Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-02-12

sing, ans aStfonomy Shou'o oe '.ANs. 90.
generis, that renewed its youth and became
perfectly fresh at least every hive hundred
years. Besides If the solar system is changing
its position, Why may 1t not come into contac,
with some OF hose very comets. the sphere OF
whose influence it happened to be without when
they formerly appeared!
Bu,. % out this matter in still more seri-
Gus poin, Of view, and to prove how very little
astronomers know on subject OF such vast
Importance, it is only necessary to ailude 10
the comet of 1870, the period OF whose revo>
luton, according to all astronomical caicuia-
tons, was about seven years.. and which con-
sequently ought 10 have returned about eigh'
times since 1870. Yet il has never been seen
since, and no one knows wha, has become OF
il? Why may ii not have started on al tan-
gen, into some new orbit? Why may not its
aphelion have been so immense that itiost all
attachment, 10 our sun, aud like moth which
changes !on one candle 10 another, be now
whirIing round some other luminary! Why
NAV no, its perihelion have been so close that
il was absorbed altogether, and like fuel thrown
into furnace, is now burning away in state
If amalramation with our lamp OF day! Or,
why NAV no, the wanderer, as it TO shew the
absurdi,y Of all calculations about him, be al
last returning by somewhat diff rent line Of
road. and what should hinder the comet now
visible from being our old friend with new
face! These are all questions which il is I'M
possible to answer with confidence; and The s">
luton Of the perplexing difficulty must proba-
bly, remain an enigma forever.
In the mean time, the mighty and mysteri-
Gus phenomenon, nigh, after night comes sail
ing on nea,rr and nearer. But few weeks
have elapsed since il was 10 be described only
with the assistance Of The most powerful glass
sps, and now i: is visible 10 the naked eye
Where is thi. 10 stop? Who shall say to the
IRENE pdous visi, an, -"thus Tar shalt thou come
and no father? Stars are beautiful and Ia
miliar things tina, may be likened unto lambs
wandering over the blue Fl Ids OF heaven; but
the lurid comet is wolf that has broken IN
upon the f. Id, and the eye OF the good shep-
herd is ayeried; went the other night TO the
Obser vatory on the Cation Hill TO have dis
tan, peep a, him. He is one Of the ugllest look.
ing Gus omers ever Saw.
He is as We, 100 far off 10 be distinctly seen in
all his horrors; but he looks In the distance
like the great glaring blood shot eye OF a
murderer, You see at once something nalig-
nan, IN h,s aspect. The stars twinkle with a
clear mild light, and you could almost fancy
they were gentle spirits singing the songs that
were sung long ago in Parable, but the comet
has I. dark red CLEAN like the unnatural light OF
lamp amid the p stiIrn,isl damps OF a char.
mel h use; and if music could be supposed 10
emana,e from such a source, it would be like
the chaunt of the dead men describrd BY Shell
". 81 am seriously Of opinion that every body
should BE- prepared for the worst" as a gallant
officer said 10 the Edin5urg volunteers, when
thew expected every moment 10 be attacked by
the Glasgow Radicals
I, is by no means necessary TO suppose that
the come, must actually come in contact with
the earth. in order to insure its destruction;
though il passes at the distance Of several mill
lion. Of miles, II will ,urn every thing 'oPsy
,uryry in this world The consequences, in-
deed, in so r as VIZ are concerned, will De very
much the same whether II aDnihila'es al one
blow this terri. strial ball. or merely gives II, IN
pas,sn,, q push from its axis, AID thereby DIES
rroys Shr conditions on wblch the tenure Of hu
man existence is a, present held were me
earth pushed from its AXIS, one result wouio
be. that all the dry land would Immediately D.
covered by the sea, and all the present basin Of
| the ocean would become dry. All natural PM
losophrrs agree that some such revolution mos
have taken place on the surface OF The globe
more than once since its Creation; there IS
| therefore, nothing tx etdihSy "ohoel o' !" wv
supposi,ion that j. will take place sain. The
sub,r, ran. an forests. tie alluva dePosites, the
.xtranrous fossils, the organic remains. aud
thousand other phen"m. IA, prove, beyond
dnub,, that, by rh.ngt in the centr" OF grav''
~. the two hsmispheres Of the earth have beer
alternately drowned And what effected 'hi'
ch rge in the crntre Of s-a,ity?-surely moth
ing so Tx, ly % have done it as comet. hs
graf mass e existing brings would, OF course
~. ,waioae! up; out II is got Impossible tina
few, a very few nigh escape. Chance aion'
would determine who these were 10 be. Let
ne obser.ed, too. that his mighty change vii
take pl.c, ina moment. Up 10 oertai" poin
the comet may approach the earth without IN
Jury, but a. soon as it crosses that line, the ba
lance will give way, aud the gates OF the dee!
vii, b- un!o ked The approach, however, o
his las, hour oi error will have been forrsee'
for mon hs All the common concerns OF Ut
will have bern allowed to stand stlll-lhrone
will he left unworsh,pprd-warr kingdom
will be aweG into crouching sience-weaith
. and rank, and learning will sink into AFFECT in
sieniic ance- many q brave man will lose hi