The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-11-19


| ey.-Dr, Smith introduced his lecture by stating
tina, he had, during the day, received communica-
| ton from one OF the most distinguished clergymen
OF thus city, making some objections to the state
inents he had made in his lectures. He said his
mistake had been in following the literal transa-
ions # the Scriptures DR. S. remarked, that, for
himself, he was no Hebrew scholar, and that he
claims othing for himself but zeal and assduity.
He made no ausion at all TO the article in the
Tribune.
We shall give the substantial points of his lecture
briefly. When We observe the material world
arouad US, We hnd abundant evidence that cheml-
cal changes are constantly going on. And these
chemical changes are con. family becoming more
complete, or las you go back in point OF time you
lind things more simple yesterday than they are to-
day-more simple last week than this-last year
than this year-and last century than this century
and so on T; until eventually you come back to
time when the elements OF matter were perfectly
simple. All the evidence the subject went
TO prove that originally all matter was in a
nebuous state Here he introduced ey.
dence from the nebulous matter which surrounds
the planet Jupiter, and also Saturn. He was in ia
vor OF the nebula theory. Still no theory could be
considered perfectly well established so long as one
solitary fact was obstinatey refractory. And there
were some facts which he could not account for
For example, he could not account for the fact wby
all matter when II CONCEALED or coaguated, should
have done so in accordance with one regular law
The reason OF this law cannot be deduced from the
nebua theory. There a time when this globe
was in state of huidIty As an evidence of this
he cited The fact that the earth's equatorial dame
ter is 20 miles longer than its polar diameter And
the planet Jupiter Is still m re flaitened, being like
milestone. THIS fact was considered demonstrative
by some, but he was careful how he used the word
demonstration. This word was only to be employ
ed when fact was not only proved TO be true,
but where the opposite state could not be
conceived by the human mind TO be possible.
tie could not, therefore, consider i; demonstration
In the second place, the specific gravity of the earth
is inconsistent with the nebula theory Here DR..
) went into some remarks upon the weight of the
earth il has been weighed. The weight Of all bo-
dies Is directly their mass, and nversely as the
squares of their distance. The specific gravity of
the earth is found TO be g. water being l. The in
lerna parts of the earth are found to be heavier Than
at the surface. Alter going down TO certain depth,
the material was found to be granite. The deepest
NINE was about one mile. Although there was EVIL
dence that go miles down it is granite. Hence we
assume that 1t is granite throughout, or granitre
rocks, They are called Ph,tonic rocks, because
they have been once acted upon by heat. If you go
low enough you will fad al to be in a state of l.-
sion. All the lover rocks have been melted. There
is certain depth below the surface where the Their
mometer undergoes no change, either from the
changing temperature Of the air above or from the
internal heat below. From this equilibrium point.
wherever 1t is, the heat regularly increases at the
rate of one degree of Farenheit for every IS feet
down. Such is the fact, far down
as any measurements have ever been effected; and
hence it is inferred that il is the law throughout
AT the depth of 20 to % miles, all the interior is in a
state of fusion. Above is called the crust of the
earth 1t has been said that this crust in the region
OF Norway, is thinner than elsewhere, because the
climate is warmer in proportion to the latitude.
The question has been asked why does not this
heat escape The answer IS, that heat cannot pass
OR indefinitely without meeting with resis ance.
You may heat one end of poker, but, notwlth.
standing that iron is one of the best conductors OF
caloric yet the heat at the one end will not pass
on to the other end OF the poker. Some small
amount of heat does undoubtedly escape through
springs volcanoes &c; but it is too small 10 affect
the general law Laplace proved that 1000 wears
ago the earth ceased to grow colder. And il is a
remarkable fact that there was time when tropical
plants grew all over the earth They have been found
AT certain depth in all known attitudes They were
found by Capt Parry very far north. There can be
no doubt but the earth has undergone change IN lis
temperature. There were some objections to- this
theory-the Plu,onc theory. First, gold and plai-
M being heavier substances, would have sunk down
in fluid mass, towards the centre. To this il
might be replied there faint re ason 10 sup
pose that the metals themselves were not simple
bodies, and do not exist deep down in the earth
Second the surface of the earth is more complex
than the interior. Nebula must be very homcge-
necus.
Here DIR. Smith went into an explanation of his
large and handsome drawings. We shall therefore
pass over The balance of the lecture