sphere of energy, which attracts solid bodies towards its central plane.
From this fundamental and permanent seat of gravity we may regard our
progress as up-hill, whether we proceed towards the hollow center or
towards the outer surface of the globe. If a stick weighted on one end
is floated upright in water, an insect on the top of the stick above the
water will fall to the surface of the liquid, and yet the same insect
will rise to the surface of the water if liberated beneath the water at
the bottom of the stick. This comparison is not precisely applicable to
our present position, for there is no change in medium here, but it may
serve as an aid to thought and may indicate to you that which I wish to
convey when I say 'we ascend' in both directions as we pull against
Gravity. The terms up and down are not absolute, but relative."
Thus we continued an undefined period in mind conversation; and of the
information gained in my experience of that delightful condition, I have
the privilege now to record but a small portion, and even this statement
of facts appears, as I glance backward into my human existence, as if it
may seem to others to border on the incredible. During all that time--I
know not how long the period may have been--we were alternately passing
and repassing through the partition of division (the sphere of gravity)
that separated the inner from the outer substantial crust of earth. With
each vibration our line of travel became shorter and shorter, like the
decreasing oscillations of a pendulum, and at last I could no longer
perceive the rushing motion of a medium like the air. Finally my guide
said that we were at perfect rest at a point in that mysterious medial
sphere which, at a distance of about seven hundred miles below the level
of the sea, concentrates in its encompassing curvature, the mighty power
of gravitation. We were fixed seven hundred miles from the outer surface
of the globe, but more than three thousand from the center.