Original – Rowbotham’s test shows no Earth curvature.
Samuel Rowbotham’s observations at the Old Bedford Level conclusively demonstrated that the canal’s water remained perfectly flat over a 6-mile stretch. Initially, he stood in the canal with his telescope positioned 8 inches above the water’s surface while his friend navigated a boat with a 5-foot tall flag 6 miles away. If Earth were a sphere with a circumference of 25,000 miles, this 6-mile segment of the canal should have formed an arc 6 feet high at its midpoint, causing the entire boat and flag to eventually disappear from sight. However, the boat and flag remained completely visible at the same height throughout the entire journey.
