THEORY OF THE TIDES. September 20, 1836. 19 Dantes i do Yours respectfully, W. BADDELEY. #928919 1. Videne.roquiq zamete te e and et beds inch JEG 100 7911 # 94. THEORY OF THE TIDES SYREPLY OF LURSA MAJORITOKINCLAVENA, ns fo Sir,-My old acquaintance (according to his own statementy Kinclaren is Very amusing, and might be indulged in the ludicrous displach he makes of his misapprehensions or misrepresentations, for it is difficult to say which they really are were it not that the notice of his absurdities materially interferes with our more serious engagements. In my last, I stated in as in as plain a manner as language could speak, that I set no value whatever upon any of the demonstrations, so called (Dr. Wilkinson's included)TM respecting the tides, "always saving and excepting Kinclaveif's, of course. Ilaving remarked, that the absurdities to which Mr. Clarke's ocular demonstration" (which is the same in principle as Dr. 09 Would lead, were, if possi ble, to be e those that were attempted removed, it appeared to me that no misapprehension could arise upon the subject. But I suppose Kinclaven is rather dull of apprehension, notwithstanding the very intense study which he has bestowed upon the multiplication table. From whatever cause his dulness may proceed, it is not receive the very plain that he either cannot animadversions of Ursa Major in the proper and obvious acceptation, but must twist and distort them to suit his own ends and purposes."" toxi 3 Well, let us see what he gains by this perverseness. He has favoured us with a long list of figures which shows very clearly that he has studied the multiplication-table to soine purpose; in which he proves by following out the Doctor's plan that the gravitating force of the moon will only raise the sea 24th part of an inch Now, gentle reader, in what way do you suppose Kinclaven obtains this result? By a quibbleDr. Wilkinson for having the fear of the great Kinclaven "before his eyes, is rather loose and careless in his enunciation. He says, that 3600lbs. on the surface of the earth removed to the moon's 4 E 437 surface, would only weigh 1lb.; whereas he ought to have said, that 3600lbs, removed to a distance from the earth equal to the distances of the moon's surface, would only weigh 1b or be attracted towards the earth with ag force equal to llb., which is clearly his meaning, However, it did not suit Kinelaven to take the obvious meaning the literal sense was better suited to his purpose. This is nffitoo bad," Kinclaven; the Doctor's demonstration, as he styles it, was sufficiently absurd without this sinistér mode of dealing with it. Howevery Kindlaven has added one more example to support the position of Ursa Major, that is, that there are a variety of demonstrations so called, and that the various: Doctors" and "great mathematicians" who have favoured the world with the aforesaid demonstrations, contradict each other, and, ergo, they cannot be all right. Ursa Major presents his compliments to Kinclaven, and begs to assure him that he will ever retain a lively sense of the great service which the cause of truth has on this memorable occasion derived from the pen of the great Kinclaven." .66 Having thus acquitted myself as handsomely and politely as can be reasonably expected of a "great bear," I think I may be allowed to offer a suggestion to Kinclaven which may be of great service to him in his profound studies. To give it the more weight, I shall derive it from his own observations, he being, in his own estimation, no doubt, a very great authority. Amongst other profound observations which he makes upon Dr. Wilkinson's demonstration," he says, "HIS DATA ARE FAR FROM BEING CORRECT." Kinclaven, the whole argument turns upon this point: if we had a full assurance in every case of the correctness of the data from which our conclusions are deduced, any difficulty respecting >the conclusions themselves might be obviated without any very serious embarcrassment. But, unfortunately, we are not in every case well assured of the correctness of the data. I would recommend you, Kinclaven, before you place full confidence in any conclusion which may happen to be honoured with the name of a demonstration, to examine the data rigidly. Place no confidence in the authority, whether it may happen to be Laplace, Lagrange, Dr. Wilkinson, or 438 THEORY OF THE TIDEST any other profound mathematician. If you will be advised to follow this method, you may take the word of Ursa Major, that although your trust in the miraculous potency of algebraical symbols in bringing dark things to light, may be a little shaken, you will be all the better philosopher for that course of study. It is the characteristic of an undisciplined mind, to speak positively and dogmatically; experience teaches us to speak with reservation. By way of introduction to the course of study here recommended, I would offer a quotation from the writings of an eminent mathematician of the present day, who differs from the greater part of those " great men;" however, in one very essential particular, that is, although he has attained to some eminence as a mathematician, he has not on that account discarded the rules of common sense, but shows that mathematical reasoning is the same as all other reasoning, differing only in this respect; -the conclusions are deduced from the premises by following certain fixed principles that may at all times be relied upon, provided always that we are certain of the correctness of the DATA