Letter to Marshall B. Gardner (31 january 1914)

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

This letter was written by Arthur Conan Doyle on 31 january 1914 from Windlesham to Marshall B. Gardner, the author of the theory of a central sun within the earth's interior.

In 1913, Marshall B. Gardner privately published Journey to the Earth's Interior in which he rejected the notion of concentric spheres but swore that inside the hollow earth was a sun 600 miles in diameter. He also claimed that there were huge holes a thousand mile wide at the poles leading to this interior world.

The Conan Doyle letter was published in the 1920 reprint of Gardner's book, in chapter 25 : "How our theory has been received".


Letter

Jan 31 /14

Dear Sir

I read your little book (and big theory) with great interest. It is so very original and actually explains so many facts, that if it were not that both poles had actually been attained, I should be a convert. But I must thank you none the less for a most interesting exposition.

Yours sincerely

Arthur Conan Doyle








  • Source: Brian Pugh Collection.