The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-01-17 00:00:00

and a grandson of the excellent squire of Langton,
with whom his extensive circle of friends will deeply
sympathise, as they will with his bereaved parents.
Tll6 MARVSLB OF SCIENCE. —On Thursday even-
ing a lecture was delivered in the Assembly Rooms,
Blandford, by the Rev. J. Cl. Cumming, rector of
Mellish, Suffolk, on " The Marvels of Science, or
the Conjuror outwitted." We are gratified in being
able to state that the room was nearly filled by a
highly respectable audience, who during the delivery
of the lecture, and the experiment& by which it was
illustrated, testified their satisfaction by frequent
applause. The Rev. J. R. Quirk having briefly intro-
duced the lecturer, Mr. Cumming said that from time
immemorial mankind had been prone to regard with
the utmost veneration the mysterious and the
marvellous and hence it was that clever and design-
ing men had been able to impose on the credulity of
their fellows. In former times witchcraft, magic,
and other means of deoeption had been practised by
men who were better informed than their com-
panions; and it was to the same credulity that in
our own day mesmerism, table turning, spirit rapping,
, was practised for the tame object. They had
no doubt read in the papers of the Brothers Daven.
port, who bad recently come to this country from
America. There was not the least doubt but that
they were clever men, and knew more of the
mysteries of science than the great body of tbe
people; and if they had simply claimed to be such
mstead of endeavouring to impose upon their
audience that they had intercourse with the
unseen world, they would have been worthy
of commendation. The ea-called miracles which
we read of as being performed during the
.dark ages, were no doubt performed by clever de.
signing priests, who thus sought to impose • greater
awe and veneration for religion on the minds of those
who were uneducated. There were, however,
subjects of greater wonder than any they knew of,
which science had revealed to us connected with the
natural world, such as electricity and magnetism; and
that they might have a slight insight into some of
these, he had complied with hie friend's (Mr. Quirk's)
request to give them a lecture. They must not,
however, take him for • conjuror (laughter) ; the
sacred offme he held forbade it to pretend to any-
thing of that kind. He simply wished to afford
them an evening's instruction and amusement.
(Cheers.) The lecturer then proceeded to show the
influence of magnetism by various experiments, and
remarked that the earth itself was one great magnet.
This was proved by a telegraphic message being sent
by • single wire from one place to another. Even a
common poker of soft iron could be charged with
magnetism. This was shown by the lecturer bolding
a poker to the ground, and hitting the other end with
a hammer. The hitting it induoed the magnetism
of the earth to enter it. It was ales remarkable that
the compasses in iron vessels were considerably
affected during • storm, caused no doubt by the
beating of the waves against the Mks of the veeseL
There was a close connection between magnetism
end electricity. This was proved by rubbing a stick,
and then • tube of glass swiftly, with a silk handker-
chief, by which they were charged, and on being
held to the needle caused it to move. The lecturer
then alluded to Mr. Pepper's ghost as another
instenee of the marvels which a knowledge of
ocience had unfolden. The ghost was an optical
caused by placing highly-reflecting glasses
in various positions. To show that though it Willi
mint surprising deception it was due to the cause be
anigned ; he passed round for inspection a piece of
mood hollowed out, and in the ends of which were
two holes filled with card•board tubes. In the
hollow was placed two books, and requested his
.airdienoe to look through the end of one of the tubes
towards the gas-light. After the instrument had
passed round the room evidently calling forth feel-
ings of wonder, the lecturer explained that though
it appeared to them that they saw the gas-light
through the books it was not so. The light traversed
round the instrument, and through the tube back to
She eye. The speed of lightning was taken as an
illustration of swiftness of light. No sooner light-
ining left the clouds than it has effected the destruc-
tion which we believe is done afterwards. This
,delusion is because the retina of the eye retains the
impression. The lecturer illustrated this by rapidly
turning round a piece of card painted different
colours, and remarked that if he were to ask some
people they would say that white was no colour at
all, whereas white was a colour, and contained all
the rest. All the seven colours resolved themselves
into white when the article on which they were
painted revolved rapidly. The lecturer then pro-
ceeded to &muse his audience by handing for their
inspection, first a enuff•box, and then a violin, in the
same manner as the celebrated Wizard of the North
before he experimentised. Placing a small wooden box
on the table, he pressed on it a glass tube, and then
placed the violin on the top of the tube. This caused
the sounds proceeding from a musical box, inside
the box, to be heard all over the room, which were
again lost as soon as the violin was taken off
Sem& wee in one sense like light. After dwelling
for a short time on this part of his subject, the
leetorer proceeded to exhibit some chemical experi-
ments to show how both the eye and ear might be
deceived. He first poured out into five or six
glasses • lipid which resumed, when it came in con-
tact with the glass, various colours; and having done
se., lammed his audience that what he had poured
faith IVY redsisbliage vinegar, and the glasses being
mashed in various chemical solutions caused the
difference of colour. It was an old story that out of
nothiag, aothinf came; but be would show them
that nut of nothing he would bring something. He
than took several pieces of plain paper, and after
brailting there over, there appeared on one " The
roitor of Blandford ;" on another, "Victoria ;" •
" Success to l3landford," fre. Tho
'lecturer than poured a quantity of water on • '
piece) of paper dipped in a solution, which in a
moment or two oommeneed to burn with a bright'
violet flame. HA then stated that pitassium bad
an immense affection for oxygen, and that the
oxygen in the water was actually stolen out of it,
and the hydrogen set on fire. The lecturer also
made water boil by pouring cold water on it, sad
concluded his interesting series of explonnente
by making fire barn under water. He than,
thasked the audience for the attention they had given..
