Congress Once Funded an Expedition To Determine if the Earth Was Hollow December 31, 2010

Harper's Weekly 1882 Symmes Hole Illustration

What Seems Idiotic Today Was Considered Fact in the Past

On This Date in History:   17th Century astronomer Edmund Halley  is more famous for the comet that bears his name but it is less well-known that he also suggested that the earth had four concentric spheres and that there was a hollow area in the center with small entrances at each pole. Inside the hollow earth, Halley said there was life and there was illumination. He thought that the aurora was caused by gasses being released from the openings at the poles. Well, this guy John Symmes carried on that idea and began a series of lectures designed to gain financial support for an expedition. He said, “I ask 100 brave companions…to start from Siberia…I engage we find a warm and rich land, stocked with thrifty vegetables and animals…northward of latitude 82.” He wanted to sail over the curved rim of a polar hole into a hollow earth. Symmes must have been very convincing because after speeches given in Rossville and Hamilton, Ohio on this date (Dec 30) in 1823, the two towns passed resolutions the following day stating that the earth was hollow.  Later, Hamilton built a monument to their native son hollow earther Symmes, who not only convinced the people of the Ohio towns, but also some Congressmen who tried to get public funding for the expeditions. A hollow earth fellow traveler and newspaperman, Jeremiah N. Reynolds, joined the chorus by stressing the commercial potential of the eccentric expedition. Today, Congress might hide an earmark for the funding but in 1823, it showed fiscal restraint.

Reed's Version of Symmes Hole

However, that restraint didn’t last too long because, 15 years later, the Congress actually appropriated $30,000 for Charles Wilkes to sail to Antarctica. In 1838, Wilkes set sail with 6 wooden ships to check out the South Pole. He first tried to nose in but was rebuffed when amidst strong winds, high seas and pack ice; one of his ships sunk taking the full crew with it. So, he decided on a different route, venturing into the South Pacific and charting Hawaii, Tahiti and Samoa. Sounds like Uncle Sam funded a nice vacation in island paradises to me. However, unlike Fletcher Christian, Wilkes did not get so enamoured by Tahiti and he sailed to Australia and then to the South Pole. He actually ended up making a pretty decent map of the frozen continent and today there is a 1500 mile stretch of coastline in Antarctica named Wilke’s Land.

John C Symmes II

None of that would have happened without the outlandish claims of Symmes and Reynolds, who planted the seed for Congress to fund an expedition to Antarctica to find the hole in the earth. Now, when Admiral Byrd flew over the poles(1926 and 1929), it should have put to rest the rumors of a hollow earth. But, like those who want to chase Chemtrails, hollow earth proponents refused to accept the facts and instead claim that Byrd actually entered “Symmes Hole” because Byrd had referred to Antarctica as the “Land of Everlasting Mystery” and said, “I’d like to see the land beyond the pole. That area beyond the pole is the center of the great unknown.” In 1906, William Reed took a different tact and said there was no north and south pole but instead there were entrances to the center of the earth and in 1913, Marshall Gardiner went so far as to say that there was sun 600 miles in diameter in the center of the earth. Of course, no one has reported any holes but…the claim was that the government was covering up the truth!  So, there you have it…it can’t be any more clear…Admiral Byrd has gone into the hollowed out earth and there is a government conspiracy to prevent anyone from finding out…I told you that it sounded like Chemtrails.  It’s a weird story from the past but perhaps its a good reminder that throughout history today’s facts of science sometimes become tomorrow’s silly stories.  Then again, there are those today who still believe the earth is hollow or that there is no proof one way or another regarding the center of the earth.

Discovery Quest Ends in Disappointment, Death January 18, 2010

Photographer Threaded the Eye of the Ice Needle For this shot of Scott's Terra Nova...The Captain Was Not As Fortunate

Robert Falcon Scott

On This Date in History:  Robert Falcon Scott was a British Explorer who was bound and determined to be the first person to reach the South Pole.  He set off in 1901 for Antarctica in the Discovery.   It was an appropriately named ship for Scott and his team wandered about for 3 years and made a survey of Victoria Land on the frozen continent’s Ross Sea and discovered the Edward VII peninsula.  Even though Victoria or Edward VII weren’t with them, I suppose it was deemed as good protocal to name discoveries for royalty.  This was just an exploratory mission to set up the ultimate move to the South Pole because they only made a few brief forays onto the continent itself before ending the 3 year journey.  He returned and wrote a book about the Discovery Expedition. 

