THE TIME CAPSULE
From the collection of the
n m
o Prelinger h
v Jjibrary
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San Francisco, California
2006
THE ENVELOPE FOR A MESSAGE TO THE FUTURE
BEGINS ITS EPIC JOURNEY
THE BOOK OF RECORD OF
THE
TIME CAPSULE
OF CUPALOY
DEEMED CAPABLE OF RESISTING
THE EFFECTS OF TIME FOR FIVE
THOUSAND YEARS ' PRESERVING
AN ACCOUNT OF UNIVERSAL
ACHIEVEMENTS ^EMBEDDED IN
THE GROUNDS OF THE
NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR
1939
SEPTEMBER 23 '1938
COPYRIGHT 1938
WESTTNGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY
NEW YORK
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
All the. days of my appointed time, will I wait,
till my change come.
Thou shah call, and I will answer thee.
JOB xiv : 14'! 5.
THE TIME CAPSULE
A SEGMENT OF OUR TIME PRESERVED
FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
IHEN WE SURVEY THE PAST
and note how perishable are all
human things, we are moved to
attempt the preservation of some
of the world's present material &
intellectual symbols, that knowl
edge of them may not disappear
from the earth.
For there is no way to read the future of the world : peo
ples, nations, and cultures move onward into inscrutable
time. In our day it is difficult to conceive of a future less
happy, less civilised than our own. Yet history teaches
us that every culture passes through definite cycles of
development, climax, and decay. And so, we must recog-
niz;e, ultimately may ours.
By the same reasoning, there will rise again a civilizja-
tion of even vaster promise standing upon our shoulders,
as we have stood upon the shoulders of ancient Sumer,
Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The learned among that cul
ture of the future may study with pleasure and profit
things now in existence which are unique to our time,
growing out of our circumstances, needs, and desires.
Five thousand years ago, during a period of invention,
development, and science rivaling that of our day, re
corded history began. It would be pleasant to believe
E 5 ]
that we might leave records of our own day for five thou
sand years hence ; to a day when the peoples of the world
will think of us standing at history's midpoint.
Whether we shall be able to transmit such a segment
of our time into the future depends not only on our in
genuity at selection and preservation, on the excellence
of engineering, metallurgy, chemistry, and other intellec
tual disciplines, but also in large measure on those who
come after us, and their willingness to cooperate in such
an archaeological venture across the reaches of time.
We pray you therefore, whoever reads this book, to
cherish and preserve it through the ages, and translate
it from time to time into new languages that may arise
after us, in order that knowledge of the Time Capsule
of Cupaloy may be handed down to those for whom it
is intended. We likewise ask : let the Time Capsule rest
in the earth until its time shall come ; let none dig it up
for curiosity or for any other reason. It is a message from
one age to another, and none should touch it in the years
that lie between.
PREPARATION OF THE CAPSULE
HOW long the Time Capsule will remain in the earth, or
what experiences await it, we have no way of knowing.
But if, as is our hope, it rests untroubled until the year
A.D. 69 39, there may be people capable of discovering
and raising it, of reading and studying the contents.
We imagine they will be able to reconstruct, through
archaeological techniques like those developed in our
own time, the hard structures of our culture: our archi
tecture, our dams and roads, our houses, and our general
[ 6 ]
physical appearance, as indicated by our skeletons. But
certainly many of the perishable things of our culture
will have been lost in the course of time, unless special
efforts are made to preserve them.
In these matters we have taken counsel of archaeolo-
gists, historians, metallurgists, engineers, chemists, geo-
physicists, and other technical men of our time. We have
given much study not only to the selection of the items
to be preserved, but also to methods of preserving them
for so long a time & of leaving this message about them.
Our first concern was the construction of the Time
Capsule itself, a problem of great complexity. Our experi
ence with artificial materials is too short to give us certain
knowledge of their ability to withstand the corrosive
effects of thousands of years, yet the older mineral ma
terials, including stone and glass, are too brittle and too
difficult to work, are liable to breakage from pressure
or earthquake, and are too difficult to detect when buried
in the earth.
We have decided that the best possible material is a
metallic alloy of high corrosion resistance & considerable
hardness, of nonferrous nature, and preferably contain
ing a high percentage of copper. Of all the tools used by
ancient peoples, those of stone and copper have come
down to us from farthest in the past.
It happens that a copper alloy fulfilling these specifi
cations has recently been developed. Known as Cupaloy,
it is 99.4 per cent copper, .5 per cent chromium, and .1
per cent silver. This material may be tempered to a hard
ness similar to that of mild steel, yet has a resistance to
corrosion equal to pure copper. In electrolytic reactions
E 7 ]
with ferrous metals in the soil, it becomes the anode and
therefore will receive deposits, rather than suffer cor
rosion, should such action take place. It is our belief that
a properly constructed capsule of Cupaloy will with
stand the naturally destructive forces of five thousand
years, and by its strength protect the contents from the
accidents of time.
The Time Capsule is seven feet, six inches in length,
and eight and three-eighths inches in diameter. Its Cup
aloy shell consists of seven cast segments, all segments
except the last solidly screwed together, sealed with
molten asphalt, and burnished. The last section, closed
after the placing of the contents in the Capsule, is shrunk-
fitted on tapering threads.
The inner crypt of the Capsule is a space six & a half
inches in diameter & approximately six feet, nine inches
in length. Within it is a Pyrex glass envelope embedded
in a petroleum base wax. The objects to be preserved
are enclosed in the glass, from which all air has been ex
hausted. The spaces left between the objects in the crypt
have been filled with an inert gas, nitrogen, the inactive
element which makes up four-fifths of our atmosphere.
The materials inside the crypt have been selected for
permanence and have been treated, so far as possible, to
give them resistance to time. Material which would
ordinarily be published in books has been photographed
on acetate microfilm ; a method that not only promises
permanence but also makes possible the concentration
of much information in small space. Where paper was
necessarily enclosed, we have used only the finest 100
per cent rag, fulfilling the specifications of the United
[ 8 ]
States Bureau of Standards for permanence. Metal parts
which might be subject to attack by moisture have been
coated with a thin layer of wax. No acids or corrosive
substances are included in the crypt's contents or in the
materials with which the Time Capsule is sealed, nor are
any materials included which are known to decay or
dissociate into corrosive liquids or vapors.
The Time Capsule is die-stamped with this message :
TIME CAPSULE OF CUPALOY, DEPOSITED ON THE SITE OF
THE NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR ON SEPTEMBER 23,1938,
BY THE WESTTNGHOUSE ELECTRIC &T MANUFACTURING
COMPANY. IF ANYONE SHOULD COME UPON THIS CAP-
SULE BEFORE THE YEAR A. D. 6939 LET HIM NOT WAN
TONLY DISTURB IT, FOR TO DO SO WOULD BE TO DEPRIVE
THE PEOPLE OF THAT ERA OF THE LEGACY HERE LEFT
THEM. CHERISH IT THEREFORE IN A SAFE PLACE.
The Time Capsule was deposited fifty feet deep in the
earth on the site of the building of the Westinghouse
Company, on the grounds of the New York World's Fair
1939, by A. W. Robertson, chairman of the Board of
Directors of the Westinghouse Electric & Manufactur
ing Company, at 12 o'clock noon, September 23, 1938,
the exact moment of the autumnal equinox of that year,
RECOVERY OF THE CAPSULE
WHEN the time has come to dig for the Time Capsule,
look for it in the area known as the Flushing Meadows,
Borough of Queens, New York City, on the site of the
New York World's Fair 1939.
9 ]
The appointed year will be, according to our common
way of reckoning time, the 6,939th year since the birth
of Christ. According to the Jewish calendar it will be the
year 10699 i according to the Chinese, the 36th year of
the i6oth cycle; according to the Mohammedan, the
6,469 thyear since the birth of the Prophet ; according to
the Buddist, the 7,50 2 d year since the birth of Buddha;
according to the Shinto [Japanese], the 7,599 th year
since the birth of the first emperor, JimmuTenno.
If none of these ways of reckoning the years has sur
vived, it still may be recognised by calculation from
astronomical data. In the year 1939 there will be two
eclipses of the moon, falling respectively on May 3 d and
October 28th. There will be two eclipses of the sun an
annular eclipse on April i gth, the path of annular eclipse
grazing the North Pole of the earth, and a total eclipse on
October 1 2th, the total path crossing near the South Pole.
