IS 17.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



99 



fault in our hypothesis of the mean vertical velocity of the particles 

 in the vessel being =: 0, but from the resistance of the sides of the 

 orifice. It is probable, that the nman vertical velocity just over the 

 orifice, is some small fraction of the velocity beyond it ; — this, if con- 

 sidered by itself, would give v something greater than VyA. But 

 the resistance is more than sufficient to counterbalance the effect of 

 the interior velocity: v would properly be represented by the expres- 



V T:t+i' 



where e is rather greater than li. 



J. H. R. 



A NEW THEORY OF THE EARTH, THAT FULLY AC- 

 COUNTS FOR MANY ASTRONOMICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL. 

 AND GEOLOGICAL PHENOMENA, HITHERTO UNAC- 

 COUNTED FOR. 



By Oliver Btrne, 



Although the sciences of mathematics are coeval with min, and 

 have been cultivated with the greatest avidity by the greatest minds 

 of every age, in every civilised nation; although their extent and ap- 

 plication are at present very great — considered by some to be capable 

 of little further advance — yet it may safely be asserted that they ai-e 

 only in their infmcy: as long as we continue to improve, so long will 

 the bounds of mathematics continue to extend, till all other human in- 

 quiries become subject to its simple and unerring principles. The 

 theory which is here promulgated, and which we shall endeavour to 

 exemplify and explain in the simplest terras possible, is capable of 

 being submitted to the most exact and rigorous mathematical scrutiny. 

 Yet in this place we prefer establishing it by a general concurrence 

 offsets which are known to almost every observer, rather than by an 

 abstruse and elaborate mathematical process ; because, by proceeding 

 on the former plan, the subject will be understood by the manv, while 

 the latter, which is given in the proposer's new work "On the theory 

 of the heavens and earth," about to be published, would only be under- 

 stood bv the few, who at present know enough of tlie uncertainty and 

 dissatisfaction which have attended former attempts to establish the 

 point in view by such a procedure. 



By observing the apparent motions of the fixed stars and of the sun 

 and planets, the true motions of the bodies in our solar system were 

 discovered, — not before the attention of man was for a considerable 

 time engaged by their appearances and changes, and many theories 

 respecting them advanced and confuted; but this, like other subjects 

 capable of being submitted to mathematical investigation, was ulti- 

 inately set right. The motions of the earth on its axis and round the sun 

 were discovered in the same manner, by observing the apparent motions 

 of the fixed stars. Seeing that all the stars rise and set in the course of 

 a day, the stars must move round the earth, or the earth must revolve 

 on an axis in that time : the truth of the latter motion was finally 

 established. It was also observed that the stars which appeared to 

 set with, or immediately after the sun, gained au advance on him till 

 they were lost in his rays, then appeared to pass him and return to 

 their former position with respect to the sun, in the course of a year. 

 This fact shows either that the stars moved round the sun, which stood 

 still, while the earth with revolving on its axis would possess a wab- 

 bling motion, or what might be called at the present day a great nuta- 

 tion, to etfect the change of the seasons; or that the earth stood in 

 the same position revolviag on its axis, while the sun made a circuit 

 of the heavens in the course of the year; or lastly, which was ulti- 

 mately found to be true, that the sun nearly remained in the same re- 

 lative position, as well as the fixed stars, and that the earth moved 

 round him in the course of a year, and that also in such a manner, 

 the changes of the seasons were produced. 



At present here it would be useless, as well as a laborious task, to 

 give even an outline of the several theories and conflicting opinions 

 which have prevailed, before the true theory of the solar system was 

 established. We regret that our present limits will not permit us to 

 give such an outline; as it might at the same time give a caution to 

 many not to condemn, censure, or approve, before they have investi- 

 gated and understood. This theory of the earth, which likewise 

 shows the cause of many astronomical phenomena, is not introduced 

 and promulgated for the purpose of confuting any of the well estab- 

 lished laws of the solar system. The great diiference between what 

 is here advanced and other theories, is that only two of the motions 



of the earth are admitted, namely, the annual and diurnal. Tiie other 

 apparent or imaginary motions known by the terms " the precession of 

 the equinoxe,-," "solar and lunar nutations," and " the decrease in 

 the obliquity of the ecliptic, or rather, the collapsing of the planes of 

 the equator and ecli|)tic," are rejected; and the true cause of such 

 apparentmotionssutistituted in their stead, which we shall in future call 

 the right motion cr change of the earth's axis. Many, as well as those 

 who propose anything new, be it ever so true, must be well aware of 

 the fact, that the proposer or inventor of any new scheme, be it ever 

 so important or useful, no matter how willing and well prepared he 

 may be to verify his claims, even in these enlightened times, fre- 

 quently struggles in vain to gain attention, much less to obtain belief: 

 facts, it is true, are stubborn things, but prejudices are far more stub- 

 born. 



This difficulty mainly arises from the confidence of mankind beinf 

 so often deceived and grossly abused by imaginary improvers and 

 visionary inventors. However, the inventor or proposer of a new 

 theory, who can establish his claims by strict mathematical arguments, 

 no matter how uncommon they may at first appear, places beyond all 

 doubt their certaintv ; and although he cannot induce people to studv 

 or think for thamsflves, yet he defies all efforts to confute one sino-le 

 tittle of anything which may be thus established. Before proceeding 

 further we beg to acquaint general readers, that few technicalities are 

 used, and those retained are explained in the simplest manner possi- 

 ble; this remark was considered necessary, because subjects of the 

 like nature are too often unnecessarily encumberei with technical 

 terms. Although this theory of the chani^es, nature, and form of the 

 earth, is here est.iblished without the use of x's, y's, Greek characters, 

 or many technical terms, the reasoning employed is strictly raathema- 

 cai ; not that we object to this plan of proceeding, but that the work, 

 as we have before observed, may be generally understood. To ac- 

 comtnodate the profound raithemalician, as well as the general reader, 

 this theory is established by the plan objected to here in the proposed 

 new work before alluded to. 



To return to the leading principle of this theory, which is substi- 

 tuted for what is called " the precession of the equinoxes," " solar and 

 lunar nutations," and "the collapsing of the planes of the equator and 

 ecliptic," one motion, which is here termed, the right motion of the 

 earth's axis. In the first place, we shall define or rather explain the 

 meaning of these terms. The points where the planes of the equator 

 and ecliptic intersect are calleil the equinoctial points; they hive a 

 retrograde motion, which is called the precession of the equinoxes. 

 This apparent motion was observed long before the Christian era ; it 

 could not remain for any long time undetected, as the latitudes and 

 longitudes, as well as the right ascensions and declinations of the stars 

 were reckoned from one of these points,^Aries. 



The declinations and right ascensions of the stars are reckoned 

 in a manner similar to the latitudes and longitudes of places ou 

 the earth, only the first meridian is supposed to pass through the 

 equinoctial points ; this reckoning commences at the equinoctial point, 

 Aries. The longitude is reckoned from the same point alonf the 

 ecliptic, and the latitude on great circles passing through its poles. 



Let P be the pole of the equinoctial r a, and P the pole of the 

 ecliptic r' r 5; r the first point of Aries where they intersect ; and «, 

 a star. Then r a is called the right ascension, and a s the declination, 

 of that star; r b, b s, the longitude of the same, respectively. If 

 these planes were to intersect at r', the effect would be, that the longi- 

 tudes of the stars, which are always estimated from the intersection 

 of the planes of the equinox and ecliptic, or from the first point of 

 Aries, must continually increase; and by comparing the longitudes 



