Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-02-27
STUDY OF THE STARS.
:. The Heavens Declare the Glory of God, and
the F1rmament ShOweth His Handi-
work" DIR. Warren's
Lecture on As
trOnOlnY.

measure the best culture of the city,
at Fulton opera house last
evening to listen to the lecture Oh ''Recre-
ations in Astronomy" by Rev. II. w.
Warren, D. D., of Philadelphia, who oc-
cupies leading position as a practical
inquirer into and an eloquent and effective
lecturer upon the subject to which large
portion of his best years has been de-
voted. The front part of the parquet was
occupied by the pupils of the high schools,
comprising chorus of more than one hum
dred and fifty voices, under the efficient
direction of Prof. Carl Matz, their musical
instructor. At about quarter before
o'clock, and prior to the appearance upon
the stage of the distinguished lecturer,
Il number of songs and hymns We're
sung, among them, "Guide Me, Oh,
Thou Great Jehovah" cot in the Silly
Might g Forever and Forever ''Twi-
light is Stealing" and a number Of others.
All were rendered with rare sweetness
and power, and each was received with
round of hand-clapping and the audience,
impatient as they were for the lecture to
begin, would fam have had the delightful
prelude prolonged. When DR.. Warren
made his appearance he turned very
graceful compliment to the singing of the
pupils, and whilst expressing his indebted
ness to them for contributing so material
ly to the evenings entertainment, con-
fessed to feeling Of diffidence in attempt
ing to gain his hearers attention just
after their ears had been greeted with
such sweetness long drawn out. ~
After the applause had subsidized which
greeted the doctors opening remarks he
introduced his subject proper by a lucid
description of the immensity of creation,
endeavoring to convey as near as possible
to the reach of his hearers conception
and size of the bodies that constitute the
great systems of the universe. The
velocity Of the planets that revOlve i'll their
orbits about the great centre Of our solar
system, the rapidity of the transmission of
light, which is beyond the grasp
of the most comprehensive understand
ing-this and much equally Instructive and
entertaining information was presented
with such clearness and force, and withal
in such well-chOsen language and eloquence
Of diction, that the assemblage appeared
to hang upon the speaker words as if they
would crafty their, awakened appetites
for knowledge of the marvellous subjects he
treated. And at some particularly impress
sive statement in which figures that, while
they might be written down, were utterly
beyond the comprehension of the finite
mind, were employed to convey an idea
that was enough to cause the brain to reel
in the effort to grasp it, a visible hush
would fall upon the audience for a moment
and then they would break into helpless
burst of applause, as though they must in
some way express the feeling that over
powered their senses
After dwelling upon this phase of his
subject at some length there was pause
in the lecture, and at the request of DR..
Warren, the high schools sang "My
Country, tbs of thee,' the audience, by re-
quest, joining in, the words of the song
being thrown upon canvas erected on the
rear of the stage, by means of the Oxy-
hydrogen light in charge of Professor
VIM. Long, of Philadelphia. The effect
was striking, and it is to be doubted
whether the walls of Fulton opera house
have eeveranswcredt to more inspiring strains
than that of the five hundred or more
voices Justify pouring out the martial melody
of the grand national anthem.
From this point until the close, the lee
ture was confined to the exhibition OF
views, which DR.. Warren explained in the
same lucid manner that distinguished the
former portion of his lecture. With char
acteristic modesty the doctor omitted a
number which had been presented
and explained by Mr.. Proctor some
time since. The first of the views were
Photographic representations Of some o.
the instruments used in astronomical in
vestigation, among them the old fashioned
telescope, the great and latest improved in
strument at Cambridge, the Ross telescope
and a number of others, the lecturer point
ing out the exactness required in all tho
adjustments of this wonderful instrument
The spectrOscOpe was also exhibited anC
its uses and mode of operation explained
From this the lecturer passed to the exhi
bitiOn of views of the various bodies thai
constitute the solar system, their relation
to each other and to their great centre
DR.. Warren's views of the moon were o.
especial interest, and seemed to bring
that satellite of the earth so near to the
spectator that he seemed to bt
merely examining some curious anC
exceedingly interesting object On oul
own planet. Mercury, Venus, Earth
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Nep
tune were all thrown upon the canvas
and their points of similarity and differ
ence explained. After dwelling at great
length on this portion of his lecture dur
ing which time the interest of the audience
never diminished, but appeared rather tc
grow, the doctor led his hearers fal
beyond the narrow confines of our owl
system, and permitted them to glance for
brief period at the innumerable other sys
TENS of the grand schems of the universe
The views were we'll calculated to inspire
the beholder with feelings of awe, and tc
convey an idea of the majesty of the
heavens telling the glory Of God. The
view of the hunter Orion Staying the bull
was one Of peculiar power and interest
and the "Great Dipper" looked like al
old friend. DR.. Warren's statement that
the latter constellation was changing its
shape seemed to create a feeling of sorrow