CHAPTER XLIX.
OSCILLATING THROUGH SPACE.--EARTH'S SHELL ABOVE ME.[14]
[14] For detail illustration of the earth shell, as explained in this chapter, see the plate.
Continued my companion:
"We have just now crossed the line of gravitation. We were drawndownward until at a certain point, to which I called your attention atthe time, we recently crossed the curved plane of perfect rest, wheregravity ceases, and by our momentum are now passing beyond that plane,and are now pressing against the bond of gravitation again. This shellin which gravity centers is concentric with that of the earth'sexterior, and is about seven hundred miles below its surface. Eachmoment of time will now behold us carried farther from this sphere ofattraction, and thus the increasing distance increases the force of therestraining influence. Our momentum is thus retarded, and consequentlythe rapidity of our motion is continually decreasing. At last when theforces of gravitation and mass motion neutralize each other, we willcome to a state of rest again. When our motion in this direction ceases,however, gravitation, imperishable, continues to exert its equalizinginfluence, the result being a start in the opposite direction, and wewill then reverse our course, and retrace our path, crossing again thecentral band of attraction, to retreat and fly to the opposite side ofthe power of greater attraction, into the expanse from which we came,and that is now above us."
"Can this oscillation ever end? Are we to remain thus, as an unceasingpendulum, traversing space, to and fro across this invisible shell ofattraction from now until the end of time?"
"No; there are influences to prevent such an experience; one being thefriction of the attenuated atmosphere into which we plunge each timethat we cross the point of greater gravity, and approach the crust ofthe earth. Thus each succeeding vibration is in shorter lines, and atlast we will come to a state of perfect rest at the center of gravity."
"I can only acquiesce in meek submission, powerless even to argue, for Iperceive that the foundations for my arguments must be based on thoseobserved conditions of natural laws formerly known to me, and that donot encompass us here; I accept, therefore, your statements as I haveseveral times heretofore, because I can not refute them. I must close myeyes to the future, and accept it on faith; I cease to mourn the past, Ican not presage the end."
"Well spoken," he replied; "and while we are undergoing this necessarydelay, this oscillating motion, to which we must both submit before wecan again continue our journey, I will describe some conditions inherentin the three spheres of which the rind of the earth is composed, for Ibelieve that you are now ready to receive and profit by facts thatheretofore you would have rejected in incredulity.
"The outer circle, coat, or contour, of which you have heard othersbesides myself speak, is the surface crust of our globe, the greatsphere of land and water on which man is at present an inhabitant. Thisis the exposed part of the earth, and is least desirable as a residence.It is affected by grievous atmospheric changes, and restless physicalconditions, such as men, in order to exist in, must fortify against atthe expense of much bodily and mental energy, which leads them,necessarily, to encourage the animal at the expense of the ethereal. Theunmodified rays of the sun produce aerial convulsions that are marked bythermal contrasts, and other meteorological variations, during which theheat of summer and the cold of winter follow each other periodically andunceasingly. These successive solar pulsations generate winds, calms,and storms, and in order to protect himself against such exposures andchanges in material surroundings, man toils, suffers, and comes tobelieve that the doom, if not the object, of life on earth is thepreservation of the earthy body. All conditions and phases of nature onthis outer crust are in an angry struggle, and this commotion envelopsthe wretched home, and governs the life of man. The surrounding cyclonesof force and matter have distorted the peaceful side of what humannature might be until the shortened life of man has become a passionate,deplorable, sorrowful struggle for physical existence, from the cradleto the grave. Of these facts man is practically ignorant, although eachindividual is aware he is not satisfied with his condition. If hisafflictions were obvious to himself, his existence would be typical of alife of desolation and anguish. You know full well that the condition ofthe outer sphere is, as I have described it, a bleak, turbulent surface,the roof of the earth on which man exists, as a creeping parasite doeson a rind of fruit, exposed to the fury of the ever-present earthstorms.
"The central circle, or medial sphere, the shell, or layer ofgravitation, lies conformably to the outer configuration of the globe,about seven hundred miles towards its center. It stretches beneath theouter circle (sphere) as a transparent sheet, a shell of energy, thecenter of gravitation. The material crust of the earth rests on thisplacid sphere of vigor, excepting in a few places, where, as in thecrevice we have entered, gaps, or crevices, in matter exist, beginningfrom near the outer surface and extending diagonally through the medialand inner spheres into the intra-earth space beyond. This medial sphereis a form of pure force, a disturbance of motion, and although withoutweight it induces, or conserves, gravity. It is invisible to mortaleyes, and is frictionless, but really is the bone of the earth. On itmatter, the retarded energy of space, space dust, has arranged itself asdust collects on a bubble of water. This we call matter. The materialportion of the earth is altogether a surface film, an insignificant skinover the sphere of purity, the center of gravitation. Although mennaturally imagine that the density and stability of the earth isdependent on the earthy particles, of which his own body is a part, suchis not the case. Earth, as man upon the outer surface, can now know it,is an aggregation of material particles, a shell resting on thisglobular sphere of medial force, which attracts solid matter from boththe outer and inner surfaces of earth, forming thereby the middle of thethree concentric spheres. This middle sphere is the reverse of theouter, or surface, layer in one respect, for, while it attracts solids,gases are repelled by it, and thus the atmosphere becomes less dense aswe descend from the outer surfaces of the earth. The greater degree ofattraction for gases belongs, therefore, to the earth's exteriorsurface."
