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Show TROF. ilUA'T OX THE CREATI0. AVIiat Our Earth Came From and U'faat It lTIav netnrn to. j ' Independence Hall was filled to its ut- most capacity last night by a very intel-j intel-j ligent audience, anxious to hear Dr. T. j Sterry Hunt, I'resident of the. Royal Geo-I Geo-I logical Society of Canada, and a most profound geologist, deliver his lecture on ! the "Building of the Earth." The topic was especially interesting to the people of this mineral region, and in the hands of this able scholar, who has grown gray in a life's study of the earth, the lecture was particularly absorbing to everyone present, uovernor Murray presented the lecturer, who remained" seated while treating his subject. The Doctor first spoke of the structure, building and fashioning of the earth. In dwelling on, the elementary facts pertaining to the earth's surface, the rock formations were enumerated. . He spoke of the groups and systems of rock in the construction of which vast ages were employed; of the laying of sandstones sand-stones under water, full of bones and fossils. fos-sils. These show the history of animal development and life, and form a ' great attraction to scientific men. The origin of the various formations is a study before be-fore us in determining how the world is builded. What forces brought about the structure of the bird and flower? Nature is a growth ; etymology a perpetual perpet-ual coming forth and a continual change. All this implies life-r-Nature repeating the thought of the Creator. Go back before be-fore the formation of the sea, land or stratified rock, and our world was only one of the innumerable universe. Each star, perhaps, is greater than our earth. Every chemical substance and matter of our earth is similar so that of other earths. Planets shine by reflected light, determined by the spectroscope. Many bodies of luminous matter are visible. visi-ble. By examining the light of the Hun we find elements of our earth, one-half of which are found in the elements of sun light. Fixed stars contain similar ele-: ments. Our earth is the centre of condensed con-densed nebulous mat ter. The atmosphere is ethereal, and contains the elements of the sun. All space is pervaded by a substance called ether, which is attenuated attenu-ated air. The elements which conmosed the earth were collected and condensed from the ether, then further condensed into liquid, after which the process of solidification solid-ification began. The earth did not cool and become solid first on the outside, forming a crust on the surface, but the heavier bodies sank to the centre of the earth and formed a solid interior, and this process continued until the surface was the last part to cool, solidify and form a crust. The lecturer weut into extended detail regarding the chemistry of the earth-how earth-how rocks were formed, limestone created, cre-ated, and much that cannot be given for I lack of space. The process of formation still continues, as is demonstrated by our hot springs. The atmosphere is sometimes spoken of as the "cradle of the plant and the crave of the animal." Influences are at work on the surface of the earth that will eventually result in the extinction of all life. The world will probably be resolved back into its original state of ether The lect ure held all present in strict attention, at-tention, and it was rich with ripe thoughts and new ideas for the speculation specula-tion of the mind. A short and disconnected synopsis of so able a lecture can give but a meagre idea of the speaker's exhaustive ideas" of so grand and broad a subject. . j |