The heliocentric longitudes of the planets on January
ist at ^ero-hours Greenwich [midnight] were
Mercury
175
55'
42"
Venus
124
43'
3'"
Earth
99
40'
29"
Mars
192
4'
2"
Jupiter
339
12'
22"
Saturn
17
3'
45"
Uranus
46
23'
3i"
Neptune
171
3''
3"
Pluto
120
i/
The mean position of the North Star [Polaris or Alpha
Ursse Minoris] on January ist will be Right Ascension,
i hr. 41 min. 59 sec. ; North Polar distance, 1 i' 3 3 ".8.
[ "I
In the opinion of our astronomers, such a combination
of astronomical events is unlikely to recur for many thou
sands of years. By computing backward from their time,
people of the future will therefore be able to determine
the number of years that have elapsed since our time.
The Capsule lies buried at exactly the point where the
centerline of the Westinghouse plot intersects the center-
line of the great halls of the Westinghouse World's Fair
building. By A.D. 6939, it is probable, all present-day
landmarks, city surveys, and other such aids for locating
such an object will have disappeared. The spot may still
be discovered, however, by determination of the latitude
and longitude. The exact geodetic coordinates j^North
American Datum of 1 9 27 J are :
Latitude 40 44' 34". 089 north of the Equator
Longitude 73 50' 4$". 842 west of Greenwich
These coordinates, surveyed by the United States Coast
and Geodetic Survey and given to the thousandth part
of a second of arc, are accurate enough to locate an object
one- tenth of a foot or less in diameter at a particular po
sition on the surface of the earth.*
It maybe that due to shifts of the earth's poles, differ
ences in method, or other causes, this calculation will still
not give the exact spot. It may also happen that the Time
Capsule will sink or migrate from the point of deposit
during the ages. Seekers may nevertheless still find it by
the methods of electrical prospecting such as are used in
our day for the location of minerals, water, buried metallic
objects, and deposits of salt and oil.
*See page 43.
If elec5hical instruments similar to those of our time
are used to locate the Capsule, it should be indicated by
the distortion of a magnetic field, the increased conduc
tivity of the soil, or other such indications. Certain steps
have been taken to increase the Time Capsule's respon
siveness in this respect. The soil in which the Time Cap
sule is buried is fairly homogeneous, and though there
are scraps of metals, mostly ferrous, buried in it, these
should all have disappeared by corrosion before many
centuries have passed. On account of the softness of the
soil, however, the Capsule may have settled to a greater
depth. This possibility should be taken into account.*
When the Capsule at length has been located, a prob
lem will still remain, for if the land is swampy &wet, as in
our day, adequate methods must be devised to recover it.
The Capsule may be raised by sinking a caisson of such
a type as to hold back the mud and water during exca
vation. Should this prove inexpedient, it may be possible
to freeze the soil by cold brine circulating in pipes driven
into the earth around the site. When the soil is frozen it
may then be dug in the same manner as hard earth.
The Capsule is provided with an eye to which lifting
apparatus may be attached. It is likely, however, that this
ring may have disappeared through erosion. In this case,
the Capsule should be raised gently with a sling.
When it has been brought up out of the ground, let
the finders beware, lest in their eagerness they spoil the
contents by ill-considered moves. Let the Capsule be
transported with the utmost care, at once, to a warm,
dry place. Cleanse the outside of mud, slime, or corrosion.
*See page 39.
Then cut off the top carefully at the deeply scored groove
which has been left to guide the saw.
Should gas rush out when the inner glass is punctured,
or when the saw penetrates the crypt, let there be no
alarm, for this is a harmless gas enclosed as a preservative.
THE CONTENTS OF THE CAPSULE
WITHIN the limitations imposed by space, the prob
lems of preservation, and the difficulty of choosing the
truly significant to represent all the enormous variety
and vigor of our life, we have sought to deposit in the
Time Capsule materials and information touching upon
all the principal categories of our thought, activity, and
accomplishment ; sparing nothing, neither our wisdom
nor our foolishness, our supreme achievements nor our
recognised weaknesses.
We have included books and pictures that show
where and how we live : some in apartments like dwell
ers in cliffs, but comfortably; others in detached houses ;
still others moving about the country in homes mount
ed on wheels.
We have set forth the story of our architecture, by
which we have reared soaring pinnacles into the sky.
We have described the offices and the factories where
we 'work, the machines that write, compute, tabulate, re
produce manuscript a thousandfold, sort out, and file ; the
machines that stamp and fashion metals ; the machines
and methods with which metals are knit together by
electricity and cut apart by gas; the complex techniques
of mass production, with -which articles that consist of
scores of different materials, requiring hundreds of oper-
[ 13 ]
ations to assemble, can nevertheless be sold among us
for a few cents.
We have described in text and picture the arts and
entertainment of our day ; the games we play ; the history
& development & present attainments of painting, sculp
ture, music, the theater, motion pictures, and radio.
We have included copies of representative newspa
pers & magazines of this day, containing news, articles,
fiction, and advertisements broadly characteristic of our
period. We have also included a novel, the most widely
read of our time. For good measure we have added spec
imens of our cartoons and "comics," such as daily and
weekly delight millions in our newspapers and in our
moving picture theaters.
Ours is a day of many faiths. We have provided de
scriptions of the world's religions, numbered their follow
ers, and enclosed the Holy Bible, a book which is the
basis of the Christian faith. We have provided outlines
of the world's principal philosophies. We have discussed
the all-pervading and effective educational systems of
our time, and told in text and pictures the story of the
training of our young.
We have included a copy of our Constitution, and
something about our government, under which we live
as free men, ruled by our own elected representatives
chosen at regular intervals by the votes of all, both men
and women. We have included, also, a history of our
country and a chronological history of the -world.
Our scientists have measured the speed of light and
compared the distances of the planets, stars, and nebulae ;
they have charted the slow evolution of primal proto-
[ MI
plasm into man, fathomed the ultimate composition of
matter and its relation to energy, transmuted the elements,
measured the earth and explored it, harnessed earth
quake, electricity, and magnetism to probe what lies be
neath our feet ; they have shifted the atoms in their lat
tices and created dyes, materials, stuffs that Nature her
self forgot to make. The stories of these achievements
have been set forth in the Time Capsule.
Our engineers & inventors have harnessed the forces
of the earth and skies and the mysteries of nature to
make our lives pleasant, swift, safe, and fascinating be
yond any previous age. We fly faster, higher, and farther
than the birds. On steel rails we rush safely, behind giant
horses of metal and fire. Ships large as palaces thrum
across our seas. Our roads are alive with self-propelling
conveyances so complex the most powerful prince could
not have owned one a generation ago ; yet in our day
there is hardly a man so poor he cannot afford this form
of personal mobility.
Over wires pour cataracts of invisible electric power,
tamed and harnessed to light our homes, cook our food,
cool and clean our air, operate the machines of our homes
& factories, lighten the burdens of our daily labor, reach
out and capture the voices and music of the air, & work
a major part of all the complex magic of our day.
We have made metals our slaves, and learned to change
their characteristics to our needs. We speak to one an
other along a network of wires and radiations that en
mesh the globe, and hear one another thousands of miles
away as clearly as though the distance were only a few
feet. We have learned to arrest the processes of decay ; our
foods are preserved in metal or frost and by these means
we may have vegetables and fruits in any season, delica
cies from foreign lands, and adequate diet anywhere.
All these things, and the secrets of them, and some
thing about the men of genius of our time and earlier
days who helped bring them about, will be found in the
Time Capsule.
How our physicians have healed the sick, controlled
pain, and conquered many diseases, has been recounted
there ; how we have suppressed epidemics through the
enormous undertakings of our system of public health ;
how our drugs and biologicals are compounded, and the
enormous and varied list of them.
There are included samples and specimens of the new
materials of our time, created in the laboratories of our
engineers and chemists, on the looms of our mills, and in
the forges, furnaces, and vats of our factories.
There are also samples of the products of our farms,
where machinery has turned scarcity into abundance ;
where research has produced plants never seen in na
ture ; where science now is able to produce plants even
without soil.
