New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-01
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE GREAT PYRAMID OBSERVATORY, TONI TONI
AND TEMPLE. BY RICHARD A. PROCTOR i-n'o'
mn 2o3. II. Worthngton.

AND TEMPLE BY RICHARD A. PROCTOR. limo
PIP 223. II. worthinston
The Pyramid of Cheops was an antiquity III .ne
days of Herodotus and 1t Will probably remain WIN
its massive features unchanged when every o'nor
structure now standing on the earth shan nave
fallen into ruin. And yet the purpose LOT which
this imperishabe pile was built is secret when mas
haf,.d ;nxesticarion throughout all historic time
Under different theories 1T has passed Tor 'epe'
n tomb an observatory, granary, royal treasure
bonse a defence against the sand, place OF refuge
from the overlowing Nile. In these latter day IL
has been considered divinely inspired reVela'ion
in which the true system of the universe was sni-
bolized accurate measurements OF our owe PLANET,
of the heavenly bodies aud OF the Astronomical
spaces were recorded and the most abstrse iae's III
pure mathematics cxpounded-a prophecy IN gran'te
marking especially as the focal date IN man |
future history the exact time when the millennium
is to begn-an everlasting witness OF rehgous tru'n
with its crownng stone the antitype of that Stone
of stumbling and Rock of Offence rejected ny ,ne
buildsrs but now placed here forever as the cher
stone of the corner.
Ravona ouestion SOME Of these views are erro-
neous although when one Is convinced with Professor
Piarsi smyth and the Able Moigno that the great
pyramid was reared by Meichizedec King OF Salem
and priest of the Most High, he can hardly escape
from the belief that it has some profound religious
sipn'fcance As a mathematical revelation now
ever 1t may be said without casting any reflection
upon Melchzedec or any other reputed arcD'tec'
,uscrea or otherwise that the pyramid does not
amount to much. Ii is true that able maihehati-
clans have ciphored out the ratio between the cir
cumference and diameter OF a circle from certain
pvramid measurements. 1t is true also that setting
ont with the dimensions of the pyramid other
c,pherers have deduced the sze shape aud weight OF
the EARTH the exact distance between tue earth anu
the sun the exact length IN years CT the great pro
ce,sional period in which the axis oil the earth
swings about perpendicular TO the ecl'ptlc ana
great many other interesting astronomical measure
ments motions and relations But one VINO Is
handy with figures can pick up dozen or so OF
numbers at random and shuttle them through sic
cessive formulas until any desired distance dimeu-
sion period or ratio is evolved 1t is therefore a
matter of little moment that the latest Surveys
nroye that the Great Pyramid is smaller by several
feet than Professor Smyth estimated 1t; Tor the
Professor can take his new figures ana Tx the ml-
lennirm with the greatest facility at any date he
may choose Indeed. lie would encounter no serious
difficulty in deducng any theoIem in the Fr'RcPid
OF the M6chaRQue Celeste with either tie new ng-
ures the old Ones or IN snort WITH any oVhcl as
sortment of numbers.
Certainly the builders of the stupendous struc-
ture nj Ghizeh possessed much accurate astronom-
zeal knowledge This is seen in the location of the
Great Pyramid which was apparently intended TO
be placed exactly on latitude 3O0-or 0ne-thlrd Oh
the distance between the equator and the pole AS
matter OF fact il is only half nile to the south
of poinr where with the most accurate observation
the pole would seem to be at precisely the proper
elevation If, as the more devOut theorists main
tain the Great Pyramid is placed TO nlcety upon
the absolute centre of the habtabe land surface of
the globe that is if the meridian passing through
Land than
any other great circle which cuts the pole. and the
parael of latitude which passes through the
pyramid traverses more land than any other par
alel-these theorists correct III attributln2 this
punctnal location of the structure to supernatural
influence rather than as Economical knowledge.
Again the accurate circulation of the base lines
of the pyramid might be ascribed to Divine inspira
tion for it certainly was problem of great diff
entity before the invention of the telescope. But
fortunately these astronomical architects have
probably lett on record the methods employed by
them in solving this problem. Mr. Proctor shows
that :. long tube pointing toward the pole would he
the best device for comprising this result. As
matter of fact the builders drilled soping tunnel
for $50 feet through solid rock and pointing di
recty toward the lower elimination OF Alpha
rdcoas the brightest star near the pole at the time
when the pyramids were constructed 1t would
seem from this that the builders had discovered the
most successful method OF astronomical observation
which was available for determining the position
of north and south line. But not only did the
architect Of the pyramid possess considerable at
tainments in practical astronomy. In all proba-
.bility the pyramid was built 60 serve some purpose
connected with astronomy. Indeed Pr0olus asserts
that the pyramid terminated in a suuare platform
from which the priest took celestial observations.
Before the apex was built upon this platform the
great gallery would offer an accurate meridianal
plane and long vertical space to he swept 10y tran
sit CIRCLE Mr. Proctor points out many other ways
IN which che truncated pyramid was admirably
adapted for astronomical use. and shows that ii
might have remained for thousands of years the
most important and useful observatory in the
world. Indeed, he holds that if equipped with mod
ern instruments 1t would have retained its pre-em
inence to this day.
But here the difficulties begin to thicken. After
all the knowledge and apparent devotion to science
displayed by the builder and the immense me-
cbanlcal difficulties overcome astronomy reaped
little advantage fiom this magnificent structure.
Centures would roll away before any adequate
harvest of know ledge could be gainered from the
pvramid observations. But its purpose was plainly
not scientific solely. for in few years after it had
been fitted for astronomical use-a score perhaps
the edi6ce was completed from the platform to the
anex. the entrances sealed and it then remained
mere case to hold the coffin of CheOps But admit
ting the taste of Egyptian kings for monstrous
tombs. it seems incredible that Cheops shoad nave
reared a structure grand enough 10 serve as the
mausole um of whole sdynastes OF Pharaohs simply
10 hold his own dead body, and that there should
be built near by sepulchres only less magnificent
for his brother his sou and his grandson, Much of
the mystery which shrouds the purpose of pyramids
yanishes and many difficult questions are answered
If the ingenious theory advanced by Mr. Proctor is
adopted This theory in brief Is that the pyramid
was gigantic horoscope constructed for casting
the nativity of Cheops alter the Chaldean fashion
This theory plains the astronomical arrangements
of the edice for the astronomy Of those early days
IL ,,h,t liz.