Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-04-10
PROCTOR ON THE PYRAMIDS.
Were They Built for Astronomical
Observation !-Purposes of
the Subterranean
Passages.
From the N. Y. Times.1

Passages.
From the N. Y. Times.l
MI. r. A. Proctor delivered the last
lecture of his supplementary series
in Chickering Hall yesterday after
noen. The subject vas: "rhe Great
Pyramid its Purposes aud Mean
ing" He began by observing thai
the topic he was about to treat was
one of considerable difficulty, as we'll
as one which had ELECTED bitter
and savage controversies among the
learned.
There were those who believed that
the pyramids of E gypt were erected
as a protection against floods. There
were others who, with equal reason,
or unreason, insisted that they were
built as barriers against the desert
sands. The most prevalent view,
perhaps, was Il which regarded
Them as tombs, and those who &C
copied this view considered them
simply as a latter form ofthe mastaba,
or rectang ular Egyptian burial-place,
which, with Its ornaments Of statuary
and heiroglyphics, prevailed until
about 5000 b. G. There are still
others who regarded them as the
treasure-houses of the middle dynas-
ties Of Egypt, notwithstanding the
fact that no evidence sustaining this
view had ever been brought to light
by the most carefully conducted ex-
cavations. Dismissing all these as
%uutenable, tive theories only remain
I'll t o be dealt with, III favor OF each
of which a great deal might be said
by it's special advocates. The first,
and perhaps the more generally &C
copied one, vas that these vast piles
were erected as temples of worship ;
and the second, which he proposed
especially to elucidate and defend,
that they were built as astronomical
observatories. Their present shape
encouraged neither Of these views,
and if the tradition that they were
originally furnished with square plat
forms At the top were rejected, the
religious as well as the astronomical
view would have to be rejected with
1t. Fortunately, however, there was
no sufficient reason for contrOverting
the statement that their original form
had been perverted, and the very
fact that such q platform once exist
ed. and was afterward covered up,
showed hat whatever the purpose
Tor which they were constructed, that
purpose was lost when the ancient
Egyptian civilization tell into decay.
IL Was, III the first place, perfectly
manifest, Mr.. Proctor said, that these
monumental structures were reared
by astronomers, and that they were
used to some extent for astronomical
observations. The manner in which
he came TO entertain this opinion
was a very simple one. Putting him.
self in the place of a n ancient Egyptian
ruler. he began to enquire OF himself
what plan OF building he should erect
l,r an observatory, If no such thing
AS ID telescope were ill existence. 1t
In be promised that his command
oi means and men was practically
unlimited, and hat his object indie
pendent of questions of expense, was
10 secure the utmost accuracy of OBJ
%servaliUn i'll the absence of instru-
inents. One of the first requisites
would be perfect tirmness and stabil-
lity of structure. This is exactly
W hat was secured, not only by the
solldity and weight of the masonry
OF. the great pyramid, but its special
form. The next thing required
would be certain definite lines-such
that the angles entering into the Cal
culations to be made would be of
the simplest description. He well
remembered how he avoided difficult
angles when he commenced the study
OF astronomy and had not mastered
the application of the logarithmic
tables which + of such vast impor-
lance to the working astronomer.
Again, under such conditions as he
had presupposed, it would be essen
tial that the observatory should be
set in q definite latitude. Here, also,
the necessary condition of accurate
work, i'll the absence Of telescopes,
was fulfilled ; for the one latitude in
Egypt having the properposition for
this purpose was exactly that of the
great pyramid at Gheezen-latitude
80 north Or-making a. trifling re-
uuctiou for the r%efraction of light by
the earth's atmosphere, a fact which
the ancient Egyptian did not under
s,and-2s deg, SO miu., 81 sec. &C.
cording to Prof. Smyth, and 20 deg,
so min., 6 sec. according to M. Nouet.
Such d latitude would place the pole
OF the heavens ene-third of the dis
lance above the horizon and the equa-
tor two-thirds, angles of 80 deg. and
60 deg.-both of the simplest des-
rription.
The next question was to ascertain
with precision the four cardinal
points of the compass, which could
not be done with sufficient precision
for astronomical purposes by ob~serva-
ton OF the sun at his meridian. To
avoid this variation OF a minute or
TWO, and to obtain a perfectly accu-
rate method of calculating the time,
the builders of the pyrsmlds had re-
course to a very simple aud satisfac-
tory device. Rejecting the solar, and
adopting the stellar method, they
did what every competent astrono-
mer has since dOne,-ascertained the
true north from the position of the
Polar Star, which was then al orb of
Tar more striking appearance aud Of
higher magnitude than it now is.
Taxing Its lowest and highest points
III the revolution about the pole as a
center, they tunneled deep into the
solid rock in a diagonal direction
until a long. slender gallery was
formed, at the bottom of which, deep
under the base of the structure, the
Polar Star was visible i'll the day.
time. Then, from u point vertically
over the bottom of this subterrauean
excavation, they carried down a
small boring and dropped a plum
met. The simplicity and accuracy
OF this laborious device was obvious
at a glince to any mathematician.
They had only to complete the tri-
angle TO ascertain the true north and
south with an exactitude scarcely
exceeded by that OF me of our finest
modern instruments OF precision.
Having accounted for these two
mysterious passages, Mr.Proctor went
un 10 show how eac of the passages
and excavations of the great pyramid
served a practical purpose under the
view he had proposed. The ascend
ing passage, which joins the central
gallery and apartments to the sub
terramean tunnel thus created, was
shown to make such an angle with it
that, when the ray of the Polar Star
Was reflected from a level surface. it
was projected upward in such a man.
ner as to facilitate observation in tbn