There are also many small articles that we wear or
use ; that contribute to the pleasure, comfort, safety, con
venience, or healthfulness of our lives ; articles with which
we write, play, groom ourselves, correct our vision, re
move our beards, illuminate our homes and work-places,
tell time, make pictures, calculate sums, exchange values,
protect property, train our children, prepare our food.
Believing, as have the people of each age, that our wo
men are the most beautiful, most intelligent, and best
[ 16]
groomed of all the ages, we have enclosed in the Time
Capsule specimens of modern cosmetics, and one of the
singular clothing creations of our time, a woman's hat.
That the pronunciation of our English tongue may
not be lost, a "Key to English" has been prepared and
printed in this book. That our vocabulary may not be
forgotten, we have included in the Capsule a dictionary,
defining more than 140,000 common words and phrase s .
That our idiom may be preserved, we have provided also
a dictionary of slang and colloquial expressions. Finally,
that our method of writing may be recovered, should all
other record of it disappear, we have included a book in
which the Lord's Prayer is translated into three hundred
different tongues ; also the fable "The Story of the North
Wind & the Sun" translated into twenty-five languages.
These may serve, as did the trilingual Rosetta stone, to
help in the translation of our words.
In the Capsule there are only two actual books of our
time, in the siz;e and form to which we are accustomed.
These are this book and the Holy Bible. All the rest have
been photographed page by page on microfilm, which by
the small space it requires has permitted us to include on
four small reels the contents or equivalent of more than
seventy ordinary books enough in their usual form to
fill the Capsule's crypt several times over. A magnifying
instrument is included, with which the microfilm may
be read.
Should those who recover the Capsule 'wish to know
our appearance, and how we dress, act, and talk, there
have been provided two reels of significant and typical
scenes of our time, in pictures that move and speak, im-
[ 17]
prisoned on ribbons of cellulose coated with silver. If
knowledge of machines for projecting these pictures and
voices has disappeared, the machines may nevertheless
be recreated, after recovery of the Capsule, from photo
graphs and descriptions.
Each age considers itself the pinnacle & final triumph
above all eras that have gone before. In our time many
believe that the human race has reached the ultimate in
material and social development ; others, that humanity
shall march onward to achievements splendid beyond
the imagination of this day, to new worlds of human
wealth, power, life, and happiness. We choose, with the
latter, to believe that men will solve the problems of the
world, that the human race will triumph over its limita
tions and its adversities, that the future will be glorious.
TO THE PEOPLE OF THAT FUTURE
WE LEAVE THIS LEGACY
A KEY TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
DR. JOHN P. HARRINGTON
ETHNOLOGIST, BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
WASHINGTON, D C.
Our years are like the shadows
That o'er the meadows fall,
Are like the fragile wildflower
That withers by the wall
A dream, a song, a slory,
By others quickly told,
An unremaining glory
Of years that soon get old.
ArTER five thousand years all the spoken languages of
the present time will have become extinct or so al
tered as to require a key for their understanding. The
English language spoken in the United States today, if
not replaced by some other natural or invented tongue,
will have suffered complete reforming many times over
through the laws of linguistic evolving laws which
though proceeding in regular paths will, because of their
complexity, work the apparent result of radical havoc.
Books of the present day, through chemical change, will
have disappeared.
Records of the Etruscan language of ancient Italy in
Greek letters which are easily readable have amply sur
vived to the present time, but no one has been able to un
derstand the words and their meaning. We have a whole
book in Etruscan, but no one can understand it. The key
[ 19]
to the deciphering of ancient Egyptian was found in
a brief chance inscription, the trilingual Rosetta stone,
made for another purpose and never thought of at the
time as being useful as a key. If the Etruscans, Egyptians,
or other ancient peoples had planned to make a key for
us, what would have been their procedure ? If all con
necting links had been removed, how could such a peo
ple have conveyed to us the pronunciation, grammar,
and vocabulary of their language ?
This question was propounded to the Smithsonian In
stitution with the result that it was decided that a mouth
map would be necessary for the transmittal of pronuncia
tion, diagrams for the conveying of grammatical catego
ries, and the coinage of a list of "high-frequency English"
words for the preservation of essential vocabulary.
The Rosetta stone was a key in that it gave a brief
sample of translation. The deliberate scientific depicting
of English of today for the people five thousand years
from now will give adequate clues entirely independent
of any furnishing of translation. It shows by a picture of
the human mouth where each of the various sounds of
speech comes from and with such clarity that the articu
lation can be re-enacted. It shows by cartoon-like dia
grams the putting together of words. It shows by the de
velopment of a "high-frequency" vocabulary the vital
constituents of the English of the present time.
THE SOUNDS OF ENGLISH
THE present English has thirty- three sounds. It is plain
that the pronunciation cannot be transmitted to the peo
ple of the far future by traditional inherited spelling with
[20]
its enormous irregularities. It is equally clear that if pe
culiar symbols be given to some of these thirty-three
sounds, it will be bothersome for typewriter & news
paper equipment which has only the twenty-six letters.
The letter j therefore is used instead of the inverted e,
which last would require a special type, and digraphs,
& in two instances trigraphs, are used instead of special
vowel and consonant letters.
English has eight vowels or sounds whose hemming
amounts to mere cavity-shape resonance} and twenty-
five consonants jjwhose hemming amounts to closure,
violent restriction, or closure followed by restriction}.
The vowels are all pronounced between the k and the y
consonant positions, that is, between the back-of-the-
tongue and the middle-of-the-tongue positions. The vow
el with highest raised back of the tongue, that is, nearest
to the k consonant position, is u; the vowel with the
highest raised middle of the tongue, that is, nearest to
the y consonant position, is i. w is here classified as a lip
sound, though it is simultaneously a back-of-the-tongue
sound. The other vowels have intermediate positions be
tween the extreme u and i, a being the most open and j
the most central positioned. The digraph ae. stands for a
vowel midway, perhaps, between e and a ; ao, for a vowel
midway, perhaps, between a and o. Vowels occur short
and long. Since the letter c always stands for k or s, it is
not needed for regular consonant duty and is here pressed
into service as a long mark, being written as a silent char
acter after a vowel where it is necessary to mark it as
being long. Many vowels are long in English by simple
rules, and in such instances the length sign c is not writ-
ten. In fadl, vowel length needs to be written in English
only after u and i, to distinguish the long from the short
varieties.
ILLUSTRATION 1, SHOWING EXACTLY WHERE EACH OF THE 3 3
SOUNDS OF 18 ENGLISH IS FORMED IN THE ORAL CAVITY.
Vowel diphthongs are only four in number: ui {rare},
oi, au, ai.
The complete closure consonants of simple form are
fe, t, p. Those which have the closure with the voice go
ing simultaneously are g, d, b.
Restriction consonants of simple form are h, sh, s, th, hu>.
Those which have the restriction with voice going simul
taneously are y, %h, %, dh, 1, r, w.
Consonant diphthong of closure plus restriction of
simple form is tsh. The same with the voice going simul
taneously is dz,h.
Consonants with the mouth completely hemmed but
the nose open are ng, n, m.
The English language, like others, proceeds in sylla
bles. Each syllable consists of a vowel or vowel diph
thong, plus or minus consonant trimmings.
A word consisting of more than one syllable has one
of its syllables, most commonly the next to the last, high
and loud. Such a high and loud syllable is said to be ac
cented. One-syllable words may or may not be high and
loud, but it makes little difference to the understanding,
whereas polysyllabic words are distorted if the highness
and loudness are placed on the wrong syllable.
All sounds are made in the tract between the larynx
and the lips. The points of articulation are the glottis of
the larynx, the back of the tongue, the middle of the
tongue, the front of the tongue, and the lips. Only h comes
from the larynx. Only three consonants fe, g, ng} come
from the back of the tongue. Only^ comes from the mid
dle of the tongue. By far the greatest number of conso
nants come from the flexible front of the tongue. That
is why "language," derived from the Latin word lingua,
"tongue", is frequently called "tongue" in the various id
ioms of the world. From the front of the tongue come
thirteen consonants [t, d, sh, ^h, s, 3, tH, dh, tsh, d^h, I, r, nj.
