Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 2.djvu/506

490 teachers, in speaking of antipodal places. Thus, after the earthquake at Lone Pine, California, and that which destroyed a part of the ancient city of Antioch, the New York World published an article on these phenomena, from the pen of a correspondent, entitled "The Antipodes shaking." The editor of the World corrects its correspondent, who supposes that Lone Pine and Antioch are antipodal, and says: "A point immediately under Antioch is in the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between San Francisco and the Sandwich Islands." These errors were copied by other papers.

The word antipodes is of Greek origin, from ἀντί, against, and ποῦς, a foot, and means literally, with feet opposite. Hence the Latin word antipodes, which is plural, and as a pure Latin plural should be pronounced as in the original, or in four syllables, an-tip-o-des. But, as the English word antipode is used, the plural of this may be formed regularly in three syllables. This pronunciation is sanctioned by Dr. Webster, and may ultimately prevail. At present, however, the best scholars give the division and the accent of the pure Latin plural.

The word literally signifies, those who have their feet against each other, or, those whose feet point toward each other; that is, those whose feet are diametrically opposite. As applied to geography, it means, the dwellers at the opposite extremities of the diameter of the earth.

The Periœci, or periecians, are often mistaken for the antipodes. The periœci are the inhabitants on the opposite side of the globe, on the same parallel of latitude. Hence, when people say that the antipodes of the Eastern States are in China, they mean the periœci.

Two antipodal parts of the earth have the same number of degrees of latitude, one north and the other south, unless one of these points is on the equator

Two antipodal points must be on one and the same meridional circle, separated from each other by half the circumference.

Being on one and the same meridional circle, they may differ in longitude 180°, with the exception of the poles themselves, which have no longitude.

And being separated from each other by half the circumference, they must be equidistant from the equator in opposite directions.

The longitude of two antipodal points, if east and west longitude is used, must together make up 180°, or 12 hours, one east, and the other west. The antipodes of a point in 40° north latitude and 60° east longitude are in 40° south latitude and 120° west longitude. The antipodes of a place in the eastern part of the United States, situated on parallel 40° north latitude, and on the meridian marked 7°, must be on the same parallel south latitude, and on that meridian which, added to 7°, will make up 180°, or 173°, which would be in the South Indian Ocean, a point between St. Paul's Island and Van Diemen's Land. This point would be antipodal to Boston or New York.