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The fundamental statement of Koreshan Cosmogony is, that the world is a concave sphere, and that we, its inhabitants, dwell on its concave surface. This is directly opposite to the system universally or almost universally, promulgated and believed.
We do not makè this bold statement without a full conviction of what it entails for us. Our experience for the past twenty years has taught us that all the boasted toleration of the nineteenth century is a sham or fictitious toleration, and exists only in the imagination of the ignorant and thoughtless. The modem mind is no more open to a revolutionary thought now, than in the days of Galileo, and any innovation of public sentiment, though a truthful discovery, will be as rigidly opposed, whether of a religious or secular character, as when he was impelled to recant his statement.
Thçre are various means of demonstrating the concavity of the earth as opposed to the usual conception of its convexity.
It is claimed that the earth is a globe er sphere like a ball, and that its convex surface is its habitable portion. It is supposed that this convexity amounts to about eight inches to the mile, and that there is a natural curvilineation of vision in consequence of the refractive power of the atmosphere, of about three inches to the mile.
I desire to call the reader’s attention to that extra five inches, and make a scientific application of its bearing upon Koreshan Astronomy or Cosmogony.
We will make use of this said five inches in connection with the theodolite, an instrument constructed for the use of trigonometrical surveying, for the accurate measurement of horizontal and vertical angles*
The theodolite is a small telescope with cross-wires in its focus, and mounted upon the tripod. It is arranged so as to be adjusted to a horizontal plane by the application of a delicate level, which constitutes one factor in its construction.
In the adjustment of the telescope to the observation of the horizontal in its relation to the surface of the earth; there are some special facts to* be considered; first, the theodolite must indicate a perfect level; second, the earth, whether convex or concave, cannot exactly conform to the indication of the level plane of the theodolite; third, in the relation of the earth’s surface to the theodolitic plane, or the line indicated by the theodolite, there is a perceptible deviation of five inches to the mile. To state it more plainly, the supposed curve of the earth being eight inches to the mile, and the natural, visual curvilineation downward, being three inches to the mile, would leave five inches for the departure of the earth’s supposed curve from the plane of the (horizontal as indicated by the theodolite.
The question to be answered is this; namely, “Is the apparent departure of the earth’s surface from the plane of the horizontal, as indicated by the theodolite, due to curvilineation, or to perspective foreshortening?” If it be due to convex curvelineation, then there is no such thing as perspective foreshortening.
If I place a row of poles, as telegraph poles, fifty feet high, and string a wire along the top of them for a few miles; as I stand at the foot of one of these and look along the course of the wire, it will seem to come nearer the ground as the distance is extended, till the final pole seen, appears to have been, shortened to the least possible height. This is, at the point called the horizon, where the pole in its entire length may be seen, though apparently very short. This wire, though on a level, or at least conforming to the contour of the earth’s surface, appears to descend to the horizontal verge.
Now if I take the theodolite, which may stand five feet high, and adjust it to its horizontal plane, the horizontal hair line at its focus will seem to be a mark across the sky some distance above the top of the extreme pole, or the objective end of the wire strung along the top of the poles. The final pole or the one standing on the horizon has apparently contracted fifty feet, hence the contraction from the top downward is as great as the contraction from the bottom, upward.
I maintain that this apparent contraction of the pole to an absolute annihilation of that fifty feet, is not due to the convex rotundity of the earth, but to perspective foreshortening. The apparent line across the sky in the distance, is but a line drawn through the focus of the instrument; while apparently in the perspective, it is really at or near the eye, and therefore it does not conform to the law of perspective which governs the apparent descent of the wire five inches to the mile, for which the surveyor allows in his measurements.
The Flaming Sword · Vol. 1, No. 8 · 18 Jan 1890 · PDF p. 1