New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-06-02

considerable money. ClQer MADE OF
good, sound apples, and kept at a low
temperature, will keep sweet for some
time; but fermentation will ultimately
make it too strong for temperance peo-
pie to drink.-CoT. Chicago 1ribu'se.
THE GREAT PYRAMID.
Its Purpose and Meaning Explained
by Professor Proctor When aud
How the Pyramids Were Built
Theories and Speculat1ons.
Professor RICHARD A. PROCTOR,
yesterday afternoon, at Chickering Hall,
delivered the last lecture of the inter-
eSting course on astronomical topics,
with which he has been delighting and
instructing New York audiences. The
subject chosen was, "The Great Pyra-
mid, Its Purpose and Meaning" Pro-
fessor Proctor said that the subject of
the Great Pyramid was one to which
great deal of attention had been called
in connection with some fanciful the
cries. He proposed to treat of it in the
light of astronomy, and had no special
theory on the subject, although he had
a very clear opinion as to the object of
the builders. Some thought the pyra-
mids were in some way Notifications
against the floods of the Nile; others
protection against the sands of the des-
ert; others that they were intended as
tombs. This latter the Professor
thought likely enough, although he did
not believe they were used for that pur-
pose alone. Others believed that they
were used as treasure houses, and it
WAS this idea which led the Sultan
Mahmoud to- have them opened at
great expense and labor, all of which
was lost, as there was nothing found in
them. Other theories were that they
were used as astronomical observatories
or as places of worship. Formerly on
the top of the pyramids there was a
square platform, which might have
cen used for either purpose. They
lad since been covered up so that at
one time there was not crack or crev-
ice in any of their four sloping sides,
showing that the purpose for which
they had been built had ceased to be of
interest. Whatever might have been
their ultimate use, no astronomer could
examine them without perceiving quite
clearly that they were built by astrono-
mers and for astronomical purposes
None but an astronomer could give to
the Great Pyramid the perfect astro-
nomical form which it possessed. 1t
would be safest to start with what was
known clearly.
The lecturer proceeded to suppose
himself an Egyptian King. with unlim-
tied means in labor and in expense,
who desired, without any telescope OF
any of the modern appliances of astron:
omy, to carefully observe the heavens.
In the first place, building exceeding.
lY firm and stable would be required,
then firm and stable basis, and, final
ly, certain definite lines, not merely
horizontal, but along which one could
look in certain definite directions at the
heavenly bodies. He would be sup
posed, also, to be without the table of
logarithms, and could, therefore, only
Use large angles, such as. the right ali.
gle or it's half OF third, to avoid compli.
cations. He would search for a latitude
in which to place his building so that
the altitude of the polar star should be
equal to one OF these angles. say thirty
degrees north latitude, as that is the
only latitude in Egypt which had these
characteristics. This was the very lat
itude in which the great Pyramid of
Chcops had been placed, so that the al
titude OF tho pole was one-third of the
way to the zenith and of the sun at the
time OF the spring equinox, two-thirds
of the way. 1t was clear that the build
ers of the pyramid had dealt with the
problem in that way. The rays of the
sun, however, in coming throug h the at
mosphere, would be bent. so that if the
position were taken by this means, the
sun would appear higher in the heav-
ems, and the place indicated would be
too far north. In the same way the
pole star would appear too high, and
the place would be located too far
south. The mean between these two
observations, placing, however, more
reliance on the stellar one, had been
taken 50 that it was only the question
OF a few yards relative to the exact po-
sition. Then to get it's four sides to
run north, south, east and west was not
so easy matter. BY taking the shad-
ow OF a post at its shortest height it
would not give the exact north, as the
sun at noon changes it's position very
slowly, SO that the observation could
not be made correct within a minute or
two: A stellar observation had there
fore to be taken. .-...s 544t9&sS- :
HOW THE PYRAMIDS WERE BUILT.
To get the base of the pyramid-762
feet on each edge-perfectly level,
Professor Proctor thought that they
must have adopted the method Of cut
ting out from the rock place for the
foundation of the pyramid, and then
pouring in water, marking the height
to which it rose on the sides. To OBJ
tain a due north and south line it would
have been necessary to bore into the
solid rock in such direction that from
the shaft thus made the north pole star
could have been observed at it's low
est point in the small circle it makes
around the pole. Then by boring an
other small perpendicular hole tomeet
the shaft, and dropping plumb line
and connecting the orifice at the sur
face with the orifice of the shaft at its
corresponding point, there was formed,
a'true north and south line. According
to Herodotus fresh set of 100. 900 men
was employed in building the pyramids
every three months, SO that there was
plenty of labor to conduct all these ex-
perments: After getting the base
stones laid the other layers of stone
could be put on carrying up the shaft
that had been sunk. This would termi-
nate at one of the faces, and to con-
tinue it higher it would have to turn or
branch out in another direction. A re-
flected ray of light would give them
the means of turning the shaft at right
angles. Thus was completed the instru-
ment for the measuring Of the exact
time, and its large gallery into which
the interior passage widened out would
be useful fol. observing the: stars pass
ing over it, and, being very deep, the
stars could be seen in the day time, and
observed not only by one observer but
by many, who could take the time of the