The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-18
Some Of The BsWildering Epochs Of Creation as
Explained by Professor Proctor.
MILLIONS OF YEARS MERE TRIPLES.
Planetary Life from Infancy
to Old Age.
SISTER mus.
The Latest Theories Concerning the Un-
fathomable Universe.

Chickering Hall was again last night the OF
large and interested audience the occasion being the
third OF MIR. Proctor's lectures the marvels of
creation revealed by the latest results of astro-
nomical researches The subject of the evenings
discourse was the vastness Of time. topic
broad and far-reaching that in deal
ing with it the lecturer ut times
obliged to treat of millions OF years
with the nonchalance that one in everyday life
would in referring the lapse Of few minutes
Oftime.
The cool manner also in which he dilated upon
the gradual approach Of the earth to the deporabe
condition occupied by the moon--to wit. q
state OF complete absence of life-was tar from en-
joyable. although it reassuring to re-
fleet that such a state Of affairs would
not probably occur for some few thou
sand odd million of years. more or less. From
the babyhood of planets. when they were scarcely
old enough to speak, to revolve upon their own axes.
un til the time when they became old and decrepid.
the lecturer went with facility of description that
made almost forget that the subjects under con-
s.deration worlds compared to which our earth
was o mere speck, tri1e not worth abiding to.
The various members of solar system
were especially considered and the construction and
age of the moon Mars Jupiter Saturn and the other
bodies in the suns family made plain to the unini
ated.
The subject throughout was handled with the
skill Of master. The lecturer began by saying
that when in the last lecture he had begun with
space, starting from earth and proceeding step by
step to the larger members Of the solar system.
thence to the enormous spaces separat-
ing that system from surrounding sys-
tens until he :become lost infnites
of space. in the present lecture he proposed to
pass from the duration OF earth to the far longer
duration of the great planets and then to the
duration of the solar system itself. and to higher
and higher orders of time till be-
come lost in its infnities. difficulty
1T the outset consists in determining the duration
OF the earth. the numbers we deal with to
be altogether relied still 1t clear from
searches of biologists into the earth strata
and into the effects Of subarean denudation
that during 1OO,OO0.000 years the earth has
been exposed to such heat and light as the sun
at present pours upon her. From the experiment Of
Bischof it seems that the preceding stage during
| 200 degrees lasted 350,000.0 900 years. and the
preceding stage during which 1t was forming
| from oil our knowledge Of the subject. said the
lecturer that the earth is. ut the least 500 900
Of a The s.. plsop sreer slUS
is the nongcr is the stage Of its cooling. Adopt
ing this pan as to Jupitar. it will be $500 900
| and it will take the sun ten times long. or
81, 900, 00O, 900 years, to become cool as the
| earth whereas the moon in the state as
our earth 400. OOOO 900 years ago. After many more
| calculations OF this sort Of nature to take away
breath the Professor ordered the hall darkened
in order to illustrate tho subject by the sereoptcon.
The first picture shown was the whirlpool nebula.
1t illustrated the early condition of the solar sys-
| tenn, central aggregation where the sun Of that
forming system is one day to be; an external sys-
tenn to form the grand planet system and various
| minor aggregations to form remaining planets.
According to this theory the lecturer explained.
! the universe was originally marvellous mass of
gaseous matter, which. by process of revolution.
developed into suns, planets and systems The an
| nexed cut illustrates the nebula theory