From the lips come five consonants [p, b, hu>, u;, m.}
Exercise on the Provenience of Vowels and Consonants
Vowels Consonants
put
pit
hit
den dhen
pin
not
hui
kit
shin tshin
bin
waotjr
boi
get
aezjhur d^hin
faen
fadhjr
bau
sing
sin letjr
hwen
bjrd
bai
yuc
z;ingk rjn
\ven
maen
mucn
ten
thin nic
men
men
mict
THE GRAMMAR OF ENGLISH
THE noun shows only two forms : singular, referring
to one object, and plural, referring to two or more ob
jects. This difference is shown by Illustration 2 which
depicts the singular, "bird," as distinguished from the
plural, "birds." A possessive case is the only remnant of
earlier case formation and is formed like the plural by
adding s, but distinguished orthographically by placing
an apostrophe ['} before the added s in the singular and
after it in the plural : "bird's," "birds'."
Singgyular aend Plucral Singular and Plural.
The personal pronoun distinguishes three persons, see
Illustration 3: The first person is the self of the speaking
subject ; the second person is the speaking subject ad
dressed ; the third person is the person neither originat
ing the speech nor directly addressed. These three per
sons also have plurals : "I we," "you you," "he, she,
it they." It will be noticed that only in the third per
son singular is gender distinguished: "he," masculine
animate ; "she," feminine animate ; "it," inanimate, also
sometimes used when a lower animal is the object re
ferred to, as : the sheep, it graces.
The demonstrative pronouns have only two degrees
of remoteness : "this" hereQ, and "that" [there]. The
demonstrative adverbs "here" and "there" correspond.
Pjrsjn Person
Rjmoctnes Remoteness
yuc dhaet
Illustration 3
Illustration 4
Adjectives express permanent or acquired attributes
of an object. They are often explained by giving the op-
posites, as in Illustration 5, where "young" and "old,"
"black" & "white," "short" & " tall" are contrasted.
ymg
odd
Opjzits Opposites
short taol
Illustration 5
blaek hwait
Adjectives have three degrees of comparison, as in
Illustration 6, good being the positive, better indicating
that good is excelled as one racer excels another, & best
indicating that good is excelled as one racer excels all.
Kompaerisjn Comparison
gud
betjr
best
Illustration 6
Frequent verbs, that is, words denoting action or sta
tus, are shown graphically in Illustration 7, which gives :
I lie, I sit, I stand, I walk, I run, I kick, I jump, I crawl,
I climb, I descend.
f
ai lai ai sit ai staend ai waok ai rjn ai kik
ai dzhjmp ai kraol ai klaim ai djsend
Illustration 7
[26]
Tensez Tenses
paest prezjnt fyuctyur
Illustration 8
The verb has three main tenses or times, well shown
in Illustration 8, where the steamer in mid-water is the
present, the port left behind indicates the past, and the
port which is the destination is the future of the action.
The verb in 1 9 3 8 English has still another expression :
it is principal or subordinate. Illustration 9 shows the
sentence: "Running he aimed," in which "aimed" is the
principal verb and "running" the subordinate.
Sjbordinecshjn
Subordination
Rjning hie ecmd
Illustration 9
To illustrate these elements of English grammar, and
as an exercise in 1938 English pronunciation, we give
next a little story, The Fable of the Northwind and the
Sun, written first in neo-phonetic spelling, followed by
the ordinary English spelling.
['7 I
DHJ FECBJL JV DHJ NORTHWIND AEND DHJ SJN
The Fable of the Northwind and the Sun
Dh] Northwind aend dhj Sjn wjr dispyucting whitsh woz dhj
stronggjr, hwen j traevjljr kecm jlong raepd in j worm klock. Dhec
jgricd dhaet dhj wjn hue fjrst meed dhj traevjljr teck of hiz klock
shud bic konsidjrd stronggjr dhaen dhj jdhjr. Dhen dhj Northwind
blue widh aol hiz mait, bjt dhj mocr hie blue, dhj mocr klocsli did dhj
traevjljr focld hiz klock jraund him, aend aet laest dhj Northwind
gecv jp dhj jtempt. Dhen dhj Sjn shocn aut wormli, aend imicdijtli
dhj traevjljr tuk of hiz klock; aend soc dhj Northwind woz jblaidzhd
tj konfes dhaet dhj Sjn woz dhj stronggjr jv dhj tuc.
The Northwind and the Sun were disputing which was the
stronger, when a traveler came along wrapped in a warm cloak.
They agreed that the one who first made the traveler take off his
cloak should be considered stronger than the other. Then the North-
wind blew with all his might, but the more he blew, the more closely
did the traveler fold his cloak around him ; and at last the Northwind
gave up the attempt. Then the Sun shone out warmly, and immedi
ately the traveler took off his cloak; and so the Northwind was
obliged to confess that the Sun was the stronger of the two.
As a further aid to translation and pronunciation, we
have enclosed in the Time Capsule reproductions of this
simply worded fable in twenty-five languages. We fol
low, here, with the English vocabulary most used in
1938 the thousand words most essential to our daily
speech and thought. Taking a suggestion from the elec
trical engineers, we have named the vocabulary "High-
frequency English," We attach, also, two more illustra
tions, one showing an exterior view of 1 9 3 8 life, the other
an interior view, with common terms indicated.
[28]
VOCABULARY OF HIGH-FREQUENCY
ENGLISH
THE THOUSAND MOST-USED WORDS OF ENGLISH
IN NEO-PHONETIC SPELLING
(Editor's 7v(ote Dr. Harrington has compiled this list follow
ing detailed statistical study of newspapers, magazines, boo\s
of varying calibre and purpose, and most especially the silent
stream of thought, the words spo\en every day, and the words
most frequently used on the radio and recorded by phonograph.
The list has been further improved by comparison with vocabu*
laries given in the various boo\s used for learning foreign Ian'
guages, and especially with the statistical wor\ of Professor
Curme in determining the commonest words of German).
Illustration 10
Autdocr Necmz (Outdoor Names)
I smock (smoke) 2 skai (sky) 3 klaud (cloud) 4 barn (barn)
5 hecstaek (haystack) 6 trie (tree) 7 wudz (woods) 8 haus (house)
9 kau (cow) I field (field) I I fens (fence) 1 2 rocd (road)
I 3 hors (horse) 14 aotomobicl (automobile)
Illustration 1 1
Indocr Necmz (Indoor Names)
I pot (pot) 2 tecbjl (table) 3 bocl (bowl) 4 ridzhpocl (ridgepole)
5 tshimni (chimney) 6 fairplecs (fireplace) 7 naif (knife) 8 fair (fire)
9 r Jg ( ru g) ' tshaer (chair) I I bed (bed) 1 2 waol (wall)
I 3 doer (door) 14 windoc (window) I 5 raeftjr (rafter) 1 6 gjn (gun)
1 7 aeks (axe) I 8 kaet (cat)
aeftjr (after) aeks (axe)
ailjnd (island) ais (ice)
aem (am) aend (and)
a
ai (I, eye) aidicj (idea) aijrn (iron)
aekjmpjni (accompany) aekt (act)
aengkjl (ankle) aenimjl (animal)
aenjdhjr (another) aensj'r (answer) aent (aunt) aepjl (apple)
aer (air) aesk (ask) aet (at) aez (as) aol (all) aolredi (already)
aolwecz (always) aot (ought) ar (are) arm (arm) art (art)
aut (out) aur (our) awr (hour)
[3]
baed (bad) baeg (bag) back (back) baengk (bank) baer (bear)
baeth (bath) bai (buy, by) baind (bind) bait (bite) baol (ball)
