The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1885-03-06

| Aho ioI Bo nuluUcF WHO htIeDdeu LHt
lecture of Prof. WyckoG, OH Geology
last Thursday evening, testified In
strong language 10 the fact that albany
possesses class Of people alive to the
Importance Of becoming interested ia
scisntio and useful subjects. The sue
cess Of the lecture was very gratifying
to those WHO get IL up Believing il Ia
be the interest OF a community 10 pro
mste all such lectures, particularly
by home talent, We give II more than
ordinary notice
Geology IL one OF the most impor-
TAM Of scientific subjects, in fact TO un
derstand IL one must be conversant with
many OF the other sciences, as chemis.
try and astronomy. It's useful study
IL tells why mountains arc lifted up,
and about ths materials underneath.
BY IL you can tell where coal may OF
may not be expected, etc. Heat haa
been the Great factor In the geological
growth OF the world. As practical
illustration IL changes ice into water
ana water 10 vapor ; the carbon Of the
diamond or coal may be changed 10 gas
and the gas again solldilied I; heat viii
melt iron 10 liquid aud sufficient heat
TO vapor In fact everything may DO
liquified, or with intense cold solidined
The Spsaker exhibited five maps
showing the different forms Of the eIs.
ments in their transition Into worlds.
In the first place everything was gas
like the sun. great sesthlag macs
three thousand millions of miles iH di-
ameter. whirllng through space. After
awhile il began swaying, until parts Of
IL were thrown of in succession, until,
among ether systems, our solar system
was formed, consisting OF the sun, J1pi.
ter, Saturn, etc This IL evidenced by
the fact that Tho same substances are
found Ia all Of the planets. The tenden-
cy Of these masses is 10 dry up. Tie
farther frsm the sun the lighter the
material OF the planet. the nearest be-
Ing twice the weight OF granite. willie
the fArthest Is as light as cork. Iu these
masses the heavy gravitates toward the
center. the charts exhibited by the
speaker showing the manner In which
this Is doHs. The old theory was thLt
the center OF tho earth was boiling
HaAss, The prevailing opinion now IL
that IL IL entirely solid, and an IL has
grown colder il has grown smaller,
which has caused the surface TO wrinkle
lnts mountalns And valleys. Between
the time when the crust first began TO
form and the present time 100000, 900
years have probably elapsed. The
speaker showed how thisdid not conflict
with. the Bible the days of the Bible
representing periods and no: twenty
fsur hours Of time
BY the wrinkling OF the earth's surface
land finally appeared above tho muddy,
poisonous waters, the first appearing prob
ably being In British America, fact as
csrtained from the geological formation OF
the earth thers, the speaker showing by
illustration how the layers OF rock had
bson upheaved ald thrown on each other
30 that the lowest rock would reach 10 the
surface. This period represented the azoic
continent. Tbs gradual formation Of land
occurred by the slow change OF dirt Il
rock and one kind OF rock 10 another
Thus the ocean became changed Hs TIT
rock became heavy Il settled down, othe
parts risIag, and, ceaselessly, the cart
continuing 20 fill IN, the size OF the LAM
increased, until finally It took in the East
ern States south 10 the Carollnas, and th
Pacific CSsst States, the Rockies hAvin
: not yet appeared. Then the Gulf Of Mex
CO rolled rorth TO beyond our Columbi
. over most Of the Western States, Iii
was the mssazoic age. In forming Ian
the tendency was upward in the shape
trianglss. while the power OF the waters
illustrated by the fact that the highs'
j mountains are opposite the oceans wit
the greatest expanss. The volcanot
formed by the uphsavAl OF lava throug
the creviciss OF the rocks aud earth, rang
u themselves ia = circle around tho eartl
all on The bsrders Of the largest ocean
: Daring the mesazoIc age It was As warI
at the Nsrth Pole as anywhere. tt
speaker made clear the gradual purifca
ten or the air and ocean by the growth
]. vegetation, flshss, animals. otc, In OF
place In Nova Scotia sixty eight difersl
]. grswths Of vegetation wero found and
Pennsylvania layers OF coal trees a
], found In large quantities. Il las be-
estimated that Il tssk ia, 900 years to for
[ slxty feet OF coal. These things shsw no
slow the growth has been. The age
n rocks can be told frem their substanc
In them, for instance the silurian n
g known to be the oldest from their CO.
tanning the loves: forms Of life, such
!. mollusks, etc.; csming up to he carben
ferrous age in the rocks we find nosse
,t etc., uumistakable witnesses. The pow
Of vegetation In purifying the earth b
}. been great, plants drinking in carbo
Kidding the air OF it, etc, The Darwlnii
) theory IL well met by the fact that q
largest and most formidable animals we
Q. found first, FIXTURES OF several sau ria
et Of different kinds were exhibited, shov
Ing what monsters snce held sway. T
Il boRss OF Que mesasaur have been pnt +
gethsr forming an animal Of three tim
70. the bulk OF the largest elephants, 50 tt
twenty men easily dinsd inside Of it.,
The speaker closed with sems HSnel
remarks on the subject, after an heu
talk, listened to in the closest manner,
er 10 10 be hoped this may be followed
I'd mere lectures by Prof. wyckon on I
same subject, the interest taken in d
X. being an assurance Of a good audience