Daily National Intelligencer

ON THE NEW THEORY.

Reflections and experiments on central forces, and on the constitution of the globe we inhabit.

FROM THE NEW-YORK MERCANTILE ADVERTISER.

Copy of a letter to Doctor Mitchill, dated Le Roy, Genesee county, N. Y. July 22, 1819.

Sir: Although a stranger, I shall make no apology for addressing you on so interesting a subject to all scientific men. Accident brought me to reflect upon the formation of the earth. Taking it for granted, that this earth has been of a consistence that would take shape by motion, (and, from what has been discovered, there are strong arguments in its favor,) what would be its internal structure? I have observed, in a common barrel churn, that a quick, regular motion would throw the cream upon the sides of the churn, without any agitation, leaving none at the ends; and I had observed that a regular motion given to a grind stone, that was hung perfectly true, would retain water upon the top of the stone, without throwing it off. I considered that the laws of nature and of motion must be uniform. It occurred to me that motions must produce the same effects on this earth that we see it have on smaller bodies. These considerations induced me to make a machine to demonstrate this as far as I possibly could. I accordingly prepared an artificial globe, from a pine log, about nine feet in circumference, as near the known shape of this earth as possible, open at the poles, the concavity of the inside answerable to the convexity of the outside—the aperture at the poles answerable to about 36 degrees of the earth. I then fixed it on pivots, with machinery to give it a very quick motion, I then turned water in the inside of the ball, and put it in motion, and the event was as I had anticipated; the water spread itself smooth upon it, in a smooth, even surface, without any attempts to fly off. I then perforated the ball in a number of places; it created as many most beautiful springs of water upon the outside of the ball, which satisfactorily accounts to me for the origin of springs, and of course of rivers: and it will press the water through the pores of the wood sufficiently to moisten the whole outside surface.

I contemplate fashioning the outside of the little globe like unto this earth; cut out the oceans, continents, rivers, valleys, &c.; and if I can contrive any method to counteract the effect that our atmosphere will naturally have upon it, I have no doubt, from what I have already observed of the effects of motion, that the rivers and valleys may be filled with water from the inside, the ocean filled, the regular oceanic currents formed, the water flowing from the inside to the out through the perforations, from the outside to the inside thro' the poles, and the whole phenomena explained in a satisfactory manner, so that the whole process may be seen in miniature, with the eye; the polar attraction of the needle explained, and the variation of it accounted for.

I find, by placing the north end of the globe in a dark place, and having a bright light placed in the position that the sun bears to this earth in a south latitude, the rays of light are thrown in at the south pole, and reflected at right angles, and pass out at the north pole in a manner perfectly calculated to explain the aurora borealis, & show it in a most beautiful manner; and shows that the inside or hollow of the earth may be as well or better lighted and warmed by the sun than the outside. From these experiments I am fully convinced of Symmes's theory, and that the earth would be incomplete without the hollow.

I am, with much respect, your most obedient servant,

THOMAS TUFTS.

Hon. Saml. L. Mitchill