baot (bought) barn (barn) bau (bow) baujlz (bowels) baund (bound)
becbi(baby) becdh (bathe) beck (bake) bees (base) bed (bed)
beg (beg) bel (bell) beli (belly) beri (bury, berry) best (best)
betjr (better) bic (be, bee) bicf (beef) bicnz (beans)
bict (beat, beet), big (big) bilding (building) bin (been) bitjr (bitter)
bizi (busy) bizniz (business) bjfocr (before) bjgin (begin)
bjhaind (behind) bjkazo (because) bjket (bucket) bjkjm (become)
bjlicv (believe) bjloc (below) bjrd (bird) bjrth (birth) bjsaid (beside)
bjt (but, butt) bjtjr (butter) bird (beard) bjrn (burn) bjrst (burst)
bjtjn (button) bjtwicn (between) black (black) blaenket (blanket)
blaind (blind) bleed (blade) blecm (blame) blecz (blaze) bljd (blood)
bloc (blow) blue (blue) bocld (bold) bocn (bone) bocr (bore)
bocrd (board) boct(boat) bodi(body) boi (boy) bocl(bowl)
boks(box) born (born) boroc (borrow) botjl (bottle) botjm (bottom)
brait (bright) brau (brow) braun (brown) breck (break, brake)
brecn (brain) brecv (brave) bred (bread, bred) brest (breast)
breth (breath) bridzh (bridge) brik (brick) bring (bring)
brjdhjr (brother) brjsh (brush) brock (broke) brockjn (broken)
buk (book) bynctiful (beautiful)
daens (dance) daotjr (daughter) dark (dark) daun (down)
daut (doubt) dec (day) ded (dead) def (deaf) det (debt) deth (death)
dhaen(than) dhaet(that) dhec(they) d hecr (their, there) d hem (them)
dhen (then) dhis (this) dhicz (these) dhj (the) dhoc (though)
dhocz (those) dicl (deal) dicp (deep) dicr (dear, deer) did (did)
d if jrjnt (different) dig (dig) dim (dim) dish (dish) djl (dull)
djn (done, dun) djrt (dirt) djrti (dirty) djst (dust) djz (does)
docr(door) dog(dog) doktjr (doctor) doljr(dollar) draeg (drag)
drai (dry) draiv (drive) drao (draw) draun (drown) dres(dress)
dringk(drink) drjngk(drunk) drop (drop) dzhob (job) dzhoin (join)
dzhjdzh (judge) dzhjmp (jump) due (do)
[31 ]
ecbjl (able) eck (ache) ecm (aim) ect (eight, ate) ecti (eighty)
ecticn (eighteen) edzh (edge) eg (egg) empti (empty) end (end)
enemi (enemy) eni (any) entjr (enter) evjr (ever) evri (every)
fadhjr (father) faekt (fact) faest (fast) fact (fat) fain (fine) faind (find)
fair (fire) fait (fight) faiv (five) faol (fall) far (far) farm (farm)
fees (face) fedhjr (feather) fel (fell) fens (fence) field (field) ficl (feel)
ficr (fear) ficst (feast) fifti (fifty) fifticn (fifteen) fiks (fix)
fmggjr (finger) finish (finish) fish (fish) fjrst (first) flaeg(flag) flaet (flat)
flai (fly) flaur (flower, flour) fling (fling) flocn (flown) flocr (floor)
floct (float) flue (flue, flew, flu) focld (fold) focr (four)
focrticn (fourteen) fols (false) for (for) fork (fork) form (form)
fors (force) forti (forty) forwjrd (forward) frend (friend) fresh (fresh)
fric(free) frjm (from) frjnt (front) fruct (fruit) fucd (food) fuel (fool)
fuclish (foolish) ful (full) fut (foot) fyuc (few) fyuctyur (future)
g
gaedhjr (gather) gaes (gas) gaid (guide) gaon (gone) gardjn (garden)
get (get) gecv (gave) giv (give) gilti (guilty) gjn (gun)
gjrl (girl) gjts (guts) glaed (glad) gljv (glove) glaes (glass) goc (go)
gocld (gold) goct (goat) got (got) graes (grass) grec (gray)
grecp (grape) greet (great) gricn (green) grip (grip) groc (grow)
gud (good) gudbai (good-bye)
haef(half) haemjr (hammer) haend (hand) haendkjrtshif (handkerchief)
haeng (hang) haepi (happy) haer( hair) haet (hat) haev (have)
haez (has) haed (had) hai (high) haid (hide) hard (hard) hart (heart)
hau (how) haus (house) hect (hate) hed (head) held (held)
helth (health) hie (he) hicl (heel, heal) hip (hip) hicr (hear, here)
hict (heat) hidjn (hidden) hil (hill) him (him) hit (hit) hiz (his)
hjndred (hundred) hjnggjr (hunger) hjnggri (hungry) hjnt (hunt)
hjr(her) hjrt(hurt) hjzbjnd (husband) hocl (hole, whole) hocld (hold)
hocp (hope) holoc (hollow) hop (hop) horn (horn) hors (horse)
hot (hot) hue (who) hucm (whom) hucz (whose) huf(hoof)
huk (hook) hwaer (where, wear, ware) hwai (why) hwail (while)
hwait (white) hwedhjr (whether) hwen (when) hwicl (wheel)
hwiskjrz (whiskers) hwiski (whiskey) hwisjl (whistle) hwip (whip)
hwitsh (which) hwjt (what)
i
icr (ear) icst (east) ict (eat) icvn (even) icvning (evening) if (if)
il (ill) in (in) ingk ( ink) it (it) its (its) iz (is)
j
j (a) jbjv (above) jdhj'r (other) jfrecd (afraid) jgen (again)
jgenst (against) jgoc(ago) jkaunt (account) jksept (except)
jkros (across) jlaiv (alive) jlektrik (electric) jlevjn (eleven)
jmjng (among) jn (an) jndjr (under) jndjrstaend (understand)
jnjf (enough) jnkjl (uncle) jntil (until) jp (up) jpjr (upper)
jraund (around) jrli (early) jrn (earn) jrth (earth) js (us) jv (of)
jvjn (oven) jwec (away) jweck (awake)
kaebedzh (cabbage) kaef(calf) kaen (can) kaer (care) kaeri (carry)
kaet (cat) kaetj I (cattle) kaetsh (catch) kaind (kind) kaof (cough)
kaol (call) kaot (caught) kar (car) kard (card) kau (cow)
kaunt (count) keck (cake) kecm (came) kept (kept) ketjl (kettle)
kic (key) kik (kick) kicp (keep) kil (kill) king (king) kis (kiss)
kraek (crack) krai (cry) kreczi (crazy) kraim (crime) krjsh (crush)
kruked (crooked) kjmpaenyjn (companion) kjntri (country) kjp (cup)
kjt (cut) klaim (climb) klaud (cloud) klicn (clean) klicr (clear)
klocs (close) klok (clock) klocz (close) kloth (cloth) kocld (cold)
kocm (comb) kocrn (corn) koct (coat) kofi (coffee) koljr (collar)
kopi (copy) kopjr (copper) kornjr (corner) kost (cost)
kotjn (cotton) kucl (cool) kud (could) kukd (cooked) kuk (cook)
kwaijt (quiet) kwait (quite) kwestshjn (question) kwicn (queen)
kwik (quick) kwoliti (quality) kworel (quarrel) kyucr (cure)
[ 33]
I
lee (lay) laef (laugh) laend (land) laengwedzh (language)
laemp(lamp) laest (last) lai (lie, lye) laif(life) laijn (lion)
laik(like) lain (line) lait (light) lao (law) lecdi (lady) leek (lake)
lecm(lame) lect (late) led (lead, led) leczi (lazy) left (left) leg (leg)
les(less) let (let) letjr (letter) levjl (level) lied (lead) lief (leaf)
lien (lean) licst (least) licv (leave) lift (lift) lip (lip) list (list)
litjl (little) liv(live) Ijk(luck) Ijmp(lump) Ijv (love) Ijrn (learn)
loc(low) locd (load) locjr (lower) lok(lock) long (long)
los (loss) lost (lost) lots (lots) lues (loose) luk(look) lucz(lose)
maed(mad) maen(man) maeri (marry) m act] r( matter) maetsh (match)
mai (my) mait (might) mark (mark) mauntjn (mountain)
maus (mouse) mauth (mouth) mec (may) mecbic (maybe)
meed (made, maid) meek (make) medisin (medicine) melt (melt)
men (men) meni (many) mesh (mesh) met (met) metjl (metal)
mezhur(measure) mic(me) mjd(mud) mjdhjr (mother) mjni (money)
mjnth (month) mjsh (mush) mjshicn (machine) mjst (must)
mjtsh (much) micl (meal) mien (mean) mict (meet, meat)
midjl (middle) milk (milk) mis (miss) mocr(more) mocst (most)
morning (morning) mucn (moon) mucv (move)
n
naif (knife) nain (nine) nainticn (nineteen) nainti (ninety)
nais (nice) nait (night) nau (now) necbjr (neighbor) necl (nail)
necm (name) necshjn (nation) nefyu (nephew) nek (neck)
nektai (necktie) nic(knee) nicd (need) nicdjl (needle) nicr(near)
nies(niece) njmbjr(number) njn(none) nj'rv(nerve) njthing(nothing)