and reworked that it was impassible to carry out!
his omseitinserste so well as he could have wished so:
the way heal home. His sine was to get people tel
think for themselves, and, by the Singe experk
samerks had shown them, be indnoed to search
tlikarysteries of nature for themselves, instead o
ff
Wait fth rented everything that was told them,
(01nnern1 The Rev. J. Penny mid it hardly was
Mellthrlf for him to moves vote of thanks to thar
Isitheser, the intermit the audience had manifested
was • setheisat proof that they had appreciated
his
resiartia He Gould not but consider, however,.,
that they were tinder great obligations to that gene
theme. He bad lived to me so mush demptioa
practised in the world, and se much of gullibility in I
mankind generally, that any WWI who came forward
to expos, the one, and to instruct the other, hail
grad claims upon our esteem. He especially;
thanked the lecturer on behalf of the young, who'
were boo riga to be led sway by the marvelous, mei
he teastedUsat those present would search opt the,
trail* far themselves. H. K. Thirsts:is, jtifis4l
seconded the vote of thanks, which was smages,
unanimously. The rooter mid it afforded him meg
great pleasure to sees large audience present, ink
he thought they could not do better than join with
him in sthing Mr. Cumming to pay thetn
visit. (Loud cheers.) Be then announced
next lecture would be on "Home," by a pupil of
t.
gentlemen who had so well entertained' them that
evening, and who had lately pined • double-first
at Oxfordorould shortly give a lecture on "The life
of Sir Waiter Iteleigh," who, as many of them taws
at one time !sided at Henstridge.
Aar/A171M.-3ames Everett, was brought no in
custody, bdore the Mayor and H. Durden,
on Monday morning for a serious assault on Henry
Collet.—Dr. Spooner, under whose care the injured
man was plowed, stated that. Coffin had remained in an
wireestrotSs state till late the previous evening, but that
he, was better that morning. He was not, however, in
a fit Mete to be examined, nor did be expect he would
be for setae tisne.—The landlady of the lied Lion was
then seat for, and in answer to the Mayor, stated that
Everett same WISO the house, and had some beer. Ile
lees perfectly quiet and sober. After • time Coffin came
Indus woos for drink. He drank with some one who
offered him • glom, but did not pay fox aoy. He then
commented to abuse Everett, and offered to fight him.
Twiee she put him back in the settle, and told them she
would have no fighting there. He then challenged
Nemeth toliglet outside, =dabs warned them that they
would net AMID treatik, wile polies lived close by.
Oefilla was moist& short time, but lylian Spin to abuse
Everett, and then he went outside, followed by
Everett. 'l'ho company did not expect they were going
US Se* brat thought Everett was only going to get
O en, cel, ass then return. She beard • scuffle find
west eat, when she law Coffin down, and Everettbi
charge of the police.—P.C. Moore said he saw the blow
oases by Emeett. The two men were only shopt
yard from the door. Neither or the above wines*,
were BOOM—The magistrates. after • short coosiutta-
ties, decided to admit the prisoner to . ban, sod his
father nod • min named IMMO Ballaid were bound oy
In the sum of glO eack_for his appearance at the Torte.'
hall, on Monday, the 23rd Out.
Ignwrinthons Cosrm.—On Sunday evening; the
Bth Inst. the Bev. B. Gray eommenoed a course of
three lectures, chiefly designed for the benefit of
those who do not attend a place of worship. During
tie preceding week invitation papers were distributed
throughout the town by several led's of the congrega-
tion. The rm. gentlemen's subject was the soneerm-
lion between cur lord and tbe woman of Samaria at
Jthoks well, his-text being St. John Iv. & Me Snit
that all times and seasons were by the
-" to doing good; with Nioodeniss It was
In the narrative under eindderatien,
.. of the day, we found Him speaking to •
ram. The Saviour spoke sober of those things
related to her everlasting pews, and through her
In order to go direct from the place He then
was necessary that Chris should p!we thresigh
The Jews, instead of going through the land
they bated, would have gone by •airenitous
our Saviour, • Jew by birth, had
sod dislikes of His
bleb
for

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remarked that
Setiont devoted
at night; and
daring the heat
despised
which r
to AIL
wee, it %
Samaria.
of those
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nothing hf 46IMMOn
eonnWygmelf. re,
their attottftla •
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