, 1862-12-09

Lecture by Prof. FOry.

Though the science Of Astronomy is one Of
the most interesting that ever enlisted the at |
tentlon Of man, it ia 4 branch Of science that |
the people Of this new Western country are |
scarcely awake to the Importance Of and one |
reason for this is that they have 80 seldom |
had their attention called to its consideration.
Hence the audience to hear the lecture Of |
Prot. Fory, last evening, was not as large as 1t
would have been In smaller cities East, where
closer attention has been given to the subject.
The body of the HALL was filled, but the i'm
portance of tile lecture and the ability Of the
lecturer should have secured an oyeraowing
audience.
TIE LECTURE.
Tic topic Of the evening was s'The Siderial
World-thc World Of Stars' The speaker
1n1 system of tile heavenly bodies-to be abic
to know from actual observation Of the exist
cncc Of ten thousand worlds, within a given
space, and get all separate and distinct; and
TO know that still beyond, in tic limitless
space, were other, and still other regular sys
TENS Of countless numbers, beyond fite reach
OF any telescope power yet invented, bad Il
tendency to elevate the mind 1lat would con-
template these work Of the great Creator, and
induce lin to 4']ook through nature MP TO
natures God" One hundred millions oftixel
stars can now be distinctly seen by the aid Of
telescope power; and even this number, as
Immense as it may seem, is but the margin
Or outline Of the grand system-on1y the feT
IN the foreground, so to speak.
Tho lecturer answered the question "What
arc fixed stars:'' by stating that each fixed
star is = sun, shining By their own native
light, and each the centre Of its own system.
Suppose We have 81 telescope with q power Of
l,C00-that will bring a star ], 600 times nearer
| than it appears to the naked eye; yet il ap-
| pears as 4 mere point Of light, by the most
| powerful instrument yet invented, SO great is
| the distance Of these fixed stars from the
earth Light, travelling at the rate Of $4,000
| miles second, occupies fifteen years in
| reaching US from the nearest fixed star.
telescope discovered heavenly bodies so dis
| tant from the earth that their light must have
required SEQ ,0o0years in reaching this planet;
| hence those stars or suns must have existed
3,50D, 900 years. The speaker showed the har-
ulony and agreement in the teachings Of g.
ology and astronomy. Either furnish us the
great age of the earth. aud Of the universe.
Both prove to us that millions Of ages have
transpircd since their creation Tin the begin
ning,'' whtn ssGod created the heavens and
the carth.'' The record given in the MANY
leaves Of the great stone book, through geo
logical science, and that read in the heav-
Gus, by astronomical science, are in perfect
harmony With the Divine Record
stAlcyone'' as one Of the greatest discoveries
| Of the age, that being the great central world
Of the Universe, around which all other
| worlds reyolye, moving at Il velocity of up
| NGTQr Gl lITEN uUIuItu 14lillUl1a DA uliES
annually How mysterious, how potent that
power which We cali grayitation heretofore
supposed limited to the carth's sEsten} which
governs all the stars and their systems at such
immense distance from it!
In speaking of the power Of the telescope,
| and Of the inexpressib1e pleasure experienced
by the observer, the lecturer said, "ls We turn
that almost angel eye {the tclescopc) along
the heavens, ne find a literal pavement d
s1ars-seeming as if the veil Ind been nplIfted
and the angels path had been unveiled, and
that through this wonderful instrumcntality
MIN lnight view the patti where angels tread. y
Tic Lecture is represented rs being tly
ablcst, m"st concise and satisfactory Of any
thai las ever been delivered i'll this eitF-su
rellctc with amazing Sstatcments IF wonder
hardly dare venture even an abstract. The au
dicnce manifested the deepest Interest
Lecture throughout its delivery.
At the close If the Lecture, Prof For.
stated that it was within the power of ON
citizens to secure the largest refracting te}cs
cope that has ever been manufactured. That
at Cambridge University has heretofore bce,
| tile larges-Wit1 glass Is inches in diamc
ter. Tic one DON offered to Chicago has au ob
icet glass IL inches in diameter, and is i'll man,
!, other respects superior to that at Harvard
, which cost that institution Sc, 900, while tll
. !. new one, far more powerful, will cost bu
$500. The former Was an imported instru
ment, upon which much useless ornanaent:
eKpcuse Lid 0cen 1aS1Sned, W1lllc tEn5 LII
been constructed only for its optical value
AN. ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY.
| The plan for establishing an AstroaoHle:
Observatory i'll Chicago, as decided upon b
thosc most deeply Interested in ihc entcrpris
is that course of six Illustrated lcciurt
Oh Astronomy should BIZ delivered nj sc
). pcr ticket for Tie course. the proceeds to L
a applied TO this o|,jcct. Purchasers Of lift
Il culrsc-1irkvt= TO liaye .ifr SEASON tickets +.
y Themselves and families, emitting them to Ill
= use of the telescope on all evenings set apa7
Il | fer visitors Purchasers oftwcnty five cor:
tickets entitled tc lfe-sc&son tickets for then
selves only: If ten course tickets, 10 II
n same privilege for one year; and of fiyecour;
: ! tickets. to the saulc privilege for six month
;, | The lectures to be Illustrated t,y inStrumc1l
= 1ban which there are n.ne superior in Il
q Cuiicu S1atts.
10 After the lecture, ai1 informal meeting
4 prominent scientific gentlemen w:,s held, II
70 j. Yn,ngSeammnn called tothe chair. Afte1
~ free discussion, on motion, !. committee
~ five WAS nominated IT, devise ways and 1nea
ID for establishing. :e,l observatory in this cit
~ ard If maturing I'LL arrangements for t
% course Vi Astronomical Lectures. The col
"a / .uittec consists Of ]. I. Scamn'on, DR.. ". I
81, Evartf. J. II. Wuulwnrin, u. j. Ely IL
t,. w H. Wells. The Cum,nittee are to mi
~ on "Wednesday next.