The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-03

The Comet OF 1850.
The following interesting details respecting tbs
comet which IL expected to make its appearance
about the year 1866, are given by NJ Bahinet. an
eminent French astronomer. and member of the
Academy of Sciences, in an article recentIv co
pied in the Courier des Eats Unis We avail
ourselves of translation of il which I'VE 6nd ~
the Boston Traveher: 1 ~
This comet lie one of the grandeat IF which L.;
'vfians make mention. Its period OF revolution ia
ABOUT tnree hundred years. II was seen in the
iv4, oS2, oes, U.S. 1864, and the last time in
!ooU, astronomers agreed in predicting its return
IN io4o; buti failed to appear-naonos.e ~, xs,JeS
oo"s, according to the expression of M. Babinet-
ano continues to shinc still, unseen by Us. Al
| ready the observatories begin to he ajarrne5 e.,
| the fate of their beautiful wand.rin t e. e.
John Herschel himself had put crane unon his
telescope, when a learned calculator of Middle
| oou,g' ~. BONNIE treasured the astronomical
world OF the continued existence of the venerabIe
and magnificent comet
| Dsquieted, all other astronomers ware bv
the non-arrivai OF the comet al the expected time
/ NJ. BONNIE, aided by the preparatory laSors of
Mr.. Hind. with patience truly Dutch has revised
all the calculations and estimated all the actions Of
| all the planets upon the comet for three hundred
| years of revolution. The result Of this patient
| labor gives the arrival of the comet in August
| 1858, with uncertainty of two years more or
lees; that from 1856 TO 1860 may expect the
great comet which the cause Of the abdication
| of the Emperor Charles ", ia 1856.
1t is known that, partaking Of the general su-
| perstiton, which interpreted the appearance of
comet the forerunner of some fatal event
Charles V. believed that this comet addressed its
| menaces particularly TO him az holding the fret
rank among sovereigns The great and once wise,
but now wearied and shattered monarch, had been
for some time the victim OF cruel reverses. There
were threatening indications in the POLITICAL if not
In the physical ORION, oil still greater tempest
| 10 come. He was left to cry ia despair, "Fortune
| abandons old men," The appearance Of the blaz-
ing star seemed to him admonition from hea-
ven that he must cease TO be sovereign, il hs
would avoid fatality from which one without au-
thority might be spared II is known that the
Emperor survived his abdicarion but little more
than two years.
Another comet, which passed near us in 1885,
and which has appeared twenty-five times since
the year Is before the Christian era, has been as
sociated by the superstitous with many important
events which have occurred near the periods Of its
visitation.
In 1066 William the Conoueror landed in Eng
land at the head of numerous army about the
time that the comet appeared which now bears
the name OF Halieys comet. The circumstance
was regarded by the English as prognostic of
the victory of the Normans II infused universal
terror into the minds of the people, and contribut
ed not little towards the submission of the coun-
try after the battle of Hastings, il bad served
discourage the soldiers of Harold before the com
bat. The comet is represented upon the famous
tapestry of Bayeux, executed by Queen Matilda,
the wife OF the Ccnqueror.s The same comet. in
1856, threw terror among the Turks under the
command of Mahonet III and into the ra ks of
the Christians during the terrible battle of BEL
grade, in which forty thousand Mussulmans per.
ished The comet ia described by historians Of the
time as immense, terrible, of enormous length
carrying In lite train tail which covered two cees
tlal signs, 600 degrees) and producing universal
terror" Judging from this portrait, comets have
singuerly degenerated in our day. Ii will be
remembered, however, that in 1911 there appeared
comet OF great briihaucy, which inspired some
superstitious fears. Since that epoch science has
noted nearly eighty comets, which with few ex-
frnr L.
cope. kepler, when asked how many comets he
thought there were in the heavens, answered, "As
many as there fish in the sea-"
Thanks TO the progress of astronomical science,
these singular stars Ion ger objects of terror
The theories of Newton, Haley, and their success
sore, have completely destroyed the imaginary
empire of comets. As respects their physical ma
ture, il was for long time believed that thew
were composed of compact centre, surrounded
by luminous atmosphere. On this subject the
opinion of M. Bahinet, who must be regarded as
good authority on ouch questions, is as follows:
comets cannot exercise any material influence
upon our globe; and the earth, should il traverse
comet in its entire breadth, would perceive it no
more than if it should cross q cloud a hundred
thousand millions of times lighter than our stpno-
sphere, and which could no more make its way
through our air than the slightest puff of ordi-
nary bellows could make its way through an
anvil" 1t would be difficult to find comparison
more reassuring.
*This celebrated tapestry is preserved in the an.
cient Episcopal palace at Bayeux. Ii represents
the principal incidents including the appearance
of the comet, in the history Of the conquest Of
England, by William, Duke of Normandy. Ii is
supposed to have been executed by Matilda, the
Conqueror's wife, or by the Empress Matilda,
daughter of Henry l. Ii consists of a linen web
2l4 feet in length and 90 inches broad; and is di-
vided into seventy two compartments, each hav-
ing inscription indicating its subject The
figures are all executed by the needle
TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR PRIzE-HenryS Fitch,
of San Francisco, offers ten thousand dollars as a
prize for the beet treatise the Pacific railway
scheme, and collateral topics. The treatise is TO
embrace three distinct topics follows, which are
given in Mr.. Fitch's own words:
1. The Great atomic and Pacific R0slsoay, and
its immediate and prospective benefits to the whole
American Union, including impartial comparisons
of the routes already proposed, the means and
plans upon which they are proposed TO be con-
structe6, together with exact estimate of its
probable cost, and recommendation OF the most
feasible and easy way to insure its completion
within the shortest possible time the exposition of
its benefits to the Unicn, socially, politically and
financially to be exhaustive Of this part of the sub
ject.
II. The Future Trade of the Pacific and Eost
Indtes.-To set forth in clear and concise form
the natural resources of Russian America, Oregon,
Lower California, New Mexico, and the whole coast
southwark to Cape Horn. Also the various island
groups between the parallel of 60 degrees of long,
itude and the coast, New Guinea, Australia Bor-
neo, Sumatra, Malacca. Madagascar, and the east
number of inhabitants of the same, so far as the
OF these lands and these facts has any direct
bearing upon the future trade Of the United States
together with their importing and exporting COM
merce, including considerations of the extent OF
market obtanablc for the produce and manufac.
lures of the American Union. the probable in.
creased demand growing out of the establishment
of direct and speedy intercourse with the same,
including reference TO the importance of the
whale fishery and seal trade, directly and init
mately connected with the es' adjustment of the
great commercial depot of San Francisco, with the
establishment Of clipper, steam, hot air, or other
more speedy mediums of communication with the
points above named.
Ill. Wealth of Cali ornia.-To embrace as full
and as reliable information concerning the natural
resources of the State of California as il is possbIe
TO obtain, with candid and just illusions to its
mineral, agricultural, and commercial adva pta ees
based upon statistical other authentic informa.
ton; the salubrity OF its climate and the immense
beneht and importance TO the whole Union Of de-
veloping and facilitating the acquisition Of its
wealth and varied advantages.
committee is to meet in Washington Noyeyn
per 10, 1885, to decide the merits of the con1pet
ing treatises. The whole premium will be awarded
70 complete work on the three topics named, or
SoOo0 Tor the best the fret topic and 500 for
the best on either of the other topics Commune.
cations relative to the matter may be addressed to
70 H. X. Brown, editor San Francisco Euenigsy
journal, and manuscripts may be forwarded to s