New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-12-04

y
600 600 miles he again sends his visual ray. And
now he has base Of 200 100000 miles-surely the
angle at the vertex Of this immense triangle Will
rev cal the distance But, alas again II is almost
insensbe and fit be sensible al all. II cannot be
50 great 70 bring the nearest Of the stars nearer
than sixty billions go 600 900 900 Geo. o: miles -
With this immense space intervening Is there dan
ger that the comets shell rush against our neigh
boring suns even ia their long journeys Of thousands
Of years i think not.-And this is another Illus
tration Of the immense scale upon which the Uni
verse is bnilt.
Now, having reached outward to the nearest Of
these objects, let US stand and contemplate the
scene b. which we are surrounded Ionder
shines Orion, with his broad and beautiful belt,
and yoDder is the Northern Bear. These groups
familiar TO us-are always delightful 10 the eye.
Go with me until we reach that beautiful star in the
northern heavens-Lyrs. From that point look
out, and what do you beholdl Is there any
changel Surely there is q new heavensl Non-
der IS old OriOn's belt, cleaning with the same
beautiful stars and arranged in precisely the
order as when we left our native Earth. AL the
change is no more than would be made by change
Of position with your neghbor upon your own
planet.
But is there no limit-no end ! answer: This
subject propose to discuss hereafter more fully.
mean to take you out tonight 10 show you what
there is 10 examine when we have reached the
nearest Fixed Star. And having gained this unit
Of mcguire we are enabled TO go on 70 the next
till finally in unbroken succession we ind them
extending outward and outward and outward till
a long extended series reaches In some directions
even 70 500 successive objects Then sweep round
with this immense line a radius. All the vast
limits in the entire circuit Of It's range are filled
with and systems that burn, and roll, and shine
as DO our own.
Having gone thus far, il would seem that we are
on the uitermost limits Of Space and that the hu
o.~fr hat there
rest its weary wings Not so. We are barely at
the outskirts Of one little island Of the Universe-a
small compass, condensed and united so that II we
were even in the extreme limits which we can
reach with our aided vision, we should grasp the
whole-all its suns and systems, as it were, In our
very hand itself When we have reached these
outer limits, and applied the powers of the tele-
scope, exploring Space beyond, we find objects
coming up from the deep distance and bursting up
on the sight which fill the mind with wonder and
astonIsment.
have eszed upon these biects in the dead hour OF
the night when Earths thousands of beating, throb
bng heats were quoted in sumber-when the
rapid furious pulse of business was stled in the
arms of sleep from the summit OF that bill, which
my friend has described, with that mighty instru
ment have ! swept the regions OF Space. There
was time when my own mind could not take IN
these objects II seemed impossible; could not
stretch my imagination n their utmost limits
me what breaks Ia upon your vision Ah see
a most beautiful sigbt-mlllions OF diamond points
sprinkling the blue vault Of the heavens. How
strange is that other object Shall tell you what
object it isl Go with through the regions OF
Space-Onward-onward | see 1t expanding, IN
creasing-I see diamond points IN it lighting q
with brilliancy and splendor. As we near the Oh
ect, find It expanding till 1t fills the whole visl
BILE Universe itself, for il is nothing less than
Universe of Stars Where are we now Look
backward and what is behind Ia our own sun
visible in the mighty galaxy Yes | see nothing
but a dim stsin-a nebulous haze. Yet that is the
mighty System we have left behind. This is but
one and it is the nearest of ali Of them The great
cluster in the constellation recalls picture which
hope to present, as seen through our own tele
scope. 60 off in another direction and you Will
bring up not only tens and hundreds but thousands
of these bright and beautiful star islands of the Uni
verse strewed throughout the vast regions oil Space
Ii is the business OF the Astronomer to study not
only his own system, bot ~ Uuu1cnH Piate the mil
lions of stars and TO go still farther out 70 those
mysterious nebulous objects with which the hesy
ems are filed aud tell it, in the long lapse of ages
some mighty change may not be working In these
curious and wonderful obects-But have already
nearly exhausted the otted time.
i cannot separate from this audience to night
without referring TO the present condition oil the
Observatory now under my charge do THIS part
ly by way OF apology and partly for the purpose oil
giving YOU to understand the reason why am
now before you Those OF you who heard me last
wear will remember that after having devoted hve
wears of continuous effort to the Accomplishment oil
this great enterprise-ater having visited Europe
and returned again had succeeded so lar as 10 Sc
cure site 10 erect the principal building, and TO
place upon its base one of the noblest Telescopes
that has ever been directed 10 the examination oil
the heavens Two years ago | found myself In
volved in debt of nearly $4,000. This was incur
red unwillingly on my part, and by stern necessity
was driven into the embarrassing position II hap.
pened that the individual from whom received
the title bond had entered an addition, that unless
the Observatory was finished by the eth Of June,
ls45 the whole should revert to himself again. II
was 10 save this that found il necessary TO assume
the debt amounting TO the sum mentioned. When
had gone thus far it seemed that all my difhcul-
ties were at an end but II was not SO. hen the
Observatory was thrown open to those only VINO
had paid the stock-when 1t was iound that the
multitude were not to assume 10 themselves the
management OF its instruments there arose pre-
iudice that no strength Of resistance could stem
NV friends found 1t necessary TO leave me alone IN
this position Ii was impossible 10 move any KIND
of influence OF TO bring any thing to bear which
could assist me in this peculiar position Under
these circumstances ventured to leave my home
and first made public effort in Boston. Fortu.
patelv. was there received with open arms and
sncb were the nature of the attentions met, that
on NV return home. the reflex influence was strong
enough to bring back my old friends who had tor
single moment hesitated, and the $4,000 were at
once advanced.
But we were not yet through our building was
not furnished; the remaining instrument had to be
obtained no less than three Or four thousand dol
lars more were TO be raised to complete the enter.
prise. was Obliged 10 make second effort and
many Of you remember with what fear and trepid-
alton veniured before you year ago Nothing
but stern necessity could have driven me TO occu-
nv the position | then occupied. yentured upon
Your Kindness and in venturing | was not disaP-
pointed for such the kind response met both
in this and your sister city, Brooklyn, that on my
return home my friends got around me once again
and ssid 70 me, Make out your estimate aud the
money shall be raised forthwith lApPlausel
And now | have the pleasure OF announcing to
Won that at the end of five and half years oil per
petusl toll and unrelaxed effort, in that wilderness
city. there stands flushed and paid for, one OF the
most magnificent obsevstorIes that graces the sur
face OF our globe. Applause
Srop. Az you PLEASE The good people OF
Georpetown South Carolius mean to 90 tar enough,
IN ,ueh they evidently don't she. Among the hes-
oluions passed Is this ,.-..-, -.
gesol.td That the Government Of the United states
~ fshf rfere the domestic inst