Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-04-03
PROF. PROCTOR AT FAYETTE.

land, who is student at Central Col
lege, Fayette, to his father, Jno. E.
Ryland, Esq. of this city. The portion
of the letter which we print is an intel
ligent and interesting synopsis OF Prof.
Prector's lecture on astronomy as de-
livered in Fayette, and considering that
it was not written to be printed, nor
from notes, but simply as private let
ter, it is very full and accurate. Mr..
Ryland is in his 18th year. and credit
to Lafayette county as student.
THE LECTURE.
The lecture was fine and large
crowd was present to enjoy it. went
prepared to take copious notes, but
after few Introductory remarks. the
chapel was darkened. So an end was
put to any note taking. 1 will give
as best l can synopsis of the lecture
from memory.
Prot Proctor began by giving the va
rious periods of time, assigned by sci
entists as the age OF the world. These
varied very much, and he took mean
between the highest and least. assign
ing so millions of years as the gaseous
period-35O millions as the fiery period
and 100 millions as the geological peri
cd; remarking at the same time that
the real age made no diierence-as the
relative ages of the planets would still
be the same. He then laid down this
theory THAT the system of worlds at
first consisted OF an immese circular
burning body of gases; that gradually
by contraction, this mass began to sepa-
rate into small bodies moving in space,
and which OF course would some times
come into collision and coalesce and thus
trem planets; that at the center larger
mass than any of the rest collected
and this IS our sun; that some OF
these planets failed IN the making and
formed what we call moons and rings
as those of Jupiter and Saturn'-This
was the birth of worlds.
Then to illustrate their growth he
would begin at the relatively youngest
and go to the relatively oldest of the
planets and show the different stages
through which 1t must pass. Then he
began with the sun-'the baby" as he
called it In the first place planet must
pass through stages; first the gaseous or
original stage, then the fiery stage or
stage during which it will stand no wa
ter on Its surface but casts it off in great
clouds of steam, and then the geological
stage OF stage OF life which our own now
is inland finally the stage ofold age anc
decrepitude. Thus the sun is probably
still IN the first stage. Here Prot Proc
tor gave some fine views old Sol" by
means of 4 magic lantern-which il
would be impossible for me to repro.
duce. Also gave views OF some of the
spots On the suns surface which time
would not let him descant upon. From th'
sun he passed to Jupiter, the next young
est. With his rings. Jupiter is in the fiery
stage. HIS bolts which are probably
caused by burning gasses are centinu
ally changing-which shows that some
powerful agency is at work.
Thus Saturn with his rings and bolt
1.-THE most beautiful of heavenly OBJ
; jects" as he called it. Saturn is in thu
same stage as Jupiter, but more ad
V1nnnI no TO
; planets which are nearer the age of tn,
earth.
And first he showed us Uranus
Uranus is in the geological period, an,
the land and water are about equally
divided on Its surface.
Then our own moon, the most aget
and decrepid OF the whole system. Th,
moon has no atmosphere. which passet
away by condensation. Its seas have al
: dried up and eternal winter relgns there
And this, he says our earth has passet
through or will have to pass through
And II we are patient enough to wal
I 200 millions or 800 millions of YEAR
: we may witness it. But while our sola
system is thus passing away, perhaps
( nay, almost certainly, numberles
millions Of systems are growing il
space. Every star we see may be th
central sun OF some solar system. an,
i when we think about the stars that exis
d that even the most powerful telescope
5 fail TO reveal, we have some idea OF thej
Il number. Thus we see that. accordin,
t to Prot. Proctor worlds are born OH
: OF almost chaos, pass through shinin:
y youth to middle age, and from thence t.
e a sad old age. This is the lecture f
d my best recollection. AS could not tax
c notes good many figures have escap
: ed my memory-such as the relativ
e density OF the planets, &c. l though
the lecture very fine"