Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1832-04-26
THE COMETS OF 1890

We are informed by various respectable
individuals, that an extraordinary degree OF
excitement exists among the uniformed
classes IN Philadelphia, IN relation to the ex.
peeted comet With the ignorant and SUI
perstltious, ali is fear and CONSERVATION. As
nothing but an acquaintance with The facts
connected with the appearance Of comets
can dispel this groundless alarm, we repub-
lish some interesting information, taken from
Times Telescope for 1882.
About the latter part Of the year 1923, an
impression prevailed that some baieful inilu
ence was connected siih comet then about
10 appear, of which il had been affirmed
that il WIS The most likely Of all others 10
come in Contact with the earth, this was the
come, of Enke. The German and French
philosophers also predicted that the comet
Of Bella would, in tbs year 1892, breathe
deselation on the human race, and by its
shock. reduce this beautiful world to its orr
ginal chaos In England notices appeared
in the public prints relative to comet said
to be visible, ana those who possessed teies.
copes were directed to the place 10 the heav-
ems were the monster was TO be found Eve
ny one who saw il wondered that il remain
ed stationary; it would indeed have been a
wonderful phenomenon if il had moved. for
this iancied comet proved to be the nebuia
in the glrd|e OF Andromeda, the position e
which IN the heavens was as permanent "a
that Of any Of the fixed stars. AT length
the expected comet did appear, but only
dimly seen with the telescope. 1t passed
the earth's orbit. crossed the paths OF Venus
and Mercury, mingled lis mysterious cloud
like form with the solar rays, and disappear
ed Both Of these conefs--the comet OF
Fnke and the comet OF Bella, return This
4 tka L. he Term ar
in the Spring, and the latter IN The Autumn,
and the only aniidote TO any terror. is an in
vestigation Of the nature OF these bodies, and
the paths which they pursue. Ii is not very
, probable that the comet OF Enke will he sa-
tslaciorlIy visible in this hemisphere during
its return in the present year: il will pass its
perlhelion the early part Of May. The CO.
met Bella will be nearest the earth on the
| 22d October, when its distance whl be
| about fifty millions of miles. The alarm
which prevailed in Paris and on the Cont
! nent, with respect 10 the danger OF this co
NETS return 10 1892, seems TO have or g.
/ mated in some supp ed calculations madf
/ BIZ the celebrated Iahsade, and the popular
] tumult at length increased to sneh heigh
i that The govelnDssnt was compelled to pub
! lish that eeieArated astronomers memoir u
order ~ suppress il II is Known that tn
come ef 1870 passed through the system O
t..ss planet Jupiter, without IN the sfgbes
! degree Affecting the motions of either IN
primary or his satellites. and ihat II passe
sufficiently near our planet to have sbortene
the length Of the year, had its mass bee
neae the earth Most OF the calculation
| respecting inc effect Of the proximity OF
| soaet 70 our earth. have proceeded on err
| neous principles-oyer rating the quantity
matter 10 comets, and losing sight Of thu