FIFTY YEARS AGO
NATURE OF THE EARTH
Some extremely bizarre views regarding the nature of the earth's composition were entertained, even by scientists, 50 years ago, as ii shown in the following extract from the New Zealand HebalP of October 5, 18S9:— "Professor Jones answers the question raised-as to whether the tapping and drilling of the earth for oil that is going on in America is dangerous or not; that is to say, likely to let out the internal, fires of the earth to play havoc with the surface. Ere likens the earth to a balloon floated and kept distended by the gas -in its interior, which, if exhausted, wijl cause the crust to collapse, affect the earth ill its orbit, cause'it.,to lose ' its place among the heavenly bodies, and fall to pieces. The scientist thinks that drilling for oil should be prohibited by stringent laws. ' "The simile of the. earth being like a balloon is not very solid. Why not weigh the earth and settle the question of solidity once and for all ? The scientists have weighed the sun and moort; the figures are large, but surely the result is worth the trouble."
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23470, 6 October 1939, Page 4
Word Count
194FIFTY YEARS AGO New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23470, 6 October 1939, Page 4
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