The Red Cloud chief., 1876-01-06
Birth and Growth OF Worlds.

~ oo~
Prof. Richard A. Proctor delivered
the first of q series Of six lectures on
Astronomy, at Steinwsy Hall last evening
before q very large audience. His sub
ject was Birth and Growth Of Worlds"
The lecture was illustrated with many
stereopticon views, representing nebula,
the sun, the solar system, etc. The
facts stated by the lecturer were mostly
familiar to his hearers who had heard or
read his former lectures in this city and
Boston, but their arrangement: was some
what different, and as he spoke extern
~poraneously, the language in which they
were clothed was to q considerable ex.
tent new. Prof. Proctor spoke with less
vivacity, and explained this fact by
mentioning that in comiug to New York
on Sunday night, the car in which he
was riding had been nearly upse. by an
accident near Mystic, and he had stood
for several hours without r est, and had
had no sleep.
He began his lecture with a brief &C.
account of the gradual growth Of the
scientific idea of the universe. He dis.
claimed having any intention of cx-
GLIDING the idea of God, or ola great
uniform purpose, from the universe.
Science, he said, had no more right to
reject the infinitY Of tine, the ~infLity of
space, or the ininity Of force. The
origin of the earth and of the sun and
other heavenly bodies from nebulous
matter was then explained and illustra-
ted by views similar to those used in the
lecture in Boston on November 7th.
Herschel's, LaplaOe's, and the lecturers
own theory of the origin of the solar
system were explained. The process of
aggregated was also touched upon, to-
gsther with the explanation of the fact
that nine-tcnths Of the mass of the solar
system is included between the planets
Jupiter and Saturn, The lecturer was
willing, lie said, to admit that Lsplace's
theory of contraction might account for
the formation of particular planets, but
the theory of growth. he thought, was
the true n of the origin of the solar
system a. . whole. The relations of
tho esEth and moon, the lecturer stated,
went to prove the n9bulous origin of the
earth. The moon always presented one
face to the earth. The reason was that
yhen The nebulous mass forming the
csfm was contrasting, the moon, in
cluded In this mass, and having a mo-
ton identical with it, remained behind
at q distance, but still retained the same
relation to the contracted mass, without
having a motion Independent of it.
The earth was once q sun itself, and
the noon at that time the inhabited part.
The various stages of the earth's condi-
ton, fros, one resembling that of the
u through those of Jupiter and Sat.
urn, to the period when a crust had been
formed, which wal drenched with hot
RAIN from the vapor above it, covered
with streams of muriatic and suiphuric
acid, and in An intense state of activity,
were illustrated by views, and wildly
described. At this last stage, the lee.
turer said life must have begun. In
concluding, Prot. Proctor again, in an
earnest manner, asked his hearers to dis
pei from their minds any idea that he
wished to exclude the idea of a God. He
was not the only mystery that science
could not understand. 1t would be as
unreasonable to reject our own existence
a to suppose that no great purpose was
at the back of all. 10 the question,
"Csn'st thou find out GodY" scientists
only replied, 1--WE cannot find Him out"
IN. Tribune.