The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-01-11

LECTURE by ProfeS1T Proctor At ths Brooklyn
Academy OIMusicl
Professor Proctor lectured in the Acad.
envy Of Music in Brooklyn last week on
"O,her Suns than Ours" In the open.
ing OF his lecture the Professor gave
graphic description, oil. the furnHce.fres
common in the midland counties OF Eng
land as seen from distance, and refer
red to some Of the deductions ono conld
draw concerning the. nature Of tho causes
OF the various phenomena observed. We
conclude, said tho speaker, that the fires
are there; so the Imagination tells us that
the stars are the furnace fires OF the uni
verse. Fire implies matter, therefore we
must conclude that these distant spheres
consist OF matter, and are capable OF feed
ing their own fires, both from exterior
sources and also by contraction; and
thus the combustion has gone on for
millions Of years. Tho objection that
the stars are only lights placed in the
sky. and differ from molten matter as the
ilanc Of. u gas.jet differs; from an incan-
descent substance Of similar size, is futile.
The very fact that they continue to glow
would rciu,e such an objection, but the
SpectroscOpe has set the matter at rest.
Our sun is found to be greatly inferior TO
the great lights OF the universe. The
nesrcst star lies 20O,0O0 times further Of
from the earth than the sun. Al pha, Of
the constellation Ccntaur, shines with
three times the lustre that the sun would
have at the same distance, and Sirius
has i volume from 1000 to 5000 times
greater than the san. But while it is
dUubllcss1ruc that numbers OF the stars
are vastly superior to our sun, yet it ia
also fact, demonstrated by the use OF
the telescope, that many arc Of less mag.
nitnde than it.
By the Use OF stGreopticon Professor
Proctor gave a series Of illuminated pic.
lures Illustrating his remarks. First in
PRODUCING views explanatory Of the spec
lroscope and the method OF its application
in the determination OF the substances OF
star; then presenting Illustrations Of the
theories as held by Kcpler, llerschel, and
others "a to the extent and arrangement
OF the stellar system; and following with
representations OF astronomical maps, the
Professor concluded with rapid presen-
iatiOn Of several astronomical charts. As
the charts were exhibited the attention OF
the audience was frequently called to the
spaces without stars, or, rs Professor
Proctor termed it, the ''poverty.stricken
portions" These, he said, would lead to
great discoveries, and, he believed, would
amply repay the investigator. lie him.
sell was engaged in their study with tel
rscOpc OF twelve.inch aperture, and he
hoped in. time to be able 10 announce i'm
pOrlant results. Those strange, dark |
spaces had peculiar interest for him.
One of the maps shown by the lee.
turer had the stars 40 marked with
arrows "a to show the direction and
velocity Of what is termed the "thwSrt
notion" So vast are the distances that
at the end OF thirty.six thousand years
the relative positions Of tho Gars will
scarcely be changed. Professor Proctor
spoke Of DRIFT among the stars as law,
and related n prediction which he had
made as to the motion OF one OF the con-
stellations, which prediction had after
ward been verified. Thai which interests
us most, said he, is the structure OF the
stars, and the method by which they are
produced. After describing tho streams,
noduIe., and nggregationS OF the stars and
depicting the GOw OF the streams Of stars
through space, tho Professor concluded
BY saying ave ace in the Star.dcpths
the furnaces, the bcacon.ires, the heart.
lhrob4 Of the universe. Shall men OF
science want reverence TO that Power,
whatever it may he, that moves all
thing-?'