njt (nut) noc (no) noct (note) nocz (nose) noiz (noise) nok (knock)
north (north) not (not, knot) nucn (noon) nyuc (new) nyucz (news)
ocld (old) ocn (own) ocnli (only) ocvjr(over) of (off) ofis (office)
ofjn(often) ofjr(offer) oil(oil) olsoc(also) on(on) opjzit (opposite)
or (or) ordjr (order) ocpjn (open)
[34]
paek (pack) paents (pants) paes (pass) paest (past) pai (pie)
part (part) paudjr (powder) paujr (power) paund (pound)
pec (pay) pecn (pain) pecnt (paint) pecpjr (paper) pecst (paste)
pen (pen) picl (peel, peal) picpjl (people) pics (piece, peace)
pictsh (peach) pig (pig) pin (pin) pjmp (pump)
pjrhaeps (perhaps) pjrpjs (purpose) pjrsjn (person) pjtecto (potato)
plaent (plant) plau (plow) plec (play) plecn (plain, plane)
plecs (place) plect (plate, plait) plezhur (pleasure) plicz (please)
point (point) poket (pocket) pot (pot) praud (proud) prec (pray)
precz (praise) pres (press) prezjnt (present) print (print)
prucf (proof) prucv (prove) pruti (pretty) pucr (poor) pul (pull)
push (push) put (put) pyucr (pure)
raebit (rabbit) raen (ran) raer (rare) raet (rat) raid (ride)
rais (rice, rise) rait (write, right) raiz (rise) rao (raw) raund (round)
rec(ray) reed ioc (radio) recn (rain, reign) recndzh (range)
rect (rate) recz (raise) red (red) red! (ready) rent (rent)
rest (rest) ricd (read) rictsh (reach) riczijn (reason) ring (ring)
rip (rip) ritjn (written) ritsh (rich) rivjr (river) rjb (rub)
rjf (rough) rjmecn (remain) rjn (run) rocd (road) rocl (roll, role)
rocz (rose) rok (rock) rong (wrong) rot (rot) rotjn (rotten)
rucl (rule) ruf(roof) rum (room) rut (root) ryucl (rule)
saed (sad) saek (sack) saend (sand) saet (sat) said (side) sain (sign)
sait (sight, site) sao (saw) saujr(sour) saund (sound) sauth (south)
sec (say) secf(safe) seem (same) secv (save) sed (said)
sekjnd (second) sel (sell) self (self) send (send) sens (sense)
sent (cent, sent) set (set) seventicn (seventeen) sevjn (seven)
sevjnti (seventy) shaedoc (shadow) shael (shall) shain (shine)
sharp (sharp) sheck (shake) shecm (shame) shecv (shave) shel (shell)
shic (she) shicp (sheep) shier (shear) shict (sheet )ship (ship)
shjrt (shirt) shjt (shut) shoe (show) short (short) shuc (shoe)
shucr(sure) shuct (shoot) shud (should) shugjr (sugar) sic (sea, see)
[35]
sicd(seed) sicm(seem) sicn (scene, seen) sict(seat) sik(sick) siks (six)
siksti (sixty) si ksticn (sixteen) sili (silly) silvjr (silver) singk(sink)
sistjr (sister) sit (sit) siti (city) sizjrz (scissors) sjdjn (sudden)
sjfjr (suffer) sjk(suck) sjm (some) (sjmjr (summer)
sjmthing (something) sjn (sun, son) sjrv (serve) sjtsh (such)
skai (sky) skecl (scale) skin (skin) skjrt (skirt) skocld (scold)
skraetsh (scratch) skruc (screw) skucl (school) skwaer (square)
skwicz (squeeze) slaotjr (slaughter) slicp (sleep) slicpi (sleepy)
sling (sling) slip (slip) sloe (slow) small (smile) smaol (small)
smart (smart) smel (smell) smock (smoke) smucdh (smooth)
sneck (snake) snicz (sneeze) snoc (snow) snocr (snore) soc (so)
socldzhjr (soldier) socp (soap) soft (soft) soc (sew, sow, so)
socl(soul) sok(sock) solti (salty) solt (salt) song (song)
sort (sort) spend (spend) spick (speak) spictsh (speech) spil (spill)
spin (spin) spit (spit) split (split) spoil (spoil) spraut (sprout)
spring (spring) staemp (stamp) staend (stand) staerz (stairs) star(star)
start (start) stec (stay) steck (stake, steak) step (step)
sticl (steal, steel) sticm (steam) stif (stiff) stik (stick) stiki (sticky)
stil (still) stingk (stink) stitsh (stitch) stjdi (study) stocn (stone)
stocr (store) stbcri (story) stocv (stove) stop (stop) storm (storm)
straik (strike) straipd (striped) strecn (strain) strecndzh (strange)
street (straight, strait) stretsh (stretch) strict (street) string (string)
strip (strip) strong (strong) stucpid (stupid) sucp (soup) sun (soon)
swel (swell) swet (sweat) swicp (sweep) swict (sweet) swim (swim)
swoloc (swallow) swop (swap) syuct (suit)
taeks(tax) taer (tear) taim (time) taird (tired) tait (tight)
taok(talk) taol (tall) taot (taught) taun (town) tecbjl (table)
teck(take) teckjn (taken) tecl (tail, tale) teem (tame)
tecst (taste) tel (tell) ten (ten) thaot (thought)
thauzjnd (thousand) thief (thief) thik (thick) thin (thin)
thing (thing) thingk (think) thjm (thumb) thjndjr (thunder)
th red (thread) throe (throw) thric (three) thjrst (thirst)
thjrsti (thirsty) thjrti (thirty) thjrticn (thirteen) thorn (thorn)
throe (throw) throct (throat) thruc (through) tic (tea) tictsh (teach)
til (till) tin (tin) tip (tip) tjb(tub) tjdec (today) tjgedhjr (together)
tjmoroc (tomorrow) tjng (tongue) tjrn (turn) tjtsh (touch) toe (toe)
[36 3
tocld (told) top (top) torn (torn) towjrdz (towards) trai (try)
trip (trip) true (true) tshaens (chance) tshaer (chair)
tshaild (child) tshecs (chase) tsheindzh (change) tshick (cheek)
tshicf (chief) tshicp (cheap) tshimni (chimney) tshin (chin)
tshicz (cheese) tshecn (chain) tshock (choke) tshuc(chew)
tshucz (choose) tuc(to, two) tucth (tooth) tuk(took) twelv (twelve)
twenti (twenty) twenti-faiv (twenty-five) twenti-wjn (twenty-one)
twist (twist)
V
vain (vine) veri (very) vesjl (vessel)
W
waid (wide) waif (wife) waild (wild) wain (wine) waind (wind)
waiz (wise) waok (walk) waol (wall) waotjr (water)
wee (way, weigh) wecst (waist) wecdzhez (wages)
week (wake) wect (wait, weight) wecv (wave) wed hjr (weather)
wel (well) went (went) west (west) wet (wet) wic (we)
wick (weak) wicp (weep) widhin (within) widh (with)
widhaut (without) wil (will) windoc (window) wind (wind)
wing (wing) wintj'r (winter) wish (wish) wjn (one) wjns (once)
wjr (were) wj'rd (word) wjrk(work) wjrld (world)
wjrs (worse) wj'rst (worst) wjrm (worm) wont (want) wo r (war)
worm (warm) wosh (wash) watsh (watch) woz (was)
wud (would, wood) wudz (woods) wul (wool) wumen (women)
wumjn (woman)
y
yaon (yawn) ye I (yell) yeloc (yellow) yes (yes)
yestj'rdec (yesterday) yet (yet) yicr(year) yj n g( voun g)
yocr(your) yuc (you) yucs (use) yucz (use)
UNITS OF LINEAR MEASUREMENT
ENGLISH SYSTEM
< 1INCH >
12 inches = i foot
3 feet = i yard
5,280 feet = i mile
i inch 2.54 centimeters
METRIC SYSTEM
1 CENTIMETER
i centimeter = 10 millimeters
100 centimeters = i meter
1000 meters i kilometer
i centimeter = .3937 inch
i meter is equal to 1,553,164.13 wave
lengths of red cadmium light
SEEKING METALLIC SUBSTANCES
BENEATH THE GROUND
SHERWIN KELLY
CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON GEOPHYSICAL METHODS OF
EXPLORATION, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING
AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS
THOUGH in all probability methods more sensitive
than any we have today will be employed in the fu
ture to seek for metallic bodies beneath the earth, it is
possible, too, that this will become a lost art. It is there
fore suggested that the Time Capsule may be discovered
by detecting the secondary electromagnetic field induced
in it by a strong primary electrical field created at the
surface of the ground.