from which those conclusions are deduced. His observations are these-"There is a mistake into which several have fallen, and have deceived others, and perhaps themselves, by clothing some false reasoning in what they called a mathematical dress, imagining, that by the application of mathematical symbols to their subject, they secured mathematical argument. This could not have happened if they had possessed a knowledge of the bounds within which the empire of mathematics is contained; that empire is sufficiently wide, and might have been better known had the time which has been wasted in aggressions upon the domains of others been spent in exploring the vast tracks which are yet untrodden." Time and reflection will teach Kinclaven that we are not to place implicit confidence in great names, however high those names may stand in the world of science. He will also recollect, that the system of Des Cartes was defended by some of the most eminent mathematicians of Europe, to the latest hour of their existence, in defiance of all the demonstrations which were presented to their notice by the illustrious founder of the Newtonian system. So you see, Kin claven, great men have been sometimes › sadly in the wrong. However, the controversy between Kinclaven and Ursa Major relates to the demonstrations connected with the tides as deduced from the laws of universal gra vitation. Well, Ursa Major will suppress his own observations till he has taken a spell at the Tutor's Assistant; and for the present we will let the" learned Doctors" and great mathematicians" speak for themselves. Kinclaven says, Laplace, and every writer of eminence in physical astronomy, have demonstrated that all the phenomena connected with the tides are strictly in accordance with the principles of univer sal gravitation. Professor Whewell says, "Though there can be no doubt (which always means we are not quite certain,) that the tides are to be reckoned among the results of the great law of universal gra vitation, they differ from all the other results of that law in this respect, that the facts have not in their details been reduced to an accordance with the theory." Kinclaven says, "Laplace has demonstrated that gravity darts its influence fifty millions of times faster than light." Mr. Lubbock says, "If the moon were to be annihilated, we should have two, three, or more tides, notwithstanding, because it was the moon, as she existed fifty or sixty hours before, or five lunar half days, which caused the disturbance of the ocean." Kinclaven says, "Bernoulli has given a demonstration." Mr. Lubbock says, "No reliance can be placed upon Bernoulli." Damoseau has given formula deduced from theory. Mr. Lubbock says, “They are totally unintelligible." It is needless to multiply instances, they are endless; these few relate entirely to the question as it stands at the present time. How any individual can talk of the phenomena relating to the tides having been rigidly demonstrated to be in accordance with certain unerring laws, seeing all these conflicting statements, and many more besides these, Ursa Major is at a loss to conceive. Professor Whewell seems to be inclined to give up the theory altogether until it can be brought to coincide more nearly with the facts. "With regard to observation," he remarks, "the Port of Bristol PROPOSAL FOR NAVIGATING THE RIVER PO BY STEAM, offers peculiar advantages, for in consequence of the great magnitude of the tides there, about fifty feet, almost all the peculiarities of the phenomena are magnified, and may be studied as if under a microscope." This is a good idea; I would advise you, Kinclaven, to take a trip to Bristol, and get a peep into Professor Whewell's microscope. This will enlighten your mind much better upon the subject than poring over the multiplication table and thumbing the Tutor's Assistant ;-when you return you will, perhaps, be able to give us a demonstration of the tides as incontrovertible as the 47th proposition of the First Book of Euclid. Ursa Major wishes you a pleasant journey for the sake of "old acquaintance." Good-bye, "GREAT KINCLAVEN!" Yours, &c. PO BY STEAM, BY COL. MACERONI. Sir, The same principle which prompt ed me to request admission in your pages to my paper on the introduction of salmon into the river Rhone, prompts me to lay before you a plan for the steam navigation of the river Po, in Northern Italy. Every extension of the use of steam must tend to the advantage of England, which is the great workshop of the world in all that regards machinery, iron, steamengines, &c. Although I have not been so fortunate as to derive a benefit from the suggestion contained in the enclosed paper, others may. Any how, it is an exhibition of facts and useful truths. If they are disregarded, it will be no more my fault than in innumerable other occasions, when one would suppose that " a voice was heard in the wilderness." I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, F. MACERONI. Sept. 18, 1836 In submitting to my friends, or to the public, a proposal of the present nature, it would be superfluous to dwell on the general advantages of steam navigation, since these have been so triumphantly established by the best of all demonstrators-long and multiplied experience. In order to show that in any particular 439 instance the establishment of steam navi- : gation would produce beneficial results both to the establishers and to their cus tomers, it will, I presume, be enough to point out certain required