![]() He found Wallace’s explanations contradictory, Walsh afflicted with ignorance and stupidity, and the conventional view of the universe utterly unsupported by evidence: He insisted that Wallace’s experiment had failed to demonstrate any curvature, and the diagrams of the referees proved it. Having now libeled everyone in sight, Hampden briefly addressed the form of the earth. Walsh was afraid to uphold the truth and the palpable evidence of the reports … There is no doubt some moral or pecuniary pressure was brought to bear on the late decision, and, like all cowards, Mr. In case that shot missed, Hampden fired another volley:įrom their scissors and paste-pot, and they are found to be as great blockheads as other men-mere slaves to the popular taste, and most of them as venal as any hireling in existence. The remark about horse dealers and jockeys was obviously aimed at sporting editor Walsh. If there is one class of men, next to horse dealers and jockeys who bear the unenviable reputation of being the most trickey and unscrupulous in their assertions, it is the members of our scientific societies. Coulcher as “a local apothecary, who, if all reports were true, was not over scrupulous in making assertions according to circumstances.” After censuring Coulcher for refusing to argue with Carpenter, Hampden trained his guns on his primary targets: Hampden briefly described the experiment, dusting off Martin W. B. knew this would be impossible if a revolving globe were really a fact … Hint at any expression confirmatory of the Newtonian theory. Not a single verse throughout the whole Scriptures Hampden took up the subject, simply and solely relying on the fact that the Bible, or Scriptural evidence, as far as it went, uniformly ignored, if it did not directly oppose the notion of a globular earth. On the same page, Hampden states his motives for making the challenge: Wallace’s referee, and the Editor of The Field newspaper, who was his chosen umpire. Wallace, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, of London, aided and abetted by a local “sawbones” of Downham Market, who acted as Mr. Palpable illustration of the notorious rascality of the scientific world than has been recently exhibited in the trial between Mr. (Hampden was as hardnosed and mean-spirited a controversialist as ever hurled an epithet in lieu of an argument.) His opening words show he was in no mood to take prisoners: ![]() The title page names no author, but the style and tone are unmistakably Hampden’s. Within days of Rowbotham’s return, Bull printed and published a pamphlet entitled Is Water Level or Convex After All? The Bedford Canal Swindle Detected and Exposed. Even this did not satisfy Hampden, and he subsequently spent another £10 to have printer Alfred Bull conduct further (and equally satisfactory) experiments.įirst, however, Bull had another task to perform. Rowbotham and his team returned to London on the evening of April 18, and they reported the canal still as flat as it was when Rowbotham lived there in 1838. He and several others spent three days on the site making further observations. He sent “Parallax” £10 and asked him to return to the Old Bedford Canal and repeat his experiments. For once in his life, he experienced self doubt. John Henry Walsh’s decision in favor of Wallace left John Hampden shaken. Secret flat-earthers came tumbling out of the woodwork. Believers saw in Hampden a David who boldly attacked Goliath only to be diddled out of his victory. “The Bedford Canal Swindle” became the zetetic theme song and rallying cry. Wallace’s ill-fated attempt to spike flat-earthism only brought it increased attention and gave it a unity it had never had before. In fact, the Hampden and Wallace act entertained England for two decades, but their farce was played out in the public press and courtrooms rather than on music hall stages. Chapter 3: The Bedford Canal Swindle Detected and ExposedĪnd Wallace” has a nice ring to it, like “Laurel and Hardy,” and it would have made a good name for a vaudeville act touring Victorian music halls.
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