The Earth’s Concavity by Madison Warder

Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier
April 26, 1910

THE EARTH’S CONCAVITY
by Madison Warder

Editor Courier:

It is really too bad that our esteemed friend Senex has been thrown into the state of mental obfuscation that would seem to be indicated by his remarks in the Courier of April 8. While I entertain much sympathy for him, nevertheless I am constrained to say that he has himself to blame for his unhappy condition. He says in his letter of March 18, referring to my letter of March 14: “I say at a glance that it was true, because I had read most of it long ago in ‘The Cellular Cosmogony’.” I was therefore much surprised that he should have been so befuddled by my “extended explanation,” and that he should have indulged in so many rash statements in objection thereto. If he had been familiar with the arguments contained in the “Cellular Cosmogony,” he certainly would have been able to see the logic of my position. I presume that he looked the book over rather hurriedly, probably with the idea that seems to prevail among his brother “scientists” that it was too ridiculous to be considered seriously. I am glad to note that he has asked for it again, and hope that he will read it more carefully this time. It is a work that cannot be read after the fashion of the book review gallop through the latest effusion in the way of sentimental fiction.

Let us now proceed to assemble a few of the proofs of the earth’s concavity that we may extricate him from that “involve and labyrinthian tangle” into which he has trustingly wandered. In the first place, biologic investigation has determined definitely that all life develops within the cell. Logic compels the conclusion that universal life develops within the universal cell. Consider the phrase “mother earth.” Did Senex ever hear of a “cosmopolitan city,” one whose inhabitants hail from all parts of the cosmos? Did he ever hear of some custom or trait of man being “universally prevalent?” Does he realize the significance of the first two letters in the phrase “inhabitants of the earth”? Has he not read the scriptural declaration that the Almighty “holds the nations in the hollow of his hand?” Has he not often heard the expression “everywhere under the sun?” Is he familiar with the poetic sentiment “every cloud has a silver lining?” Analogy and the laws of language demonstrate the truth of the cellular cosmogony.

Senex speaks of “extended measurements of the earth’s surface, beside which the Koreshan survey was a mere point.” It is not the extent of things, but their character, that counts. Senex might sit for an indefinite time in his easy chair, without any appreciable disturbance of the status quo; but if he sits upon the business end of a pin, there is apt to be “something doing.” No survey except the Koreshan ever secured any direct evidence regarding the direction of the earth’s curvature. They have, however, determined that the terrestrial surface is practically spherical. It is known that the geometrical relations obtaining in that surface are such as would fit only a spherical surface of about 25,000 miles circumference. These relations pertain just as much to a concave as to a convex surface; so that if observed facts arise in relation to the surface upon which we dwell that are absolutely incompatible with its convexity, the inevitable conclusion must be that it is concave. On the outside of a sphere 8,000 miles in diameter, the rate of departure of the arc from the tangent line is about 8 inches to the mile, increasing as the square of the distance. The extended tangent would be above the arc 8 inches at the end of the first mile, 32 inches at the end of the second mile, and 72 inches at the end of the third mile, etc. A beer level with the feet about sea level would recede from 3 miles away. From the horizon the arc would drop downward from the line of vision (which is the tangent line, touching the arc at the horizon) at the rate of 8 inches to the mile. A ship distant from the observer 10 miles would, therefore, have 7×8 inches or 33 feet of its vertical dimension occulted, or hidden from view by the intervening convexity. It is obvious that no artificial aid to vision would ever enable the observer to see any more of the vessel than he could see with the naked eye. A telescope, no matter how powerful, would merely enlarge in his view that portion which was not hidden from the unaided eye. (Mrs. Warder and Senex and another fellow were squabbling back and forth in these correspondences, debating scripture and cosmogony -jdubs)

Joe Dubs’ copy of Cellular Cosmogony by Teed and Morrow (1901). This book came from a 104 year old woman from Philadelphia.

Senex will agree that this is a true statement of conditions. He saw it pictured out in his geography when he went to school. His children, if he has any, see it in their geographies today. It is a “proof” used in the days of Ptolemy. How the world does cling to its delusions! But the telescope is no respecter of prejudices. Senex announces that he is “on the fence” regarding astronomy. Very well. If a high power telescope will not enable us to see any of the occulted portion of a vessel that has partially or wholly disappeared “behind the convexity,” he may pursue in peace his investigations into the probability of the Copernican hypothesis. But, on the other hand, if the telescope restores to view that which was hidden, he must consign that hypothesis to the limbo of discarded fallacies, and turn his face to the light. In hundreds of instances, ships and other objects, at distances that would place them far down behind the supposed convexity, have been restored to view with the telescope. Prof. Morrow alone made over 500 such observations. Targets placed at the water’s surface have been observed at a distance of over 5 miles, through a telescope placed 3 inches from the water level. In numerous instances the actual concavity of the water’s surface has been clearly seen. Electric lights on the Eiffel tower at Paris have been seen 100 miles away. At that distance the difference between the line of sight and the arc would be over a mile. Light houses on the coast have been observed from vessels 30 miles out at sea. In the fall of 1900, the Chicago Record flashed news of McKinley’s election by means of electric lights placed on top of Masonic Temple, The light was plainly visible 75 miles away. The top of Masonic Temple would be over 5,000 feet below the line of vision of an observer at that distance. Many other instances could be mentioned. These conditions could not possibly obtain on the convex surface of a sphere 8,000 miles in diameter. As we have seen, the only alternative is the concave surface; and we must look to visual perspective and geolinear foreshortening to account for the disappearance of receding objects.

