San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-08-01
Dr.. Rlnek,s;AstronomIeaI Lecture.


Those unfortunate millions who were not
at tho Chautauqua on the night OF the l7th
ult. missed rare treat. II was the lecture
OF DIR. Black, entitled, GOD in Nature"
DR.. Black opened by saying his lecture
would DO principally astronomical that
the conclusions reached by telescope ana
geometric calculations on tho heavenly
bodies were nearly Incredible, but that the
method (by triangulation) was perfect ana
the results absolute in gensral.
Ho then gave few examples in triangu-
lation, and called attention TO tho accuracy
with which eclipses of the sun and moon
and conjunctions of stars were foretold
years In advance OF the event, proving the
souudness of the other conclusions reached
in the Same way, viz by calculation
based on the angles formed in sighting m
object from each end of known base line
Having shown the method, he proceeded
to give some of the results Of astronomical
calculation.
Beginning with our solar system, Dr.
Black pointed out its life giyer-the orb oil
day-statod what fiery furnace it is, send
ing tongues Of fame thousands o. miles
abroad, and how Lis accessores-the plan
ets-all ciroed around him, each turning on
its axis, received from him day and night,
Proceeding outward from the sun DIR,
Black noticed the planets in turn. Mer-
curry, SO near the great furnace that 1t re
ceives seven times the heat that we do
about enough to keep water boiling. Mer-
cury's orbit is about $4,000 miles from the
sun, yet it seems to us to be so close that
it almost rises and sets with the sun; and
it takes very good eyesight to detect 1t just
before sunrise or ut sunset, Mercury's
year is about three months long, (orshort, }
its day about the same as ours, and, like the
earth. 1t has an atmosphere. and it is about
one third the earth's size.
Venus, the most beautiful star of night,
revolves around the sun some $4,000, 900
miles nearer than we do, and is more nearly
on plane with the earth. than any other
planet, only her year being lao days short
of ours.
And 80 DIR. Black passed the earth,
touched on Mars, with its 6S7-day year, its
snow fields at the poles, alternately freez-
ing and thawing.
And getting among the asteroids (planet-
oides p reveled in their moonlight.
lie tod how, on a little planetoid OF
twenty miles diameter, his good friend, Du
Bose, instead of tipping the scales at 2oo
would weigh half pound, or less; how,
by driving at the rate of its diurnal revo-
luton, he could enjoy the charms of per-
petual SUNRISE sunset, or moonlight.
We, the happy audience, had pictures of
moons of all sizes and phases, and moving
in every direction presented to our minds
eyes. We saw boys pick up elephants and
walk off with them, and we saw acrobats
kick their worlds from under them and fly
into space-(grayitation being in proper
ton to mass).
Then we were treated to Wow Of Jupi-
ter the Great, with its day of ten hours
and year equalling twelve of ours-and its
four moons.
Saturn, with its eight moons and great
rings, Uranus, and
Neptune, at the enormous distance of
Q, TAG, 271, 900 miles from the sun, majes-
tically swinging around it in 100 of our
years. 10 help the realization of the en-
ormous distance. ETC., DR.. Black told how
it would take q train Of ears, allowing 500
miles per day, Is, 0O0years to get there and
that Moses would not yet be old enough to
vote, if living on Neptune.
DIR. Black came back to the Earth,
showed how essential to our well-being the
diurnal and elliptic revolutions are, and how
perfect notwithstanding the distances and
rates.
And not content with the vast journe y
taken, the lecturer asked us to look across
the vast blank spaces beyond Neptune to
other solar systems to take the wings OF
the lightning to the outermost planet there
Of; to hunt stars without paralax there
from to fly thither and, with the greatest
| telescope, 10 count Tue HlillOus Vi Solhi
systems beyond, all swinging, with their
attendant planets,t trough the i'm mensity
of amending space.
Then the good gentleman asked us tc
do the impossible, and realize the perfec.
ton of an organization that accomplishes
the working of this cosmos without the
slightest hitch.
matter is inert in itself, said DR.. Black.
at is tho living immaterial something the
mind, the soul, within me that speak f
through the brain and nerves, and causes
the motion of my arms. (Raising his
hands, The iron, carbon, phosphates,
etc, in us are the same as found in the dust
under our feet"
What we find to be good reasoning in re.
gard to the matter contained within our
own organisms we are justified in extending
to matter outside, was DR.. Blacks arg u
ment, and throwing little hot shot at
Ingersoll and all materialtsts, he made
the conclusion that we are scientifically
justified in believing in the Great Geometri-
clan and Architect of the Universe-the Su.