The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-06-10
From "The StateS."
TIE COMET OF JUNE 10, 1857.

| TIE COMET OF JUNE 10, 1857,
Geology teaches us that there hav Q been
three great eras when the surface of The
earth has undergone. changes such as might
have resulted from universal deluge, ef-
fecled, perhaps, by the collision of comets
with the earth, giving new direction 10 its
rotary motion, or making it revolve around
a new axis.
Geology teaches, as plainly as anything in
Holy Writ, that the seas have thrice forsaken
their beds, and, by the universal rushing of
the walters 10 new equator, have over.
whelmed continents, the abode OF men aud
ANIMALS.
Now, however, men may differ in regard
to the Mosaic history of tho flood, as TO
whether it ever took place in The manner in
which it is literally set forth in the Bible,
and however they may ridicule The probable
or possible contact of comet with the earth
on the 10th day Of June next, one thing is
certain that neither their sneers, rdcule, nor
unbelIef will affect The laws of geometry and
motion nor the mechanism OF The universe
What has been, may be again; like causes
produce like effects. II there have been
three deluges, which at different eras have
overwhelmed and destroyed every veslage
OF the races OF men and animals then on The
surface of the earth, what astronomer or
philosopher is prepared TO show that there
will moi be fourth, fifth, sixth?
OF 80 comets whose elements have been
calculated by astronomers, 80 passed be.
tween the sun and Mercury, % between the
orbits of Mercury and Venus, 81 between
the orbits of Ceres and Jupiter.
1t is not a well known Tact lha. Bela's
comet, whose diameter is nearly twice that
ol the earth passes SO very near that a, the
moment the centre oil The comet is at the
point nearest 10 the earlh's path, the matter
OF The comet extends beyond that path, and
a portion of II within il 2 This ;s the comet
which il was predicted would come 10 COL
llsion with and destroy The earth on tie Goth
of November, 1882; but happily the comet
anticipated the earth by passing the point
were The fight was 10 come of on the 26lh
OF October, SO that either The Astronomers
were 80 days behind, or the comet 80 days
before lIme.
1t was the opinion of DR.. Winston. the
friend and successor of Newton, that The
comet known as Halley's delused the world
ia the time Of Noah. This is the same com.
Ell which, in l456 spresd universal terror
throughout Europe, inspiring the belief that
ii would destroy the earth, aud that the day
of judgement was at hand; 10 avert which
awful doom, Pope Calixlus added 10 the Ava
Maria the prayer, "Lord save Us from the
devil, the Turk and The comet"
Now, there are men in the world so hard
ened in sin, that they will say in regard to
the predicted smash.up in 1882, that miss
is as good as a mile; and in regard to the
one which SO horribly frightened old Calix-
lus, that ii. is of no sor of consequence, as
it will not arrive at lis perhelion again until
1911" but let these sinners remember that
there are other coinels which are continually
crossing The earth's path; and whether we
shall escape the one of the 10Th of June
next. az luckily as we did that of 1892, time
may or may not unfold to us. The collision
Of the earth with comets al certain epochs is
not only possible but unavoidable; and The
writer Of this article believes that all the del
uges which The different strata OF the earth
prove TO have taken place, Tin an antiquity
TO be measured, perhaps, only by millions Of
years,) have taken place through come,ary
influences.
There is no doubt in the minds Of most
astronomers that the asteroids between The
orbits of Mars and Jupiter are The fragments
OF great planet, which, from some cause,
has been burst asundsr If that cause was
exterior, it must have been comeary, for
there are no bodies in our solar system
whose orbits interaect those of the planets.
The fact is well known TO astronomers,
that The remarkable comet of ITO, which |
was found TO revolve in moderate ellipse in
period of about five years, was thrown
out of lis orbit by the attractions of Jupiter
and has not been heard of since. What the |
effect Of the collision was 10 that planet il is |
impossible TO Stale; for although no percep,-
bic change took place in its motions, yet a
change might have taken place in its auxil.
iary motion sufficient 10 have thrown its
oceans from their beds, and TO overwhelm
every inhabitani on lis surface.
There are great many phenomena as
crlbed to the influence of comets; it is even
The opinion ofsoms that Sodom and Gomor-
rah were destroyed by one of these cratic
visitors, molten with perhelion heat; but who
knows? ALPHA,
The LAND FEvER.-Speculation in the lands