190 FROM NEBULA TO NEBULA 



traction on her oceans is, in round numbers, 1600 times 

 as powerful as the sun's. Here, then, is the measure of 

 the conflict of authority between the earth's integral at- 

 traction on the one hand, and the sun's disturbing at- 

 traction on the other; the former commanding the oceans 

 to remain where they are, the latter ordering them to 

 give way and let the earth's center of gravity step forth 

 to greet him. In order, now, to ascertain the tidal force 

 of the sun we have only to divide the average depth of 

 12,480 feet by 1,600, yielding 7.8 feet; and by dividing 

 this quantity in turn by 180, we find the moon's effect to 

 be barely half an inch. That is to say, the tidal action of 

 the two bodies tends to depress the level of the ocean di- 

 rectly under them by the amounts stated ; the waters thus 

 displaced causing flood tides elseivhere. 



THE CAUSE or THE EARTH'S DIURNAL 

 EOTATION 



It has been previously demonstrated, not only by the 

 author's original arguments, but by the quoted admis- 

 sions of such orthodox authorities as Sir Kobert Ball and 

 Sir John Herschel, that Newton's premises presuppose 

 a miraculous origin of the earth's axial rotation and, 

 what is more, provide no recuperating source to make 

 good current losses. As if this were not taxing human 

 credulity enough, we have been further taught: first, by 

 Newton and Herschel, that the equatorial ring is being 

 centrifugalized throughout the ages by this mysterious 

 power; second, by Kant, that the rotation is being slowly 

 destroyed by the friction of the tides; thirdly, by Ball 

 and the rest, that all the energy that goes into the lifting 

 of the tides flows from this same store of unearned mo- 

 mentum; and, lastly, that, marvel of marvels, the histori- 

 cal records of some five thousand years of eclipses inform 

 us that, in spite of all these monstrous drains, the earth's 

 day has not lengthened by so much as a hundredth of 

 a second of time! Truly, celestial mechanics as taught 

 by our " great scientific institutions" is quite as far 

 above the heads of common mortals as Dr. Abbot says. 