conditions of locality. These I take to be:-That there should be convenient means of constructing the vessels and apparatus on the site itself, or of conveying them thither from elsewhere; that there should be sufficient extent and depth of water; sufficient merchandise and passengers' to form freight; and abundance of fuel, at certain proportionate prices. The line of steam navigation which I propose to establish admits of the foregoing conditions in a most eminent degree. I propose to navigate the river Po -as high as Turin towards its source, and beyond its mouth; on the north, to Venice; and south, to Ravenna, Rimini, Pesaro, Fano, Sinigaglia, and Ancona." The Lakes Maggiore and Como, which communicate with the Po by the rivers Ticino and Adda, will, especially the former, make admirable additions to the plan. The distance from Turin to the mouth of the Po (Bocca Maestra) is, in a straight line, 200 Italian miles, of 60 to the degree, or 240 English. Along the course of the river it is about 300 Italian (360 English) miles. On the above extent of navigation are situated the cities of Turin, Chivasso, Casale, Valenza, Pavia (University), Piacenza, Cremona, Guastala, Governolo, and Ferrara, besides more than a hun dred populous boroughs and villages; and in the immediate vicinity of the river are the cities of Alessandria (the cele brated fortress), Milan, Lodi, Crema, Brescia, Parma, Mantua, and Mirandola, all which, with the exception of Parma and Mirandola, communicate with the Po by navigable canals or rivers. With regard to the depth of the river Po, I can aver to have crossed it in all seasons, and at various points, from Turin to Ferrara. At all these points I have seen boats of 60 or 80 tons burthen, which from their clumsy construction, with high sterns and poops, must certainly draw much more water than necessary. Those which go down the river with charcoal, wine, corn, oil, &c., are constructed in a very coarse, rough manner, and are never taken back against the stream, but broken up at the end of the 440 PROPOSAL FOR NAVIGATING THE RIVER PO BY STEAM. voyage. There are no towing-paths along the e Po, except in a few particular places of very limited extent. Indeed, I do not think it would be possible to form a continuous one, as the deep navigable channel is often times amidst islands and sand-banks, at a considerable distance from the actual banks of the river. The Lago Maggiore extends from Sesto Calende, in Piedmont, in a northerly direction, to Locarno, in the canton of Tessino, in Switzerland, being 40 Italian, or 48 English, miles in length, and ou an average about 6 in breadth. It communicates with the Po by the river Ticino, which from Sesto Calende to Pavia is about 60 English miles in length, and very deep throughout. The shores of the lake, and the banks of the Ticino, are thickly lined with populous towns and villages. There are two navigable canals from the Ticino to Milan, distant about 20 miles. The Lago di Como is about 36 miles to the east of the Lago Maggiore, to which it bears a striking resemblance in figure and dimensions, only extending about 10 miles further north to the borders of southern Tyrol. From the southern extremity of the lake issues the river Adda, which, after a southern course of about 70 miles, passing through Lodi, Pizzighittom, &c., joins the Po between Piacenza and Cremona. I cannot speak from personal observation of the depth of the Adda, but from what I have heard, and from the fact of there being a navigable canal (Canal di Martisana) from the town of Brembate on that river to Milan, distant 16 Italian miles, and Brembate being only one-third of the distance from the lake to the Po-its depth is to be presumed sufficient throughout for navigable purposes. For if the upper part of its source, from the lake to Brembate, which is the most rapid and shallow, be actually navigable, it is not likely to become otherwise after receiving below that town no less than eight considerable tributary streams. The mouth of the river Po is only 25 (30 English) miles distant from Venice, on the north; and towards the south, within 100 (120 English) miles of coast, are the ports of Comacchio (20), Ravenna (35), Cervia (45), Rimini (60), Pesaro (77), Fano (82), Sinigaglia (93), and Ancona (100), to which ports the steam navigation might be advantageously extended, and meet with plenty of passengers and goods. The supply of colonial produce to the interior, and the coasting trade between Venice, Ancona, and Sinigaglia, during the great fair, and the returns of agricultural produce, would be very great. An immense quantity of English goods and colonial produce are transported by land from Genoa to Arona, on the southern extremity of the Lago Maggiore, where they are embarked for Locarno, at the northern end, at which place, and at Megadino, great depôts are constantly kept for the supply of Switzerland, Tyrol, Veltalina, and (by contraband) the Bergamasco, and great parts of Austrian Lombardy. Now, by the steam establishment all these goods would only have to be sent from Genoa to the river Po, and conveyed at once up the Tessino into the lake. The shores of the lake and its celebrated fairy island (Isola Boromei) are covered with villages and country-seats, which, particularly in the summer, would produce numerous passengers to and fro in every direction. From the elongated configurations of both of the lakes (Maggiore and Como), embosomed in moun. tains from north to south, it generally happens that the winds blow for a long period either up or down the lake, during which time the vessels of the country can proceed only but in one direction, This circumstance alone, though comparatively trivial, would suffice to give the steam ones a decided advantage. 