Construct a loop some ten feet in diameter, composed
of several turns of well-insulated wire, fashioned in such
a manner that it can be moved systematically over the
area within which the Capsule is believed to lie. While
the loop stands vertically, pass through it an alternating
current of 1,000 to 5,000 cycles, using a power source
of 200 watts. The primary electromagnetic field thus set
up around the loop will intersect any metallic material
in the vicinity, such as the Capsule, and will induce in it
a secondary current. This current will produce a second
ary electromagnetic field such as will distort the pri
mary field of the "energising" loop. This distortion, prop
erly interpreted, will indicate the location of the Capsule.
To investigate this phenomenon, construct a second,
smaller coil, approximately a foot in diameter, made up
of a large number of turns of insulated wire. To the coil
[39]
should be connected an amplifier which in turn is con
nected to some type of current indicator, such as a galva
nometer or telephone receiver. Some means should be
provided for accurately measuring the strike or direction
of the coil in the horizontal plane, as well as its dip or
deviation from the vertical position. On level ground,
where there is nothing to distort the primary field, the
current generated in the small, or pickup coil will be at a
minimum jthat is, produce the least deflection of the gal
vanometer needle or the least sound in the telephone re
ceiver] when its plane is perpendicular to that of the
large coil. Conversely, the maximum current will be ob
served when the two coils are in the same plane. It is
well to take both observations as a checkup before begin
ning the search for the Capsule. If the instrument is work
ing properly, the positions of minimum and maximum
current in the pickup coil should be at right angles to
each other.
In exploring for the Capsule, observations may be
made with the pickup coil in two ways.
First : Take measurements in the plane of the energiz;-
ing loop, moving farther and farther away from it in short
stages of five or ten feet. Do not work too close to the
energizing loop. If during this survey the pickup coil
passes over buried metallic material it will be noted that
the positions of the coil do not correspond to those de
scribed for an undistorted field. The divergence from the
normal dip will be at a maximum over the hidden body,
\vhereas the deviation from the normal strike will in
crease as the metallic substance is approached, reverse to
a maximum in the opposite direction as the spot is passed
[40]
over, and then decrease as the coil moves farther away.
Second : Take readings along lines at right angles to
the measurements suggested in the first method above.
These readings should be taken approximately five to
ten feet apart, extending fifty to one hundred feet each
side of the plane of the energizing coil. The lines of ob
servation should cross the first line every five feet. Ob'
serve the position of maximum current in the pickup
coil. In an undisturbed field the coil should stand verti
cally. As the metallic body is approached the position of
maximum current in the pickup will stand at an angle
from the vertical, and its plane will point roughly to the
buried metallic mass. When it passes over the Capsule,
the plane of maximum current of the pickup coil will
again become vertical. As the coil passes beyond, it will
reverse & point in the opposite direction. The strike will
undergo a maximum deviation from its normal position
as the Capsule is passed.
By a combination of these two methods it should be
possible to locate the position of the Time Capsule within
a few feet. However, if any other metallic objects lie with
in the area, they may also give indications. In our day we
know of no way to distinguish by geophysical prospect
ing between different types of metallic substances when
they are concealed beneath the ground.
74(00'
73|55' 73ISO'
United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
73145'
40S5J_
4050]_
<1040'
SPRINGFIELD
74 e loo'
73l55'
73l50'
73[<I5'
DETERMINATION OF LATITUDE
AND LONGITUDE
COMMANDER C. L. GARNER
CHIEF, DIVISION OF GEODESY
UNITED STATES COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY
C. H. SWICK
CHIEF, SECTION OF GRAVITY AND ASTRONOMY, DIVISION OF
GEODESY, UNITED STATES COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY
HPHE geodetic latitude and longitude of the Time Cap-
-L sule has been determined by the United States Coast
and Geodetic Survey by means of precise triangulation
measurements from nearby stations of an extensive rigid
Federal net comprising more than fifty thousand stations
distributed over the United States. The net extends from
the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, across the entire North
American continent, and is included between latitudes
25 and 49 north of the Equator, and longitudes 6 8 and
125 west from Greenwich, England. The net has been
extended into Canada and Mexico by the two countries
involved & the datum on which it is based is called the
North American Datum of 1 9 27.
The accompanying sketch shows the first-order sta
tions of the national net in the general vicinity of the
Time Capsule. It should be noted that the latitude and
longitude furnished for the Capsule are geodetic & may
differ by as much as five seconds or more from the lati
tude and longitude determined by astronomical obser
vations alone. This is due to deflections of the plumb line
from the vertical, which are caused by the attraction of
mountain masses or other topographic features & by the
[43 ]
unequal distribution of mass in the crust of the earth.
These deflections can be determined only by compari
son of geodetic and astronomic latitudes and longitudes
at identical or nearly identical stations. No astronomic
observations have been made at the point above the
Capsule. However, at station Forest Park, shown on the
sketch, observations for astronomical longitude, latitude,
and az;imuth have been made and furnish the following
comparison :
Geodetic latitude 40 41' 49". 518
Astronomic latitude 40 41' 42". 38
Geodetic longitude 73 51' 43^.966
Astronomic longitude 73 51' 42^.30
Geodetic azimuth to station School 190 07' 54". 20
Astronomic azimuth to station School 190 07' 55" .28
Any operations for locating the Capsule by astronom
ical means should be started as nearly as possible at sta
tion Forest Park. After this point has been located the
measurement of a base line for the determination of dis
tances and the extension of triangulation to the position
of the Time Capsule can be done without difficulty.
A study of conditions in and around New York City
would indicate that there will be no chance five thousand
years from now of recovering any of the triangulation
stations shown on the sketch except possibly Forest Park.
This station is located in Forest Park, Borough of Queens,
New York City, six meters north of Park Lane and 70
meters east of the easterly line of Forest Parkway ex-
tendedj. It is marked by a cross in a granite post o.i 5
meter square and 0.6 meter long embedded in a mass of
concrete 0.9 meter square and 1.2 meters deep.
[44]
It should be noted that according to the present sys-
tern in use in this country, the distance from the Equator
to either pole is divided into 90 degrees J and each de
gree is equal to 60 minutes ['] or 3 600 seconds "}. The
unit of length is the meter 3.28083 feet J . At station For
est Park one second of latitude equals 30.846 meters,
and one minute equals 1 8 50.77 meters.
A more detailed description of the triangulation net
of the United States and of the North American Datum
of 1927 will be found in the Capsule.
MESSAGES FOR THE FUTURE FROM
NOTED MEN OF OUR TIME
TN ORDER that peoples who live long after us may see
J_ our world somewhat as we see it, and understand at
least some of the viewpoints of our contemporary world,
three men, chosen for their high reputation among us,
have summed up in their own words the strengths and
weaknesses of our age, pointed out the discernible trends
of human history, & envisioned something of the future.
The messages follow.
[45]
THE MESSAGE OF DR. ROBERT A. MILLIKAN
AT this moment, August 22, 1938, the principles of
representative ballot government, such as are represent
ed by the governments of the Anglo-Saxon, French, and
Scandinavian countries, are in deadly conflict with the
principles of despotism, which up to two centuries ago
had controlled the destiny of man throughout practically
the whole of recorded history. If the rational, scientific,
progressive principles win out in this struggle there is a
possibility of a warless, golden age ahead for mankind.
If the reactionary principles of despotism triumph now
and in the future, the future history of mankind will re
peat the sad story of war and oppression as in the past.
ROBERT A. MILLIKAN 1868- }, physicist, isolated and meas
ured the ultimate electric unit, the electron; contributed greatly
to other fields of research, especially photoelectric phenomena
and cosmic rays; awarded Nobel Priz;e in physics, 1923; chair
man, Executive Council, California Institute of Technology, Pas
adena, California.
