Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-08-31
FLOR tho Intelliseneer.l
The Comet

days to know whether the harmless "wanderer
through space, whose appearance in our western
skyat the close of day. has attracted our attention,
had been identified as oneof the comets " hose pe+
nodic revolution has been calculated BY astroao-
mers. Thus far have seen nothing on the sub.
iect uttered by authority in such matters. Much
may have been wfitten, but have not been so
fortunate as to fallin with it. Yesterday morning
the of the AzETTE, nggests that it u
CHINA CoMET, . the periodic revolution ofwbSh
is, according to M. Gambert, six and three-qrrter
yeais.
If thecomet,n now visible. is Biela's, is appear
ancs and constitution have greatly banged. l
have always supposedsthat Biela's like EHeks's
comet was only distinctly seen " tue aid OF the
telescope. It is said TO .tpreseat no solid, OF well
dsdned a,.ele, aud sappeas 10 be mere vapory
mass of exceeding tenuity This is notthe char
acter of the present CopsT-its nucleus is well de-
fined to the naked ey, and in approaching its Pc
siton was exceedingly brilliant These fiery oros
pe1yade our syst they pass around the Sun IN
every directifl, now darling down from above,
now rusbiTg up from the profoundest depths OF
SPACE. with amazing velocity they pursue their
course IN the most elongated orbits. 4
twas Biela's comet that in 1882, excited such
dsep interest throughout the whole civilized
world. 1t was, by calculation, ascertained that
a the night of the 29th October, it would pass
small way within the earths orbit; the discovery
was announced, and occasioned the deepest anxi-
ETY. in the minds of thousands, that the earth and
the comet would come into collision, and the most
disastrous consequences ensne. Such was the
slalm and CONSERVATION in the city of Paris, thet
the Academy of Sciences entered upon the most
serious consideration of the matter. The whole
subject was committed TO the celebrated NJ. Arago,
who prepared and presented most elaborate and
learned report on comets generally, which report
had the effect to quiet, in great degree, the
tensions of the people.
NJ. Arago demonstrated that, while tile comet
would indeed invade the earth's orbit at the pre-
dicled time, yet, at tile moment of crossing, the
earth would be distant some ifty-fye millions of
miles, and not the slightest influence from the COM
ct would be felt at that distance. If however,
any disturbing cause had delayed the approach OF
the comet for thirty days, then the earth and the
comet would have filed the same pointat the same
time, where their orbits intersected. and coils
ion would have taken place. The results of such
collisions we cannot accurately conjecture. Sci
ence, however, teaches us to suppose that they
would not be as disastrous aswas apprehended by
popular fears. ee,es
Scientific men, who have patiently studied this
subject, assert that, from the composition of the
s,cometary apOrlds,'' the earth would have passed
directly through the mass, experiencing no other
effect thun slight change iniclimate. STA JOHN
HERscHEL describes the extreme translucency oil
the matter of this comet TO be such, that stars Of
10th and 18th magnitudes were seen through it, as
| it passed over them.
The appearance of Biela,s comet in November
1876, presented startling Phenomena. lnJanp-
airy, 1916, Lieut.. Maury, at the Observatory in
Washington City, discovered that in place of be-
ing single body, it was composed of two dis
tinct and separate comets; this fact he announced
and it was verified at the observatories of Eu-
rope and America. The distance between these
two bodies, consisting of two distinct Nebnle,
continued to increase until February, when they
were seen to oscillate abouteach other, as though
| in accordance with some unknown and mysteri-
Gus law underlined by science.
The periods ofsome ofthese wandering bodies
known to inhabit our system is astounding; the
comet of 1907 has, according to Besseb 54s years
for its periodic time. That of 1911, one of the
most brilliant of modern times. has its period of
revolution, as fixed by II. Highlander, at 2,sss
Iyean-there are Others supposed 10 possess lar
ger orbits, and revolye at greater distances from
the Sun, pursuing their eccentric course :ndef-
ance of known laws, controlled and directed by
the Almighty hand that upholds the Universe.
The physical constitution of these bodies has not
been certainly discovered by Astronomers; NJ. dr.
ago divides them into three classes:-the first he
supposes to beopaque bodies, in all respects re-
sembling planets, and differing only in the great
eccentrcity of their orbits. The ID class are de-
void of opacity, permitting ghtto penetrate free.
ly Though even their most solid parts. The Sd
class, and by far the most numerous, destitute
jofjany solid nucleus, and are so attenuated as to
resemble no form of matter known to Earth. OF
this class are Eneke' and Biele's comets, and al
so Haleys, which according 10 SIN JOHN HEn-
scHEn, on its last return, seemed in its PerihelO
passage to be turned into yapor.
Z, These strangers are considered harmless, they
are no longer looked upon as portending war, pes
thence or fnmine-nor need there be any feas of
injury from them to our mundane system. He
who built all things, will continue to preserve the
magnificent Universe of world without confusion
OF disorder, as they circle in solemn grandeur
around his throne. subscribing their appointed
courses, aud 80
sttr & .r H"Foreger singing as they shine,
81 Pho hand that made Us !s Divine"
,Pardcn me Messts Editors for thus intruding in
your columns. seek for infOrmation. Ireally
want to knov more of this present comet than
what my limited sources of information afford.
What say oour exchangesa Itthis is, as the Ca
zErTE informs us, Biela's comet, why is thatdts
changes has not made more stir among men Of
scieaqss 81 .f..s,I. 5.ss .5 ME-
1sHUnAs cospUcT.-We select the following
from the st. Francisyille Chronicle of the 18th
instant: asa5l.is = fs5,s5 + .as4s ~ e. -..
one Of the engineers ON board the steamer Plan