"Exactly at the earth's exterior surface?" I asked.
"Practically so. The greatest density of the air is found a few milesbelow the surface of the ocean; the air becomes more attenuated as weproceed in either direction from that point. Were this not the case, theatmosphere that surrounds the earth would be quickly absorbed into itssubstance, or expand into space and disappear."
"Scientific men claim that the atmosphere is forty-five geographicalmiles in depth over the earth's surface," I said.
"If the earth is eight thousand miles in diameter, how long would suchan atmosphere, a skin only, over a great ball, resist such attraction,and remain above the globe? Were it really attracted towards its centerit would disappear as a film of water sinks into a sponge."
"Do you know," I interrupted, "that if these statements were made to menthey would not be credited? Scientific men have calculated the weightsof the planets, and have estimated therefrom the density of the earth,showing it to be solid, and knowing its density, they would, on thisconsideration alone, discredit your story concerning the earth shell."
THE EARTH AND ITS ATMOSPHERE.
The space between the inner and the outer lines represents theatmosphere upon the earth. The depth to which man has penetrated theearth is less than the thickness of either line, as compared with thediameter of the inner circle.]
"You mistake, as you will presently see. It is true that man's ingenuityhas enabled him to ascertain the weights and densities of the planets,but do you mean to say that these scientific results preclude thepossibility of a hollow interior of the heavenly bodies?"
"I confess, I do."
"You should know then, that what men define as density of the earth, isbut an average value, which is much higher than that exhibited bymaterials in the surface layers of the earth crust, such as come withinthe scrutiny of man. This fact allows mortals of upper earth but
a vagueconjecture as to the nature of the seemingly much heavier substancesthat exist in the interior of the earth. Have men any data on hand toshow exactly how matter is distributed below the limited zone that isaccessible to their investigations?"
"I think not."
"You may safely accept, then, that the earth shell I have described toyou embraces in a compact form the total weight of the earth. Eventhough men take for granted that matter fills out the whole interior ofour planet, such material would not, if distributed as on earth'ssurface, give the earth the density he has determined for it."
"I must acquiesce in your explanations."
"Let us now go a step further in this argument. What do you imagine isthe nature of those heavier substances whose existence deep within theearth is suggested by the exceedingly high total density observed by manon upper earth?"
"I am unable to explain, especially as the materials surrounding ushere, seemingly, do not differ much from those with which my former lifeexperience has made me acquainted."
"Your observation is correct, there is no essential difference in thisregard. But as we are descending into the interior of this globe, andare approaching the central seat of the shell of energy, the opposingforce into which we plunge becomes correspondingly stronger, and as aconsequence, matter pressed within it becomes really lighter. Your ownexperience about your weight gradually disappearing during this journeyshould convince you of the correctness of this fact."
"Indeed, it does," I admitted.
"You will then readily understand, that the heavy material to whichsurface-bred mortals allude as probably constituting the interior of theearth, is, in fact, nothing but the manifestation of a matter-supportingforce, as exemplified in the sphere of attractive energy, the seat ofwhich we are soon to encounter on our journey. Likewise the mutualattraction of the heavenly bodies is not a property solely of theirmaterial part, but an expression in which both the force-spheres and thematter collected thereon take part.
"Tell me more of the sphere in which gravitation is intensest."
"Of that you are yet to judge," he replied. "When we come to a state ofrest in the stratum of greater gravity, we will then traverse thiscrevice in the sheet of energy until we reach the edge of the earthcrust, after which we will ascend towards the interior of the earth,until we reach the inner crust, which is, as before explained, a surfaceof matter that lies conformably with the external crust of the earth,and which is the interior surface of the solid part of the earth. Thereis a concave world beneath the outer convex world."
"I can not comprehend you. You speak of continuing our journey towardsthe center of the earth, and at the same time you say that after leavingthe Median Circle, we will then ascend, which seems contradictory."
"I have endeavored to show you that matter is resting in or on a centralsphere of energy, which attracts solid bodies towards its central plane.From this fundamental and permanent seat of gravity we may regard ourprogress as up-hill, whether we proceed towards the hollow center ortowards the outer surface of the globe. If a stick weighted on one endis floated upright in water, an insect on the top of the stick above thewater will fall to the surface of the liquid, and yet the same insectwill rise to the surface of the water if liberated beneath the water atthe bottom of the stick. This comparison is not precisely applicable toour present position, for there is no change in medium here, but it mayserve as an aid to thought and may indicate to you that which I wish toconvey when I say 'we ascend' in both directions as we pull againstGravity. The terms up and down are not absolute, but relative."
Thus we continued an undefined period in mind conversation; and of theinformation gained in my experience of that delightful condition, I havethe privilege now to record but a small portion, and even this statementof facts appears, as I glance backward into my human existence, as if itmay seem to others to border on the incredible. During all that time--Iknow not how long the period may have been--we were alternately passingand repassing through the partition of division (the sphere of gravity)that separated the inner from the outer substantial crust of earth. Witheach vibration our line of travel became shorter and shorter, like thedecreasing oscillations of a pendulum, and at last I could no longerperceive the rushing motion of a medium like the air. Finally my guidesaid that we were at perfect rest at a point in that mysterious medialsphere which, at a distance of about seven hundred miles below the levelof the sea, concentrates in its encompassing curvature, the mighty powerof gravitation. We were fixed seven hundred miles from the outer surfaceof the globe, but more than three thousand from the center.