Scott Made his Final Voyage in the Terra Nova...Not Much of an Ice-Breaker

Now, there were other explorers who had their hearts set on reaching the South Pole first.  One was Norwegian Roald Amundsen.  Competition between explorers of the final global frontiers was fierce and an undeclared war between the two men began in 1911.  Both knew of the other’s ambition and both suspected that history remembers the winners and not who comes in second.

Scott Prefered men to dogs

In this case, both 1st and second gained everlasting fame.  In honor of the pair, the weather station at the South Pole is named the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, where you can get current weather conditions.  But, only one man won the race.   Both men set sail for Anarctica but, Amundsen went to the Bay of Whales and set up a base camp 60 miles closer to the South Pole than Scott.  That was the first of his many good fortunes.  Both expeditions took off from their base camps in October 1912.  Amundsen had sleigh dogs while Scott took motor sledges and Siberian ponies as well as dog teams.  Apparently, Scott had the mindset of the time. 

Amundsen's Dogs Carried Him to The Bottom First

Remember, the Titanic was nearing her maiden voyage and many had thought that technology was the answer to all nature had to offer.  Scott largely disregarded the proven use of dog teams in harsh conditions. Scott wrote, “In my mind no journey ever made with dogs can approach the height of that fine conception which is realised when a party of men go forth to face hardships, dangers, and difficulties with their own unaided efforts, and by days and weeks of hard physical labour succeed insolving some problem of the great unknown.  Surely in this case the conquest is more nobly and splendidly won.”   It was definitely a race for the dogs because, not only was Amundsen’s route favored by geographic location, but also by the Antarctic weather.  It was summer time in Antarctica but the weather can still be brutal but Amundsen’s meteorological conditions were actually not too bad by Antarctic standards.   The Norwegians reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911 and favorable weather conditions allowed them to return to their base by January 1912.

The Last 5- From left to right: Dr E. A. Wilson, Lt. H. R, Bowers, Capt. Robert Falcon Scott, Petty Officer Taff Evans and Capt. L. E.G. Oates.

Scott was on the move all that time and had no idea of his rivals movement.  So, he pushed on thinking that he still had a shot to reaching the bottom of the world first.  Perhaps Scott depended too heavily on technology because the motorized sleds broke down.  Then the ponies had to be shot and he decided it was best to send the dog teams back, leaving he and four companions to press forward on foot.   Robert Falcon Scott must have been pretty upset on January 18, 1912 when, after over 100 days of great travail, he reached the South Pole and found that Amundsen had already been there.  What a bummer.  But, his coming in second place was the least of his worries.    See, the weather wasn’t too kind and these guys had to find their way back on foot.  Two of the men died along the way, but Scott and the other two continued on.  They made it to about 11 miles from the basecamp when the weather was so bad that they had to wait it out in their tent.    They waited forever. 

Royal Norwegian Navy Frigate Roald Amundsen (F310)

When the frozen bodies of the three men were found on November 12, 1912, a final entry was found in Scott’s diary dated March 29, 1912,  about a month before the Titanic sunk.  The men were found inside the tent Scott wedged between his two partners, Lt. Henry Bowers and Dr. Edward Wilson.  They were in their sleeping bags covered them as if they were asleep but, curiously, the flaps of Scotts bag was thrown open.  Maybe he got too hot.  Amundsen though also tempted fate and technology.  In 1928, the great Norwegian explorer was claimed by the top of the world when the plane in which he was flying on a rescue mission plunged into the icy Arctic Ocean.  Now, explorers using a submarine are searching for Amundsen’s plane in the icy depths of his grave.

Francene Was Loved and Will Be Missed

Weather Bottom Line:  I will be an usher at the service for Francene Cucinello, who passed away last week.  Sunday’s rain should be gone and that should be the only good thing for the day.  She was very well liked professionally and more importantly, personally.  She will be missed.  Francene was too young to be taken from this world but she touched the lives of many while she was here.  The rest of the week’s weather will feature rain as a front gets hung up. Probably not consistent rain, but shower activity from time to time with cool, but slightly warmer than average tempertures.

Government Conspiracy: The Earth is Hollow! Snow Friday? December 30, 2008

A little Flu Update:  If you’ve been a regular visitor to this here blog, then you can recall the information that I set forth about the Spanish Flu Pandemic in 1918.  That pandemic killed 50 million around the world and it has been a mystery as to how that strain of flu got so tough.  Well, researchers may have found an answer.  Somehow these guys have managed to find three genes that were specific to the 1918 bug that caused the flu to cause extreme pneumonia.  What seems scary to me is that they have recreated the virus or at least have that virus.  Maybe I’ve seen too many movies but let us hope that someone doesn’t swipe the virus or it doesn’t inadvertantly get released.  Here’s the story of the latest discovery.

