The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1879-12-10
The Purpose of the Great Pyramid.

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At lecture delivered in New York,
Professor Procto, the distinguished
English astronomer, said that the SUBJ
ject of the Great Pyramid was one
to which a great deal Of attention had
been called in connection with some
very fanciful theories. He proposed to
treat of it in the light of astronomy and
had no special theory on the subject, al
though he had very clear opinion as to
the object of the builders. Some thought
the pyramids were in some way fortific
tons against the floods of the Nile;
other protection against the sands of
the desert; others that they were in
tended as tombs. The latter the pro-
fessor thought likely enough, although
he did not believe thatf.they were used
for that purpose alone. Others believe
that they were used as treasure houses,
and it was this idea which led the Sui
tan Mahmoud to have them opened at
great expense and labor, all of which
was lost, as there was nothing found in
them. Other theories were that they
were used as astronomical observatories
or as places of worship. Formerly on
top of the pyramids there was a square
platform, which might have been used
for either purpose. They had since been
covered UP so that at one time there was
not a crack or a crevice in any of their
four sloping sides, showing that the pur-
pose for which they had been built had
ceased to be of interest. Whatever
might have been their ultimate use no
astronomer could examine them without
perceiving quite clearly that they were
built for astronomers and for astronomi-
cal purposes. None but an astronomer
could have given to the Great Pyramid
the perfect astronomical form which it
possessed.
Professor Proctor inclined to think
that the pyramid was built about 1870
| before Christ, when. the star Alpha of the
constellation " Dragon" was the star
nearest the Pole, and the bright star
Alpha of the centaur lay in the line OF
vision of one of the pyramid passages.
The idea in their building. he thought,
was for the purpose not alone of viewing
the stars and fortelling the future, but OF
ruling the future in a measure by guard
ing against calamities. The theory had
been advanced that every year was re-
p ~esented in the pyramid by an inch.
Thus the original desc ending shaft led to
chamber below the base of the pyra-
mid, supposed to represent the bottom
less pit, where all would go if not turned
aside. At the change in the direction
of the passage the Mosaic dispensation
was supposed to have begun, lasting !, 500
inches, or years. when the passage en-
| larged and the Christian dispensation,
represented by the enlarged gallery, be-
gan. This was 1882 inches long and it
was therefore supposed that something
terrible would happen in 1882. But the
| figures did not correctly coincide with
the actual dates of occu! rences, and the
professor thought people might contem-
plate with confidence the end of the
period.
In conclusion Professor Proctor said il
was clear enough that the pyramids were
built tor astronomical purposes, and
with this there might have been
Connected religious observances. There
were two other theories about pyramids
one that they were used for purposes
of sliding down hill or coasting, the
other that they were built by divine in
spiration. He had been accused of flip
pancy in treating of the latter theory
To support it would be to believe tina
admiration was due to the Almighty for
knowing the proportions of the universe
He had created, and that not perfectly,
but almost exactly. Such a theory, is
regarded seriously, was an insult and a
moekery to the Almighty. In view OF
| this massive building of the great pyra-
mid of Cheops the astronomers OF to-day
could look back and find themselves
associated with those of antiquity. In
the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes he
could say:
| am as old as Egypt, oil myself
Brother TO them that squared the pyramids