The New York herald., 1869-01-21
THE paoesEss Of the AGE" :"


Lecture BY Dr.. Duchanan, Of Kcnsurisy.
Dr. J. X. Buchanan, late OF Kentucky. delivered
lecture last evening at Lebanon Hall, No. sos Aud-
son street. on sThe Progress OF the Age, Improve
ments and lnventions.r After defining in a very
INDEFINITE way what he called the progress OF the age,
and dividing progress into two kinds material and
spiritual, the lecturer drew an elaborate compart-
son between the earth before the barbarian
huntcr'' had yielded TO the progressive strides Of
civilization, aud the earth IL is, with the In
ventive hand of genius subjecng everything to its
sway. According to mis- idea Of progress the day
was near al hand when the ''barren hills would be
rest ored by deep piougbng and the destructive ef
feet sf inundations be at an end, when the horse
would be no more needed q drauglt animal aud
the agency OF steam a. a motive power he
considered rs played out thing altogether. The
horse and plough had superseded the man aud hoe,
aud the steam engine hal IN many ways gaperseded
them both. But the steam engine was wegAy; its
boiler was a dangerous arrangement and co&l was
very expensive. II would be shown In a few months
that machinery set In motion by caioric action was
destined TO revolutonize the world. Science bad de.
krmned that heat Is a iorce or motion, and that
ccrdng 10 the amount of heat generated the greater
becomes the force or motion. According 10 the
formula OF Jules degree Of caloric in one pound
OF water produces seven hundred aud seventy-two
pounds, &C.. OF force. Caoric evolved by bushel
OF coal was sufficient to perform in short period
that amount 0flabor which one man would he able to
accomplish In two hundred and stxty.two days.
therefore twenty-five bushels OF coal with no waste.
would perform the labor that would require one
man one nundrcu years 70 accomplish. One ton OF
coal transmitted cslorlcay would prope the
largest steamboat on the Hudson ten hours. The
question WA therefore whether it was or was not
practicable to handle the caoric without waste. lie
believed II could be handled without waste, and,
that being the cass OF course humGn labor would bo
very m1ch lightened; there would be cheaper food.
manufacturer, travel aud what not--ail Afier dis
cussin0 the caloric subject ct great length, and
arguing against war as wholesale murder the
aDolishment Of which ne predicted would soon DC a
yaM scD1aplt, the lecturer gave q very extraordi.
nary description OF tue results OF the progress of
!ne age' % they win be seen By posterliy In the
houses that are to be lived In by ordinary moftals
ten or nfteen years from now he propLecied that
there would be no kitchen, no stove DO fire, nor
would heat be felt. The cook would be well dressed
individual and would 60 about with an oroiie watch
In ono hand and . thermometer In tho other cook.
ing scientifically. The future country cottages
would be G warm as . feather bed IN
winter aud cool as Q refrigerator IA sum.
mer, lighted and heated by sunshine alone. Fas-
sengers could ride In pneumatic railways at the rate
OF sixty miles an hour. Every place within thhy
miles Of the city Han would be within the city pro.
pea city OF one Thousand miles square, In iact tnc
"Hub' OF the universe. Nobody, he Thought Womb
pe aole 10 ~ IN the air but portable engines WOun
De IN vogue. ilOnscs, wooden, brick OF s'onc, Dull
today by scientific means, would De pfeseiveu ~
tact Tor centuries 10 come. The ectnrei .hch M
swcred Satisfactorily W himself question: ~ hm
own. "Ian we have perfect anthropoiosvs ano s
ina closed, ~ real scgouanf - bis lecture ~ '"'
trOvitae 0g t,t 4..cN