Harper's Weekly 1882 Symmes Hole Illustration

On This date in History:  This one is pretty odd.  On This date in 1823, the citizens of Hamilton and Rossville

John C Symmes II

Ohio heard a lecture by John Symmes and the following day the two towns passed resolutions that the earth was hollow!

In the late 17th Century, astronomer Edmund Halley suggested that the earth had four concentric spheres and that there was a hollow area in the center with small entrances at each pole.  Inside the hollow area, Halley said there was life and there was illumination.  He thought that the auroa was caused by gasses being released from the openings at the poles.  Well, this guy John Symmes carried on that idea and began a series of lectures designed to gain financial support for an expedition.  He said, “I ask 100 brave companions…to start from Siberia…I engage we find a warm and rich land, stocked with thrifty vegetables and animals…northward of latitude 82.”  He wanted to sail over curved rim of a polar hole into a hollow earth.  Believe it or not, Symmes not only convinced the people of the Ohio towns, but also  some Congressmen who tried to get public funding for the expeditions.  A hollow earth fellow traveler, Jeremiah Reynolds, joined the chorus by stressing the commercial potential of the eccentric expedition.  Today, Congress might hide an earmark for the funding but in 1823, it showed fiscal restraint.

Reed's Version of Symmes Hole

However, that restraint didn’t last too long because, 15 years later, the Congress actually appropriated $30,000 for Charles Wilkes to sail to Antarctica.  In 1838, Wilkes set sail with 6 wooden ships to check out the South Pole.  He first tried to nose in but was rebuffed when amidst strong winds, high seas and pack ice, one of his ships sunk taking the full crew with it.  So, he decided on a different route, venturing into the South Pacific and charting Hawaii, Tahiti and Samoa.  Sounds like the government funded a nice vacation in island paradises to me.  However, unlike Fletcher Christian, Wilkes did not get so enamoured by Tahiti and he sailed to Australia and then to the South Pole.  He actually ended up making a pretty decent map of the frozen continent and today there is a 1500 mile stretch of coastline in Antarctica named Wilke’s Land.

None of that would have happened without the outlandish claims of Symmes and Reynolds, who planted the seed for Congress to fund an expedition to Antarctica to find the hole in the earth.  Now, when Admiral Byrd flew over the poles(1926 and 1929), it should have put to rest the rumors of a hollow earth.  But, like those who want to chase Chemtrails, hollow earth proponents refused to  accept the facts and instead claim that Byrd actually entered “Symmes Hole” because Byrd had referred to Antarctica as the “Land of Everlasting Mystery” and said, “I’d like to see the land beyond the pole.  That area beyond the pole is the center of the great unknown.”   In 1906, William Reed took a different tact and said there was no north and south pole but instead there were entrances to the center of the earth and in 1913, Marshall Gardiner went so far as to say that there was sun 600 miles in diameter in the center of the earth.  Of course, no one has reported any holes but…the claim was it was a government cover-up!!   So, there you have it…it can’t be any more clear…Admiral Byrd has gone into the hollowed out earth and there is a government conspiracy to prevent anyone from finding out…I told you that it sounded  like Chemtrails. 

GFS Snow Accumulation Friday Evening

GFS Precipitation Friday

Weather Bottom Line:

We have a system that will drop down on Friday.  If you look at the GFS critical thickness,

GFS Critical Thickness Friday

all lines are south of our region.  However, it would appear that moisture is limited with this scenario and the GFS tosses out numerically less than a quarter  inch of snow.  That’s it.  Now, just because the GFS has all of the critical lines south, it does not mean that will necessarily  come to bear.  Instead, it would be possible that what precipitation does occur could very well do so during a time of transition and so some of the critical thickness lines may indeed not be so neatly lined up and instead there could be air at the surface that is slightly above freezing or perhaps even some layers in between the bottom and top of the atmosphere that is above freezing as it is precipitating.  So, this bottom line at this time would be perhaps a little nuisance snow at best with a real possibility that we have a mixed bag of stuff that will not bring joy to anyone.  It’ll be fun to watch and see how it shakes out but I wouldn’t break out the snow shoes just yet.  I’m really getting tired of us being cold but not getting any action.  Quite boring.  Snow White and I spent Christmas in Houston where it was in the mid to upper 70s most of the time and if we can’t have snow, then I’d rather have that than this boring, cold stuff.  But alas…in the words of US Grant..”man proposes, God disposes.”