The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-10-14

with uncomfortable fits of sneezing, generally result
ing in death. When any one about this time sneezed
it became customary to say "God bless you - from
which, probably, proceeded a similar custom to this
day prevalent upon the continent of Europe
A comet which appeared in 1905 was also thu
harbinger of a plague.
On the other hand, the comet Of 1868 was sup
posed to have produced the general and fatal cpl
demic among cats in Westphala, previously alluded
to. One, of 1746, was supposed to have caused the
destruction of Lima and Callao by an earthquake
A comet which appeared in March, 1902, was stated
by the astrologers of that day to presage the death Of
John Galeas Visconti, an Italian prince. This gen.
tleman, being a devout believer in astrologers and
comets, duly died-no doubt of Highland thus, to
the great delight of the astrologers, made their pre-
diction come true.
A brilliant comet, visible about 4S b. c., was
thought by the Romans to be the soul of Julius
Cesar, then recently murdered Comets were
thought to have appeared at the births Of Mithradates
and Mohammed to presage their greatness. 1t has
even been supposed that the star seen by the wise
men who came to pay homage to the infant Savior.
was a comet-a circumstance by no means unlikely,
nor inconsistent with Scripture truth.
The great comet of 1856 spread terror throughout
Europe. Mohammed II. had just then taken Con-
stantinople, and was advancing upon Vienna; and
this "blazing STAR was presumed to foretell his
complete success. Pope Calixtus H., alarmed for his
own safety and that of universal Christendom, by a
bull under his Ponti6cal hand excommunicated and
exercised both Mohammed IL. and the comet. But,
alas, neither against the comet nor the conqueror did
the Duli avail buRnt. IL WINS ut thiS III tudt IL
Pope ordained that the bells of Catholic Churches
should be rung at noon-possibly to scare the stellar
invader, which custom of bell-ringingis still continued.
OF all the long suppositious chapter of accidents,
that of a collision between the earth and a comet
seems to be the least improbable. Astronomers do
not pretend to deny the possibility Of such an occur
renee. Two conditions are, however, necessary to be
fulfilled in order to bring about a collision lst.
The path of the comet must at some point intersect
that of the earth. I'd. The two bodies must arrive at
the point of intersection at the same time. The ac-
companying diagram which shows the orbit of the
comet of 1882, and its position in relation to our
planetary system, will make plain to the reader the
different motions of these bodies, and the great I'M
likelihood there is that any collision could ever take
place between our earth and a comet. In fact, we
have it upon the word of a distinguished astronomer
that, following the number of comets passing within
the earth's orbit to be the greatest imaginable, and
the magnitude of these comets, also, to be the greatest
conceivable of such bodies, the chances against a col
lision of the earth with any individual comet would
still be as two hundred and eighty-one millions to
one" That is to say, the chances that the comet at
present expected will run against our planet are as
two hundred and eighty-one millions against one.
One could hardly be safer.
What would be the consequences of a collision no
one is able TO foretell.
Delambre tells US that the comet of ITO passed
between Jupiter and his satellites without causing
any sensible perturbation. Sir John Herschel says,
in express terms, that " the tail of a large comet, as
far as we can form any idea of il, is composed of a
few pounds of matter, and perhaps only of a few
ounces"
Some philosophers have supposed that the matter
of n comet is a poisonous vapor, and that its collision
with the earth would poison our atmosphere, and
asphyxiate all breathing things. Others have specu-
lated upon the probability Of such n meeting pro-
ducing another general deluge. Winston endeavored
to prove that the Biblical Deluge was actually pro-
duced by one of the earlier visits of the great comet
of 1880. According to Winston. too, the earth was
originally a comet. We will add, in conclusion, that
vi. Btbinet, one of the greatest authorities Of the age
in Physical Astronomy, has gone as far az TO say
81 the earth, in coming into collision with n comet,
would be no more affected in its stability than would
a railway train coming in contact with a fly
As TO the comets which are now exciting attention
in America and Europe, two have been noticed by
astronomers since the beginning of the present year.
The 6rst-known as D'Arrest's-was a telescope
comet, concerning whose movements but little of
interest has transpired. OF the other, discovered on
the 18th of March last, by NJ Bruhn, of Berlin, we
give n representation. (See Figure p 1t. also, is
to the naked eye. Telescope observers state
that no nuclens Is visible in its centre, and that it is
of nearly uniform brightness throughout. 1t seems
to be a small and unimportant body.
II is the great comet of 1856, whose return is look
ed for during the present month June and whose
advent has excited the fears of the ignorant and
in various parts o: the world. Our repre-
.sentation of this comet Figure 81 is taken from an
ancient volume, wherein its mysterious powers are
set forth at great length, and with considerable of
the %eloquence engendered of fear. Astronomers
noticed that the Conner of 1864 resembled exceedingly
N its march that which had so alarmed Charles V.
n 1856. They attributed to that comet a period Of
-wo hundred and ninety-two years, and predicted its
'eturn in 1913. But in 1913 no comet appeared.
The world has patiently waited, thinking that the
,erturbating influences of other planets might retard
IS movements some years.
VI. BONNIE has calculated a delay of ten years
the effect of the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
Neptune, the Earth, Venus, and Mars. But there
emains an uncertainty of two years, more or less, as
o its next return, which otherwise would take place
1858. Thus the comet ought to re-appear between
he present time and 1850; but nothing whatever
any one to affirm that it is to come this
more than in 1858. or in 1859, or in 1860.
Meantime a Belgian almanac-maker took the mat
er in hand. and predicted that this comet would
trike the earth on the 18th of June. From this
,entleman's almanac's prediction have come all the
umors. the alarms, and e~xcitements of the present
A Paris correspondent writes For a fort
light we have not been able TO step out without hear
ng the cry, Here is the end of the world n full
of the comet of June Is, only one sou -"
Women have misc Irred; crops have been neglected;
wills have been made; comet-proof suits of clothing
been invented; a cometary life insurance COM
amy (premiums payable in advance) has been
reated; and our Sc Nan about Town. has fancied
himself walking the streets with a veritable blazing
because an almanac-maker of Liege thought
roper to insert, under the week commencing June
q,