[46]
THE MESSAGE OF DR. THOMAS MANN
WE know now that the idea of the future as a "better
world" was a fallacy ofthe doctrine of progress.The hopes
we center on you, citizens of the future, are in no way
exaggerated. In broad outline, you 'will actually resemble
us very much as we resemble those who lived a thou
sand, or five thousand, years ago. Among you too the
spirit will fare badly it should never fare too well on
this earth, otherwise men would need it no longer. That
optimistic conception of the future is a projection into
time of an endeavor which does not belong to the tem
poral world, the endeavor on the part of man to approxi
mate to his idea of himself, the humaniz;ation of man.
What we, in this year of Our Lord 1938, understand by
the term "culture" a notion held in small esteem today
by certain nations ofthe western world is simply this
endeavor. What we call the spirit is identical with it, too.
Brothers of the future, united with us in the spirit and
in this endeavor, we send our greetings.
THOMAS MANN [ 1 875- }, German novelist & essayist ; awarded
Nobel Priz;e in literature, 1929. Now living in the United States.
[47]
THE MESSAGE OF DR. ALBERT EINSTEIN
3?n imferer 3eit gibt e3 biele erfinbungfreidje $b'pfe, beren
(Srfinbungen unfer eben in fyofyent SOfaffe erleidjtern fonnten.
SBir burdjqueren Me SWeere mit 9#afdjinenfraft unb benutgen bie
letjtere audj, urn bte Sftenfdjen bon alter anftrengenben SOfoffel-
arbett p befreten. SSir (jabett fliegen gelernt unb fenben un$ be-
quem alle ^a^rtc^ten iiber bte ganje @rbe burd^ eleftrif$e SSellen.
5lber bte ^robitftton unb ^Sertetlitng ber liter ift toollig
ttnorganiftert, fo bafe jeber in ber 5lngft leben mufe, au8 bent
f >ber SBirtfc^aft aufgefd^altet su tuerben unb an allent
p Ietben 5lufferbem toten etnanber bte SWcnf^cn, bte
in tierfc^tebenen Sftnbern h)o^nen, in unregelma'fetgen 3 e ^ab-
fc^nttten, fo ba^ and) au^ biefent runbe alle in ^urcfit unb
c^recfen leben, toeldje fic^ irgenbrt)ie uber bie ^uteft ebanfen
macfien. 2llle6 l)angt batnit jufammen, bafe bie Intelligent unb
(l)arafter-33ilbung ber 9^a[(en unt)erglei($li(^ tiefer ftef)t al
bie entfpred^enben igenfcfyaften ber luenigen, bie filr bie
e(amtf)eit SSertbolle^ Ijerborbringen.
^offentlid^ lieft bag fpatere efc^lec^t biefe $onftatierun-
gen mit bent efiiljl ftoljer unb berec^tigter Uberlegenljeit.
"%
ALBERT EINSTEIN [ 1 879- ], theoretical physicist ; discoverer and
exponent of the theory of relativity; life member of the Insti
tute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey.
[48]
AUTHORIZED ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Herewith follows Dr. Einstein's message in authorised
English translation :
OUR time is rich in inventive minds, the inventions of
which could facilitate our lives considerably. We are
crossing the seas by power and utilise power also in or
der to relieve humanity from all tiring muscular work.
We have learned to fly and we are able to send mes
sages and news without any difficulty over the entire
world through electric waves.
However, the production and distribution of commod
ities is entirely unorganised so that everybody must live
in fear of being eliminated from the economic cycle, in
this way suffering for the want of everything. Further
more, people living in different countries kill each other
at irregular time intervals, so that also for this reason any
one who thinks about the future must live in fear and
terror. This is due to the fact that the intelligence & char
acter of the masses are incomparably lower than the in
telligence and character of the few who produce some
thing valuable for the community.
I trust that posterity will read these statements with
a feeling of proud and justified superiority.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
AvfONG the scientists, scholars and other persons of
special skills of our time, several hundred have co
operated with men of the Westinghouse Electric & Man
ufacturing Company to shape the Time Capsule, deter
mine its contents, and guide the writing and making of
this book. To all of them we give acknowledgment and
gratitude, and especially to the following :
JOHN ARCHER, Superintendent of the Printing Office, The New
York Public Library.
HOWARD BLAKESLEE, Science Editor, The Associated Press.
ALLYN BUTTERFIELD, Editor, RKO-Pathe News, Inc.
LAURENCE V. COLEMAN, Director, American Museums Association.
L. O. COLBERT, REAR ADMIRAL, Director, U. S. Coast and Geodetic
Survey.
R. D. W. CONNOR, Archivist of the United States.
ROBERT TREAT CRANE, Director, Social Science Research Council.
WATSON DAVIS, Director, Science Service.
DAVID DIETZ, Science Editor, Scripps-Howard Newspapers.
ALBERT EINSTEIN, Institute for Advanced Study.
ALDEN H. EMERY, American Chemical Society.
MORRIS FISHBEIN, M.D., Editor, Journal of the American Medi
cal Association.
LESTER D. GARDNER, Secretary, Institute of the Aeronautical
Sciences.
C. L. GARNER, COMMANDER, Chief of Division of Geodesy,
U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey.
G. LEONARD GOLD, Prestige Book Company.
FREDERIC W. GOUDY, Typographer, Printer and Type Designer.
JOHN P. HARRINGTON, Bureau of Ethnology, Smithsonian Institu
tion.
MAURICE A. HECHT, LIEUTENANT, U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey.
J. F. HELLWEG, CAPTAIN [Retired], U. S. N., Director, U. S. Naval
Observatory.
[50]
HARRISON E. HOWE, Editor, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry.
E. EASTMAN IRVINE, Editor, World Almanac.
JOTHAM JOHNSON, Classical Weekly, University of Pittsburgh.
SHERWIN KELLY, Chairman, Committee on Geophysical Methods
of Exploration, American Institute of Mining and Metallur
gical Engineers.
A. V. KIDDER, Chairman, Division of Historical Research, Carne
gie Institution of Washington.
A. E. KIMBERLY, Chief, Division of Repair and Preservation, The
National Archives.
CUTHBERT LEE, Director, American Documentation Institute.
HARRY M. LYDENBERG, Director, The New York Public Library.
F. D. McHucH, Managing Editor, Scientific American.
THOMAS MANN, Novelist and Essayist.
C. E. K. MEES, Director, Research Laboratories, Eastman Kodak
Company.
CARL H. MILAM, Secretary, American Library Association.
ROBERT A. MILLIKAN, Chairman, Executive Council, California
Institute of Technology.
ROBERT OLESEN, Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health
Service.
THOMAS PARRAN, Surgeon General, U S. Public Health Service.
H. G. PATRICK, COMMANDER, U.S. Navy, Acting Superintendent,
U.S. Naval Observatory.
JAMES ROBERTSON, Director, Nautical Almanac Office, U. S. Naval
Observatory.
JAMES T. SHOTWELL, Chairman, The American National Commit
tee on Intellectual Cooperation of the League of Nations.
ARTHUR SNOW, Assistant Director, Nautical Almanac Office, U. S.
Naval Observatory.
MATTHEW STERLING, Director, Bureau of Ethnology, Smithson
ian Institution.
GEORGE C . VAILLANT, Associate Curator of Mexican Archaeology,
American Museum of Natural History.
C. G.WEBER, Paper Technologist, U. S. Bureau of Standards.
CLARK WISSLER, Dean of the Scientific Staff, American Museum
of Natural History.
[ 51 1
THIS BOOK and the Time Capsule which it describes
have been prepared by the Westinghouse Electric &
Manufacturing Company, as a contribution to the peo
ple of a future age. The book has been produced by G.
Leonard Gold of the Prestige Book Company; printed by
Howard Coggeshall at his Press in Utica, New York, on
types* designed & arranged by Frederic W. Goudy at the
Village Press in Marlborough, New York. The frontis
piece was produced by Charles Furth at the Photogravure
& Color Company, and the binding was planned and
produced by Randall W. Bergmann of the Russell-Rutter
Company, New York, in September, 1938. The paper
is Permanent Ivory Wove, manufactured under the di
rection of Fred W. Main, especially for this book, by the
Hurlbut Paper Company, South Lee, Massachusetts.
* The Vocabulary of High-frequency English, Monotype set, is in
Gill sans-serif.
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