Phantom of the Poles
Encyclopedia
The Phantom of the Poles is a book written by William Reed
, and published in 1906. It attempts to explain mysterious phenomena, reported by polar explorers, by postulating that the Earth
is in fact hollow
, with holes at its poles
.
claimed to have reached the region of the North Pole
, this would invalidate the theory that the poles cannot be reached. Peary's claim however, was in its day, and continues to be dubious to the point of absurdity. World-wide doubt beginning with the discrediting of Frederick Cook's claim. Regardless the permanent base
at the South Pole
demonstrates that there is no large hole in the Earth's crust
at this point.
William Reed (hollow earth)
William Reed was the author of Phantom of the Poles, published in 1906, in which he proposed his theory that the Earth is in fact hollow, with holes at its poles.Reed summarizes his revolutionary theory as follows:...
, and published in 1906. It attempts to explain mysterious phenomena, reported by polar explorers, by postulating that the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
is in fact hollow
Hollow Earth
The Hollow Earth hypothesis proposes that the planet Earth is either entirely hollow or otherwise contains a substantial interior space. The hypothesis has been shown to be wrong by observational evidence, as well as by the modern understanding of planet formation; the scientific community has...
, with holes at its poles
Geographical pole
A geographical pole is either of the two points—the north pole and the south pole—on the surface of a rotating planet where the axis of rotation meets the surface of the body...
.
Phenomena to be explained by the Hollow Earth theory
In the General Summary chapter of The Phantom of the Poles, Reed posed several questions that he claimed were explained by the Hollow Earth theory:
- Why is the earth flattened
FlatteningThe flattening, ellipticity, or oblateness of an oblate spheroid is a measure of the "squashing" of the spheroid's pole, towards its equator...
at the poles?- Why have the poles never been reached?
- Why does the sun not appear for so long
Day lengthDay length, or length of day, or length of daytime, refers to the time each day from the moment the upper limb of the sun's disk appears above the horizon during sunrise to the moment when the upper limb disappears below the horizon during sunset...
in winter near the supposed poles?- Assuming that the earth is hollow, the interior should be warmer.
- We must now resort to the compass
CompassA compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
. Does it refuse to work when drawing near the supposed poles?- Meteors are constantly falling near the supposed poles. Why?
- The next query is concerning the great quantities of dust constantly found in the Arctic Ocean. What causes this dust?
- What produces the Aurora Borealis?
- Icebergs are next in order. Where are they formed? And how??
- What causes tidal wave
Tidal waveThe term tidal wave may refer to:*A tidal bore, which is a large movement of water formed by the funnelling of the incoming tide into a river or narrow bay*A storm surge, or tidal surge, which can cause waves that breach flood defences...
s?- What causes colored snow in the Arctic region?
- Why are the nights so long in the polar regions?
- What causes the great ice-pressure in the Arctic Ocean during still tide and calm weather?
- Why is the ice filled with rock, gravel, and sand?
Failure of Reed's theory
On April 6, 1909, Peary and HensonMatthew Henson
Matthew Alexander Henson was an African American explorer and associate of Robert Peary during various expeditions, the most famous being a 1909 expedition which it was discovered that he was the the first person to reach the Geographic North Pole.-Life:Henson was born on a farm in Nanjemoy,...
claimed to have reached the region of the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, this would invalidate the theory that the poles cannot be reached. Peary's claim however, was in its day, and continues to be dubious to the point of absurdity. World-wide doubt beginning with the discrediting of Frederick Cook's claim. Regardless the permanent base
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station is the American scientific research station on the high plateau of Antarctica. This station is located at the southernmost place on the Earth, the Geographic South Pole, at an elevation of 2,835 meters above sea level.The original Amundsen-Scott Station was...
at the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
demonstrates that there is no large hole in the Earth's crust
Crust (geology)
In geology, the crust is the outermost solid shell of a rocky planet or natural satellite, which is chemically distinct from the underlying mantle...
at this point.
External links
- The Phantom of the Poles at sacred-texts.com, retrieved November 16, 2006
- The Phantom of the Poles at amazon.com, retrieved November 16, 2006