Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-04-23
From the Western IN. CO. Democrat.
The Comet Catastrophe.

IL IS stated that Dr Cummings, a
celebrated preacher in Europe, pre-
diets that this world of ours is to be I
destroyed by Comet in June next. :
Ii there is no way to postpone the t
smash up that would certainly take
place in the event of the fiery planet
coming in contact with terra fiima, i
it becomes our duty to suggest a
means of escape. In the first place,
therefore, We must enter into cal
culation of the magnitude of this ex-
pected and unwelcome visitor and al
so discover the track it is likely to
take in its peregrinations.
We learn from books that the heads
or nuclei of comets range in diane
ter from 33 to 1921 miles, and pos
sess tails of enormous length, that
4 of lS43 being l30,0OO.000 miles in
length-the smallest appeared in
1744 with a respectable tail, it being
only 100000 miles. BUTT stands
to reason and common sense that the
comet of 1857 will not be one Of your
ismall affiirs, for this is an age Of i'm
; provement and "extension. and We
therefore calcullte that it will have a
: head about 600 miles in diameter
5 from the top of the pate to the low
Ell jaw, shaped something like that
!, of catfish, with a tail two hun
4 dred millions of miles long. which, as
e it passes along will witch from right
e to left, sweeping off surface twice
a the size of its head.
e The velocity Of comets must also
S receive considr ration, IS mistake
Is about their speed might prove fatal
+ to all the inhabitation of western
e Carolina Their velocity is truly
: wonderful-their motions are aeceler
ated as they approach, and retarded
rs they recede from the sun. We
t. suppose the comet in June viii travel
,e about one million miles per hour-ac-
J. cOrding to the progressive age, it
ought to do that much at least--and
ID if it starts from the lar-distant North
II and takes southern direction, when
.. it reaches the State of Maine the tel
,e egraph can warn Us back woods people
"a so that we can be on the look out
D. We beg permission to differ from
Doctor Cummings in regard to the
st whole world being destroyed; eminent
a. astronomers have demonstrated that
=. there is only one unfavorable chance
es in two hundred and eighty millions.
We think the comet will only destroy
n the surface it strikes. Supposing
nd its first collision in the United States
~ will be in Maine, We contemplate de.
y, struction Of two-thirds of the inhabit.
OO ants of that State, which viii be nc
20 great loss to the country, as they
have become abolitionized, and then
presence can be dispensed with. AT
he ter sweeping off large portion 0
ip- New York (which We hope will Include
he the man who originated know moth
N. ingism,) its course will be bee.lin'
*. for North Carolina, striking the Of,
in State on its weakest side, about A
.re miles east of the Blue Ridge. bur-
nd ing up every thing in its tack, AM
,re scorching things that escape, until i
on reaches the Yadkin River, when it
ow lower extrr mites will be considerabl,
an cooled by the waters of that nobl
M stream. Our friends in the east wi
nd see that by moving farther west the,
in may avoid their fiery enemy.
nj. tits supposed that the comets hea
no viii be increased as it Tass throug
, ), our sister State of South Carolins
but as our neighbors ire known to b
: . "fre-eat. rs" the damage will not b
=. so great.
- The course of the comet viii be OF
Il ward until it strikes the South Pol
=. and bur Is in pieces, OF burns that i'm
=" portant stake in two. In the latte
event, we would advise all hands t
u "stand from under"
- When we make further Calculation
- as to time, our readers shall be duly
az notified.
There Was an international dof