If Senex will refer to the Courier of April 2, he will find stated the geometrical factors involved in a mechanical test of the direction of the earth’s curvature. He is mathematician enough to know that a rectiline extended at right angles from the top of a perpendicular will form a chord of the concave arc, or an exterior convex tangent on the convex arc. It is sufficient to say that in Koreshan survey the rectiline did form the chord of the concave arc, according to data supported by the sworn testimony of forty persons. For many years the Koreshans had a standing offer of $100,000 to any scientist who would make a similar survey and demonstrate convexity. None of the scientists dared to face the issue, although ever since the days of Ptolemy they have been searching for a positive proof of the convex theory. Astronomers from the Chicago University and the Smithsonian Institute were urgently requested to be present at survey, but they refused. After it was all over, a few of them, of some repute indulged in feeble criticism but the merciless logic of the Koreshans placed them in so ridiculous a light that they retired from the field in confusion, and cannot be coaxed back.

Senex is aware that on the convex earth the rays of gravity would come together at the earth’s center, beneath the observer’s feet, while in the concave earth they come together at the center above his head. In the fall of 1901, plumb lines were suspended in the shafts of the Tamarack mine at Calumet, Mich., 4,250 feet deep. Numerous tests were made, and invariably the lines hung farther apart at the bottom than at the top. Experiments were repeated in February 1902, with the same results. The scientific world advanced many different “explanations” of the peculiar behavior of plumb lines, but one one encountered insuperable objections, and had to be abandoned. The facts of the experiments demonstrated conclusively the downward divergence of the gravic rays, which could only obtain in the concave earth.

3D Model of our World – Cellular Cosmogony – The Real Globe

Now let us notice as briefly as possible the objections of Senex to the concave theory. When he drew two circles with a common chord, he found that the base of the triangle was not affected by either concavity or convex- ity, and therefore jumped to the conclusion that the angles would not be affected, either. The intersection of the two circles evidently confused him. Let him try drawing them separately. He will find that these conditions oh- tain: In each case, the line connecting the earth with the object whose distance is to be calculated is between the two observers. In each case, the declination of the object is measured from the respective zeniths of the two observers towards that line. But on the convex arc, the plumb lines of the observers continually diverge upwards, while on the concave arc the plumb lines meet at the center 4,000 miles above the observer’s heads. The angles at the base of the triangle are therefore seen to be different in each case be cause measured from entirely, different plumb lines. But Sennex contends that if the objects were close, the parallax would be “something fierce.” It would be from the convex side of the arc, but not from the concave side. Senex has no right to use assumptions based upon the convex idea in his criticism of conditions related to the concave side. The relations are entirely dissimilar. If Senex desired to light an electric lamp, would he use a match? If he desired to go aviating, would he use a row boat? Upon the convex basis, he is justified in assuming that light is propagated in straight lines. Upon the concave basis, such an assumption would not stand for a minute. The rate of curvature of a horizontal light ray is about 5 inches to the mile upwards from the concave surface, or 13 inches from the tangent rectiline. Suppose we are looking at the sun just rising. We know that the light ray is horizontal. But we also know that the sun is on the meridian 90 degrees east of us. We know, therefore, that the ray of light that enables us to see the sun has curvated sufficiently in its progress through 90 degrees to enter the eye in a horizontal direction. As we always see the object in the direction from which the light ray is progressing when we receive it, the sun appears on the horizon. The same principle brings the stars down to the horizon when they are 90 degrees from the meridian.

Thus, while the sphere of the heavens really presents the convex surface to us, the curvation of the light ray makes it appear concave. If one has access to a pseudoscope, let him borrow a base ball from a small boy, observe how the instrument optically turns the ball inside out. It is upon this principle that the spherical layers of the atmosphere reverse the relief of the convex star sphere, and make it appear concave. Parallax is quoted, as he says, upon the star sphere. The sun has a parallax of 8.85 seconds. That means that it is within a few miles of the star sphere. The moon has a parallax of 51 minutes, 3 seconds which places it something like 25 miles this side of the orbit of the sun. About 20 of the stars have observable parallax, being slightly this side of the uniform star sphere. Did Senex ever hear of stars having a negative parallax? Two or three have. Upon the convex basis, that would place them beyond the possible limit of distance, which would be quite a confusion of affairs. In the concave earth, they are simply a little inside the star sphere.

A business card I snagged from eBay, likely from around the turn of the 20th Century.

