Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-03-24


Comet Of 1911, length % deg.
Of 1859, length So deg. curved like a
Turkish sabre.
Comet of 1850, length 90 deg.
Of 1853. length 81 deg.
Thus the comets Of 1850 and 1869 might be
in the horizon setting, whilst a portion of their
tails would be IN the zenith. Expressed in
more than 96,OOO.O0O.
We, at first entirely rejected the report that a
comet was visible in the day time without the
aid Of glasses. Such testimonies have since
been received as leave no reason 10 doubt that
one or two days Of last week the present comet
was in such a position, and of such brightness, as
to be seen at midday by the naked eye. This
though extremely rare, is not without prece.
dent.
The Astronomer Lalande mentions one which
was seen at the death Of Demetrius, King of Sy-
ria, LAG years before Christ, which was said 10
be as large as the sun. Another appeared at
the birth Of Mithridates, which, according to the
awe-s,ruck chronicles of that age, emit cd more
light than the sun and embraced the whole heav.
ens.--But these accounts are evidently fabu-
lous.
The following remarkable cases, in the opin.
ion of the present eminent French Astronomer
Royal, Arago, are well at,es,ed:
In the year 43 before Christ, a "hairy star"
appeared which could be seen in daylight wiih
the naked eye. 1t is hardly necessary to add
tl,nt la, e,,nastt,~,,, ,x Ill H.. -.
the deifca,ion of the soul of Cesar, who had
assassinated a short time previously.
In the year 1902 after Christ, two comets of
great brilliancy appeared. One Of them was so
bright that the nucleus, and even the tail, could
be seen at midday in March; the other could
be seen before sun set.
Cardan relates that in 1882, the curiosity o
the inhabitants of Milan was greatly excited by
~ star winch could be seen at midday" We
nus not being in a position to be seen at the
t'inc, The star Of Garden is believed i 10 have been
a comet.
''TIe beautiful comet Of 1877 was discovered"
says Arago, ION the 18th day of November, by
Tycho Brahe before sun Set"
We Lave before alluded to the great comet of
IVA. On the LIST Of February this, according
to the Astronomer Clczeaux, was more con.
s%picuous than Sirius, the brightest OF the stars I;
on the 9Th it equalled Jupiter a few days after
it was only ~equalled by Venus. On the LIST OF
march, it was visible to the naked eye for seve.
raj hours about mid. day.
Tho present comet, OIL superstition that the
testimonies which have reached US should prove
good, will rank among the most extraordinary
ever seen. 1t is no doubt moving with great ra.
pidity. Should the evenings be cloudy for a
week TO come we may possibly not see it again.
Time was when the appearances Of so strange
a visitor. flaming through the armament, spread
universal terror and CONSERVATION. Tia, time.
we hope has, in a great measure, passed away
to return no more. But the world is evidently
not yet fully purged Of the old leaven of ignor.
ance and superstition. There would seem to
be some Among US who are incorrigioly bent
upon making reason and common sense subor.
dlna'e to the most childish fears, and the mos
whimsical and propos,erous iancics. Predicted
mariyrdom at the tail of a Comet would scarce
su-pass their credulity.-Whe,her there is any
cure for such ignorance and fears we know not
1t may be we'll, however, for such to cons der
that comets are a par, of the creation which God
made They pursue their respective and ap.
pointed courses with as much order and harmony
in respect TO the great laws of planetary motion,
as do the members of our own little sysiem.-
They are, so TO say, messengers, from one sys.
tenn TO another and come bacl; to US from the
long travel ola thousand years, To announce I.
US that harmony aud order pervade the uni.
verse.
Comets are not so rare as may at first be SUP.
posed. From 1902 to 1881, no less than 4:
were seen. In 1896 five comets were seen, an.
all new ones. The probability is that abou'
three new comets will be seen every two years
A remark or two We intended to make upor
the probability of the Earth's being some tim
or other destroyed by the collision Of a comet
1t is sufficient perhaps TO say, that the possibili.
Of such collision is admitted. The possibility Z"
it has been computed with great care. The re
suit is given by Arago. 1t may possibly minis
ter some consolation 10 those who dread such
catastrophe to be informed that the Earth mind
her own business and gives to all idle wander
ers an immensely wide berth. The chances o
escape are 2Sl 100000 to l of collision.
The effects, moreover, Of such collision Nigh
be very disastrous bu, the real probability i
that the Earth would bear off in the upper re
gions of her atmosphere the diffused matter o
many comets without in the least disturbing tn,
composure Of US poor mortals in these ne,Le
parts.
We cannot but hope, therefore. that this in
,eresting visitor willremain with US long crougI
to Fairly make the acquaintance, aud leave US t.
carry 10 other and distant portions OF the uni
verse the same welcome intelligence which
brings to us, that law, order, and harmony reig,
through boundless space. C.
Bro~n University, March oh, 1913.
UNpoUNDED LLBERALiTY.-Yes,erl ay morn
ing, a !i,ile girl about 7 years old named Carolin
G. Hayes. on her way to school, found a roll .
bills lylng on the sidewalk near the corner G