THEATRE ROYAL.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2477, 15 March 1882, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

ME DENTON’S LECTUBES. The first leotnra by Mr Denton was delivered at the 1 heatre Eoyal last night. Prior to the commencement of the lecture some gentleman obliged the audience with a little music on the stock Theatre piano, which has well earned retirement from active work. The gentleman in question no doubt meant well, but the amount of pleasure derivable from his efforts can only be expressed by the mathematical formula of ay. This over, tar Denton, who speaks with a peculiar but not unpleasant intonation, and has a quaint way of putting things in a homely but forcible style of eloquence, commenced his lecture. He opened his remarks by stating that he intended to give a brief review of the subject of which he proposed to speak, viz , the earth. He stated that had the earth been a million of years younger civilized man as they knew him could not havo existed upon it. Till they knew and studied the history of the earth they would not be able to comprehend or understand the history of man, for the first chapter of that began with the first evolution of the earth. Under their feet in the rooks were volumes for their consideration, the study of which gave them the key of their own history. They found the varions leaves, trees, and reptiles in these rocks, leaving behind them their own history and that of the earth, written with a burning pen. This was what all shenld learn in some degree at least, so that they might berame acquainted with the leaves of this migety volume. This was what geology enabled them to do, and it was only right that every one should be able to knew something of the history told by the rocks over which they passed from day to day. The soil of the earth, which produced so bountifully, was made by the ceaseless grinding of centuries, and they were enabled by seeing the rocks outer the soil to a-certain what the character of the latter was. This was most important to the farmer to know, as the geologist conld tell from a geological map of a country where the largest crops could be raised, n I where the largest centres would spring up,without ever setting foot in the country. Many persons complained of their poverty,whilst perhaps fifty feet below them was what would make them greater than Croesus. But if he had only to tell them of this as an incentive to the study of geology, he would not be there that night. Bat geology was a philosophic science—[cheers]— and that was why he loved it It went back millions of years, to the period when their planet was a glowing molten mass. There was the history of their world, not written by the fallible pen of man, but by the glowing and infallible Infinite. What was wanted was to make religion scientific —[cheers]—to make it and science work hand in hand for the benefit of mankind. [Cheers.] He said this, that not more surely were the vessels leaving the ports of New Zealand guided to their destination, than their planet had from its fiery birth been guided to man. Their planet careering over the celestial spaces had not swerved a hair, but had kept right on till they came to he there on that night with their souls. [Cheers.] He would not make any farther apology for the stndy of the science of geology, but would attempt to give them as much information as he cenld. First, then, there were indications in the birth of their planet that water had been at work. This was particularly noticeable here—the limestone beds, the beds of schist seen by him some 3000 feet high, and the rontded stones, telling in nnmistakeable signs of the work done by water. In Colorado there were beds of stone which had been some two miles below the sea level, bnt which were now upheaved into mountains. When they had found this they were on the first principles of geology. They found that these bad been laid down in the primeval oceans, and had grown up by means of the action of water. Then they found something else—the laying down of layers of stone by means of fire. This was noticeable even where no volcanoes existed at this day, yet plainly showing that these rocks had been made by the action of fire. Thousands of miles in Victoria were covered with extinct volcanoes; so also in this place, close to the city. In America these extinct volcanoes were on a very large scale. In Oregon they covered nearly the whole of the State, and so also in British _ Columbia they found the country covered with rock which had been ponred out in a molten state, some 2000 ft thick. The peaks of the Booty Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and the Andes were of granite, pushed through the other rocks to the top. When they discovered this, they began to see that the lowest rock of the planet, a rock without lime, was a granite rock, which showed that at one time the whole planet; wafc a furnace of molten rock, business to-nipht was to lay before inenx evidences which had led geologists to_ come to the conclusion that their planet was originally a fiery furnace of molten rocks. With these facts before them they had a lamp in their bands, through whose agency they might pass through the grand geological galleries of the past ages. As an evidence of what he had been speaking of, experiments proved that the lower they got into the centre of the earth the warmer it got. The first 50ft they went down the thermometer would register SOdeg , and each additional 50ft they went down, if the outer air ware excluded tha thermometer would register a degree warmer. Hven in Siberia, where tbs ground was permanently frozen, the heat increased after a certain distance. In a coal mine over 600 ft deep the heat radiated like off the stove. It was only by pumping air down on the men working that they were enabled to endure, the heat they met with. This showed most conclusively the heat of the interior of the earth. The hot springs found in various parts of the world showed conclusively that the heat in the centre of the earth was continuous, because these were found apart from volcanoes. If the heart of the earth were cold bow conld over 200 volcanoes raise their glowing crests on high in all parts of tha world, forming a volcanic chain of 26,000 miles. These told the story of millions of years ago, when the planet was one fiery sea of molten matter, vki -h had through the countless ages cooled until the time of human occupation. [The lecturer then proceeded to give a very eloquent description of the destruction of Herculaneum and Pompeii.] All this molten matter had been plashing about in the fardistant ages. Etna had been built up by successive eruptions of ashes and molten matter, a monument to the fiery activity of this planet. Then there were later eruptions ; one, in Iceland, roaring forth enough molten matter to make a globe six miles through. Nearer home, the volcano in Honolulu poured forth molten matter in a stream as large as Niagara. Still at work was the grand fiery ocean in the centre of tha earth. Then came the earthquakes, and if the earth was solid how conld it quake and shiver like a man with an ague. These earthquakes told the story plainly that there was no solidity in tha centre of the earth. Let them remember the earthquakes at Lisbon, at Carraoas, and elsewhere. The Lisbon earthquake, Humboldt had told them, affected no less than one-twelfth of the whole planet. Every portion of the earth was affected. Then came the question, what produced so widespread an effect ? let them taka the wing of a dusky demon to the centre of the earth, till they came to the great fiery ocean beneath the surface which had never been beheld by the eye of human being. The storm on this ocean produced an earthquake on the crust above; tbs storm on the fiery ocean being produced by a vacuum. The volcanoes were the safeguards of tha _ globe. Were it possible to seal these down, the inhabitants of tha world would go up, for the crust of the planet would be shivered. He was of opinion that the most disastrous of earthquakes had been produced by commotion of the fiery ocean he had referred to. The earth rested on that ocean as a boat on tbe bosom of the water. Whatever disturbed that ocean of neceasity disturbed the boat or the crust of the earth. The whole scientific evidence which he had endeavored to lay before them that night proved that the first condition of their plant was that of a burning fieri ocean. [Cheers.] He should on the next evening proceed to comment on the progress of their planet, beginning at the bottom and going on to tha top. He did not lecture to scientists or those who knew all about it. He did not feel able to do so, but he trusted that he shou'd be able to make himself understood by the young folks. For these he trusted arrangements would be made so that they could hear his lectures. [Cheers.] The lecture, which was most interesting throughout, concluded with the display of some really splendid pictures of the Geysers, views in Pompeii, &c., by means of the oxyhydrogen light. To-night the second lecture will be given.