Symmes
Major proponent for Hollow Earth was John Cleves Symmes who proposed an
expedition to the polar opening in 1818. His idea was the Earth was hollow
with 4 inner shells each open at the poles. An expedition was almost
formed, thanks to efforts of one of his followers, James McBride, but was
stopped by new president Andrew Jackson. Symmes died in 1829.
However, another follower, Jeremiah Reynolds was also giving lectures for
an expedition. Eventually he would drop talk about a hollow Earth after
the death of Symmes. He apparently went on an attempted expedition
himself, but am not sure what happened to him (there is not even an image
of him). Reynolds agitation DID result in an expedition being formed: The
Great U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838-42. This expedition was also known
as the Wilkes Expedition. Reynolds was left out because he had offended
too many in his call for such a trip.
Symmes and/or Reynolds apparently had an influence on Edgar Allan Poe. 3
of Poe's stories ("MS. found in a bottle", "Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym" and "Hans Pfaal") were influenced by Symmes ideas of a Hollow Earth &
polar holes, however Poe was never able to get is protagonists into the
Earth. Poe's dying words were 'Reynolds' so one can only wonder. A recent
SF novel by Rudy Rucker, Hollow Earth, deals with a trip by Reynolds and
Poe to the South Pole opening.
The book is written in the style of Arthur Pym and gives an interesting
explanation of a hollow earth: instead of a interior sun (which wouldn't
work because it would be too small), there is an Einstein-Rosen Bridge
providing light and heat.
Another SF novel that is important at this time is Symzonia: A Voyage of
Discovery by a `Capt. Adam Seaborn' which appeared in 1823. This novel
tells of a trip to the interior world were the author discovers a new land
he names for Symmes and an advanced civilization. Unlike Symmes idea,
there is only one interior shell. There is some debate as to who 'Seaborn'
really is. Some think he was really Symmes, others disagree. One author
thinks it was written as a satire of Symmes ideas, but he may have been
confused with a similar titled book appearing in 1923 which WAS a satire
of Symzonia.
Symmes himself never wrote a book of his ideas but others did. McBride
wrote Symmes' Theory of Concentric Spheres in 1826. It appears that
Reynolds has an article that was published as a separate booklet in 1827:
Remarks of Symmes' Theory Which Appeared in the American Quarterly
Review. In 1868 a professor W.F. Lyons published The Hollow Globe, but
didn't mention Symmes. Symmes's son Americus then published The Symmes'
Theory of Concentric Spheres to set the record straight.