7 The country to the north of the Lake Maggiore abounds with iron-works, from which all the north of Italy is supplied both with bar and cast-iron, and some steel. What a great diminution would the substitution of steam-boat instead of land-carriage effect in the price of such articles! Of the Lake of Como I cannot speak from personal observation, but I have every reason to believe that a steamvessel, even were it merely confined to the lake, would answer extremely well, with passengers alone. I am not aware of mineral coal being found in any situation or quantity so as to make it available for the steam navigation I propose. I have seen specimens from the Valtelina, but I believe there are no mines actually worked. Wood, and consequently charcoal, are cheap. The iron-founders of Bellinzona, Morobbio, &c. pay for charcoal 1 franc, 25 PROPOSAL FOR AN AERONAUTIC CLUB. cents, the bissaccone of 15 rubbj, or 282lbs. I have seen it quoted at 1 franc, 2 cents.2 g ady There are already two steam-boats on the Lake of Geneva, and one on that of Constance, which have made the fortunes of the establishers. These lakes are but huge fish-ponds, without navigable outJets. How much more important would be the results of such an undertaking on the Lakes Maggiore and Como, which are open to the river Po and the Adriatic * Sea Too Athvarious places on the river Po, as well as on the two lakes above-mentioned, there are many yards, or docks, for the construction of large flat vessels or boats, where every material and convenience would be found for building the steam-vessels; unless it should be preferred to send them in frames from England to Genoa. I should hope that steam vessels for such a purpose would be made of iron. The machinery may be imported both into Piedmont (Genoa), or into Austrian-Lombardy, duty free, all kind of machinery being exempt from duty, mi bass 2 There is no manner of doubt but that both the Sardinian and Austro-Italian Governments would readily grant a patent for a certain number of years to any Company that would undertake the ▾ business. .46 London, July 1, 1824). F. MACERONI. AERONAUTICS COMPARATIVE SAFETY OF MONTGOLFIER AND GAS BALLOONSPROPOSAL FOR AN AERONAUTIC CLUB. Sir,-Although I agree with your very intelligent correspondent, Colonel Maceroni, as to the impracticability of guiding balloons so as to apply them to any useful end, yet I think his assertion, that wings or oars have no effect whatever upon their motion, is contrary to past experience. I will cite two instances from Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopedia, article Aeronautics:-Ist. "In June, 1784, Messrs. Roberts ascended in a balloon, to the car of which were attached five wings or oars. In the course of their voyage finding themselves becalmed, they had recourse to their oars, by the exertion of which their balloon in 35 minutes described an elliptical segment whose shortest diameter was 6,000 feet. -2d. In 441 June, 1786, "M. Testu ascended from Paris with a balloon 28 feet in diameter, on the motion of which he was able to produce a very sensible e was the manoeuvring of wings. It was filled only ths with gas; but at 2900 feet high became quite full. Dreading the burst ing of the balloon (he appeare not to have used a valve) should he ascend higher, he applied himself vigorously to maneuvring the wings, and after much difficulty and severe labour, descended in the plains of Montmorency to take in ballast." The balloon in the former instance cited was also of the "fish-like" form, which Colonel Maceroni thinks would not rise in the air in a proper position. It was an oblong spheroid, 46 by 27, the longer axis being parallel to the horizon; the car 17 feet long. Yet it ascended, as was expected, and Messrs. Roberts partially navigated it by wings, as abovementioned. The comparative danger of the fire and the gas balloon is another point on which I would question the correctness of the Colonel's opinion. On the one hand, no fatal accident has ever been consequent upon the bursting of an air-balloon, or from one ever having been damaged by lightning; while, on the other hand, M. Pilatre de Rozier (the very first aeronaut) and M. Romaine lost their lives through the burning of a fire-balloon. Besides the fact, that silk is a non-conductor of electricity, as is also the gas itself when dry numerous instances have occurred of balloons passing through lightningclouds and storms in safety. In the case quoted before of M. Testu's ascent, “he passed through clouds which emitted vivid flashes of lightning. An iron point fixed to his car emitted a stream of light from the positive electricity of the atmosphere; and when negative it exhibited a luminous spot. His flag sparkled with fire during the darkness of the night, while the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed around him. On his descent, his clothes and balloon were impregnated with a strong sulphurous smell, and his flag had been rent by the lightning." Here, then, is an instance of a balloon enveloped in electricity, and yet, evidently from its non-conducting nature, scathless. A correspondent of one of the daily papers lately suggested the attaching of a dozen or twenty balloons to a |