Senex objects that Halley’s comet, with a record of 75 years, must be drawn by an ox team. But let it is how it manages to keep pace well with the rest of the universe. The heavens, about 18,000 miles in diameter, 750 miles an hour inside the slow. I opine that he does not understand this. When it is in opposition in October he will not lose it in sight. Comets have their function in the cellular cosmos. They are an important source of the sun’s fuel. Comets never return. When they disappear it is because they disintegrate and are drawn into the central sun. They have cycles of development; that is, they are produced at regularly recurring periods of augmentation of solar electro-magnetic energy. They are simply terminal planes of crucial energies thrown off from the sun at the solstitial limits. A beautiful confirmation of light is seen in the tails of comets, which are composed of the sun’s sunlight shining through the cometary lenses. When we “pass through the tail” of Halley’s comet next month nobody will be hurt, unless sunlight is dangerous. It might affect adversely some of these skeptic gentlemen who love the darkness of fallacy better than the light of truth. Senex further disproved with his doodle that the stars are distant at least 100,000 times the diameter of the earth. Again he argues from the convex basis. Suppose we turn the tables on him and show him an instance where parallax would be “something fierce” from the convex base. Is he probably familiar with the phenomena attendant upon meteoric showers? Astronomers have classified a hundred or more meteoric showers. The most common being the Leonids, Perseids, Andromedes, Geminids and Lyrids, each of which hails from the constellations wherein are found the radiant points from which the showers proceed. Of these, the Leonids are the most conspicuous.

The meteors of the Great November showers of 1799, 1833 and 1866, are called Leonids because they fell from the constellation Leo. The Leonid radiant is in the Sickle of Leo, and covers a space of less than 1 degree diameter. The hundreds of thousands of meteors that poured from the heavens all proceeded from the same spot on the star sphere, and observers in all parts of the earth where the displays were visible saw the radiant in exactly the same place. It presented absolutely no parallax. To comprehend the significance of this undeniable fact of observation, it is essential to remember that meteors become visible only upon entering our atmosphere. The acknowledged velocity of meteors is about 30 miles per second, and the time consumed in their fall from the radiant to the earth is about 30 seconds. That gives us an atmospheric depth of about 900 miles. But from the convex basis, the radiant being at the upper surface of the atmosphere, and the stars quadrillions of miles away, it is evident that to widely separated observers the radiant would present an enormous parallax. As it has no parallax, the conclusion is inevitable that the atmosphere extends to the stars. If the stars are so far away as the astronomers suppose—and no star in the constellation Leo has any parallax—the meteors must travel the whole distance, quadrillions of miles in 30 seconds; which Senex will admit is “going some.” But their velocity is found, from careful observation, to be 30 miles per second; whence it follows that the stars are situated at the upper surface of our atmosphere.

A page from Cyrus Teed’s “Cellular Cosmogony” (1901) This book is RARE!

Among the minor objections makes to the concave theory is this: that the apparent angular interval between stars is the same in any part of the sky: which is as it should be when we know about the curvation of the light ray. The same principle explains the dip of the horizon. At an elevation, the horizon seems depressed below the true horizontal, because we intercept rays that, continuing in their curved course, are rising from the horizontal. We thus see the horizon apparently depressed. He is bothered because the heavenly bodies do not appear larger in the telescope. They really are small, in comparison with the prodigiously exaggerated dimensions given them by Copernican astronomers. Senex had just as well “get inside.” The facts are all against the convex theory.

Mr. Editor, there are numerous fallacies in his letter that I have not touched upon, because space is limited, and I fear I have already passed the limits of your patience. With your kind permission I will notice them in another communication.

-Madison Warder
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier
April 26, 1910

A few other newspaper articles by Madison Warder. In my opinion, her words were elegant and accurate.

Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume], March 17, 1910 – Differs with Both Disputants
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86061215/1910-03-17/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1909&index=1&rows=20&words=Senex&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1910&proxtext=senex&y=12&x=19&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume], April 05, 1910 – Space Filled With Luminiferous Ether
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86061215/1910-04-05/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1910&index=3&rows=20&words=Madison+Warder&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1910&proxtext=madison+warder&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

Senex was likely a psuedonynm, someone who wrote in the Ottumwa courier anonymously. Senex sent for a copy of Cellular Cosmogony.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume], April 14, 1910 – Senex Calls Attention To Text
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86061215/1910-04-14/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1910&index=13&rows=20&words=Senex+SENEX&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1910&proxtext=senex&y=13&x=9&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume], April 30, 1910 – Errors in the Philosophy of Senex
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86061215/1910-04-30/ed-1/seq-8/#date1=1910&index=5&rows=20&words=Senex+SENEX&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1910&proxtext=senex&y=13&x=9&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

The following comes from my copy (eBay again) of The Flaming Sword which was the official periodical of the Koreshan Unity. The periodical was subtitled “The Leader of Scientific and Social Reform,” reflecting its dual focus on spiritual teachings and societal transformation.

CAMOUFLAGING THE UNIVERSE – Having Attained the Highest Step in Evolutionary(?) Progress – by Madison Warder

The Flaming Sword – Volume 32 – Jan – Dec 1918, Estero, Lee County, Florida