The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-01-29

Pass by the poor ones every day.
This world. so full OF foolish pride,
Puts "Patchie'' on the other side.
Mrs. S. 7. Perry. in s. s. Visitor.
LIFE AND DEATH OF A WORLD.
Lecture by Professor Proctor, in New
YOrk-Grovth Of the Stars Through
MILLIONS of Years-Slow bus steady
Decxy-The Future Of she Earth
Foreseen by the Present Condition
of Other Planets.
YESTERDAY afternoon Professor Proc
tol addressed large audience in Stein
way Hal, under the auspices of the
Teachers Association. The subject
was 1.-The Life and Death of World"
The lecturer considered the various
members of the solar system, so far as
they tended to throw any light upon
the beginning. the middle life and the
old age of the earth, and briefly sum-
married. the processes through which
the earth must have passed in reaching
its present condition. He estimated
the time consumed in these processes
as not less than 5GO. 900, 900 years, and
said that 25,OOO,OOO years will elapse
before it will reach the present cOndi-
ton of the moon. He saw no obstacle
presented by these vast periods of time
to belief in Him who works through
all things.
PROFESSOR PROCTOR'S ADDRESS.
We have this evening to consider the
various members of the solar system,
rs representing to us the beginning, the
middle life and the old age and death
of planet. l forbear from troubling
you with any considerations as to the
various arguments concerning the Gre
alton of the universe, as think that the
students of science have satisfied them
selves that the planets and the earth on
which we live have arrived at their
present condition by processes anal
ogous to growth, and which are COM
monty known under the one head of
evolution, but may particularly indi-
cate them in this way. The changes of
the earth's crust such as are now going
on we find have been going ON during
periods of time which in reality grows
longer the more we study the evidence,
and don't think it would be exagger-
ating--in fact know from the evidence
which has been gathered that it does
not fall far short of the truth-to say
that 1OO.OOO,O 900 of years must have
elapsed. during which the frame of the
earth has been very much as it is at
present. Various processes have taken
place during that time which have aid
ed in the course of formation, such as
the gradual deposit of matter and other
processes which we call denudatiOn, by
NlhI hA 81 of hnx
been worn away. passages have been
cut by the rivers, and other details in
the formation have taken place. BY
estimating at what rate the processes
have taken place we are able to form
some idea of the length of time which
must have elapsed during which these
processes have been continually going
on. Then the earth's crust shows us
clearly that anterior to this there must
have been time when there was far too
great heat upon this globe for it to be
the abode of life, and this period has
been carefully estimated at 800, OO0, 900
of years. Then we have the preceding
period, when the earth was in vapor-
Gus state. Of that we derive evidence,
not from the earth herself, but from the
present state of the solar system, which
leads us to the conclusion that the
whole system must have been in form
of vapor, and therefore our earth must
have had its beginning in a vaporous
state.
We find another line of evidence of
this fact in regard to the moon, which
shows that the frame of the earth must
once have extended so far as to include
that luminary, and that could not have
been unless she had been in a vaporous
state. So we have to take into &C
count, also, the length of time that
would be occupied in the change of
our earth from vaporOus to a solid
and liquid state, and we cannot regard
that as less than 100, 900, 900 of years.
This brings us to the very moderate
estimate Of 500, OO0,O 900 of years during
which our earth has existed as an indie
pendent whole, first in a vaporous state;
secondly, the solid and liquid form, and
its gradual cooling SO that at length,
and thirdly, its surface was fit to be the
abode of living creatures of various
kinds, and by the processes of wearing
down and denudatiOn, such as are now
taking place, reaching her present con-
dition.
1t is essential that we should grasp
the idea of the long period which has
elapsed during which these various
processes of formation have been in
operation; but there is, of course, an
escape from that by accepting the the
ory that everything we find upon the
earth's surface, and everything we
have discovered in regard to the solar
system, is evidence that the system
was created just as it is; that though
all the evidences of the processes of de.
velOpment are presented to our reason,
we have been misled; that reason, moi
our own, but given to US, has led us
astray; and that all these relations Of
earth were created at once for no Other
purpose apparently but to contradict
our reason. Why should we be con.
scious to save time or limit our ideas OF
space If this were not so? In the eyes
OF Him who works through I'LL things
there is no difference between great
and small; and these longer periods
are as easily to be believed In as result
ing from His action as the shorter ner;.
DDS we are SO much better able to deal
with. Where we admit growth and
development on small scale, we ought
to be able to admit it on large scale;
and where our reason seems to point Ia
these enormous periods of time, I dc
not think we ought to reject its teach.
ings and refuse to accept them rs read
lily as we do the processes of develop.
ment affecting plant or animal, or those
smaller details we are unable to under
stand more clearly.
COOLING PERIODS OF THE WORLDS.
But after all it matters very little
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