Supposing Copernicus had never advanced and enforced a conclusion that the Earth was round and revolved on its axis, such motion causing the apparent rising and setting of the Sun. Only for this we might to this day believe in the story of Joshua’s command over the sun and moon, and associate believers with Parson Jasper that “De sun do move.” It is pleasant to realize that we are living in a time when new thoughts do not frighten people, and we are not scared at what we cannot understand, even if it does not harmonize with antiquated ideas purporting to be 4,000 to 6,000 years old.
The humble and obscure individual who presumes to offer the few succeeding pages of crude ideas may be classed among pigmy Cranks, but, nevertheless, feels impelled to sow a little thoughtful seed on a subject that, to his knowledge, has never been discussed; and with a hope that such seed may some of it fall in good ground, and spring up a crop of criticism that may ultimate in some better mind taking it up and demonstrate with the success that the writer believes it merits.
To prove that the Earth was round required a long time and a serious amount of persecution. Now, to assume that it is hollow, may require more time than the brief discussion in this small book. Yet it is hoped the ideas here may take root in the enlightenment of the present day and start a growth productive of good fruit in the future. In order to discuss this question involves a task that in the outset may look discouraging, as follows:
The ax must be laid at the root of many favorite and long accepted beliefs laid down by scientific authorities to explain the principal phenomena of disturbances on and in the Mother Earth, and to overthrow nearly all accepted theories on the following subjects:
The assumption that the Earth is intensely hot or in a molten state in its interior;
The presumption that it is a solid ball;
The supposition that there is an actual pole;
That hills and mountains are always results of volcanoes;
That volcanoes are a prime or natural existence;
That living springs and lakes are results of surface influence;