The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-03-14
VIRGINIA.

HOTCHKISS' LECTURE-THE FIRST OF THE
sERIEs-AN EVENING OF PROFIT AND
PLEASURE.
The audience which greeted Maj. Hotch-
kiss last Thursday evening, at the Y. NJ. C.
A. Room, upon the occasion of his delivery
OF the first Of his series of lectures on ''Vir-
ginia' whilst not as large as it should have
been, in all other respects, was all that a
lecturer could desire, and certainly estab-
lished the fact that an entertainment of so
solid character and calculated to inform
those who listen to it, is by no means unat-
tractive to Staunton audience. 1t has
long been contended by those whose obser-
walton andexperiense entitled their opinions
to the greatest Difference, that scientific lec-
lures could never be popularized in town
OF this size,-that the people sought amuse-
ment rather than instruction, and that
whilst minstrel show would never fail of a
large house, a lecture upon scientific sub
Jects would 60 begging-or even if people
attended, their interest would scarcely be
aroused and the attention they would give
would be no more than absolute courtesy re-
quired. IT Maj. Hotchkiss has done no other
good he has at least dispelled this impress
sion. His audience, which numbered be-
tween one hundred and fifty and two hum
dred, eagerly drank in his words, and from
the commencement to the close, gave him
the closest attention.
1t would be useless to attempt a SYNOPSIS
OF his lecture, as almost every point was H.
Illustrated by diagrams and geological speci-
mems, each of which served to impress with
clearness and force the interesting facts
which were crowded upon each other in such
rapid tho systematic succession.
After drawing the State s outline on the
black. board, tracing in its water courses
and mountains. and dividing the whole into
its grand natural divisions, each of which is
in itself wonderful study, he went back to
tile far Arcilaean age, when first the earth
took form. That prehistoric period, which
an5e-dates the creation OF the heavens and
earth, saw the material elements of the uni
verse stiapeiess mass without form ard
void, suspended in space. The molten mass
as it revolved, took the form of a sphtsroid,
and the rains descending on its surface grad
ually cooled its outer crust, Take for in
stance, said the lecturer, a bowl of milk and
scald 1T, and as it cools the film will shape
itself into miniature mountains and valleys.
similar to those on the crust of the earth. As
age piled up on age, successive rains crusted
the surface deeper and deeper, and even
now forty-five miles below the outer edge
the molten mass is seething. Now and
then those convulsive upheavals Of nature
send forth the Kissing messengers of that
realm OF fire and tell its wondrous tales,
Pursuing the story of the various periods
up to the iron age, the rocks of which con-
talns no organic remains, the lecturer said
that the first dry land of Virginia was the
Middle, Piedmont and Blue Ridge region.
The rocks of this section are the gneiss. IA
name given to any crystalline, stratifed
rock composed of quartz aud felspar mixed
with smaller quantities OF mica and other
materially the most abundant, which along
the east side of the middle country is a gray
rock, consisting of quartz, felspar and black
mica, with some spangles of white and
grains OF hornblende-this is the fine Rich
mond granite, a specimen of which was
shown to the audience. IL some of the law
ers OF this rock the felspar predomnates,
and the rock crulnbles on exposure. In the
middle section, laid over the granite rocks
Or filling depressions in them, are num-
Der OF patches of red sandstone. These
rocks are ola kind known as sedimentary-
composed of particles Of sand and earth,
and of pebbles derived from other rocks and
deposited by water where they now are.
Many splendid geological specimens, gath
cred from all quarters of the globe, were
shown TO the audience, and their formation
and properties, together with the records
they bear, explained. Some of them evil
denced animal life of all extinct race, land all
were rich in historic lore. It is mistake,
| the lecturer said, to say vein OF coal-coal
is foundin beds. 1t is the gold, copper, sc -,
that appear in veins and these have been in
jecteu from below when ccnvulsons crack
ed the earth. The coal and rock series are
the grand volumes of nature. each of which
carries with it record of its age and the
life that abounded then.
When Maj Hotchkiss had ceased speaking,
the hour of his lecture bad been exceeded by
ten minutes, but no one seemed to be aware of
iU, and there was general look of enquiry.
A glance at the clock showed that the time
allotted had been consumed, but the inter-
est had been so well sustained that another
hour would scarcely have lessened it.
nisht the most interesting OF the series,
especially to citizens of Augusta, will be de-
livered. 1t will treat, in the main, of the
geography and resources of the County, its
vast mines of wealth, land how nature came to
make her rich deposits here. We trust that
many of our country friends will not fail
to take advantage Of this opportunity, as it
is one which may not again be offered in a
life time and which all should avail them
selves of. The general subject will be as
follows:
l. The geography of Paleozoic Time, or of
the youth of growing Virginia-the Silu-
| rian, Devonian and Carboniferous Ages of
its growth-what happened in each, what
rocks were made and how they were made
the life it supported and the works that
life has left to us-the mountain-and val
ley--making that was done and how it was
done-the additions of territory-the tn.
mutt that followed the ''coming OF age''-
the relics of that time, where we find them
and in what condition, and the treasures
they conceal.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.-The fine mill of D.
j. Hyden, stuatedin the eastern part OF the
county, was consumed by fire on the morn.
ing of the 6th. The flames were discovered
about 1.3O o'clock, a. NJ, and had made
such Roadway that their extinguishment
was impossible. A correspondent of the
Spectator gives the following particulars
Mr.. Hyden's loss, by his own statement
is $4,000, upon which there is 500 insurance
in the r. Auyusta NJ T. Co on the huildinu