Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1858-10-05

single pursuit oil tiiiing the Soii, eAcFauu !,
inc iii others, and III course hi the great
branches Of industry, which deyelop$ the
natural resources of nations and build PIP
cities and commercial centres.
u j. =. Ed e. -
The Comet.
Those who look upon the small nebpp'
lous. star now visible, can hardly realize
the terrific appearance Oh this same Obj
/ ject when. IN 1864, approached The sun
with a tail one hundred degrees ri length !!
It's Tail came streaming up in the Daog'n-
ling several hours before lbs head, and
when it's nucleus was ein the zenith, NE
train strctched. below the western horizqtl.
LIS train was first very broad, but j. A.
creased in width, extending enormously
In length. Il is said ID have disappeared
OCT, 81; on the day Of TIE death Of Pope
Urban w. ItIwas, Of course, thought q
special forerunner of that event, c5
This comet had appeared before IN 97P.
| and also in 1916 and lo4, as mentioned BY
Athe Chinese annalists. This would sivesa
period ofabout 900 years In9755ils tail
was 40 degrees in leagth, and its nucleus
OF head was 50 bright as. 10 be visible ip
the day time. lis next appearance, after
1864, was in 1856, in thelmonlh ofFebr
ruary. Its aspect was very similar to lip
present one, being ''sonewhat paler thap
The planet Mars, and with \ train Of four
degrees in. length" Ithas been known az
the great comet Of Charles Y 81 because
disappeared 10 the year ii which his absli3s
cation took place. The Emperor Charles
EY. Of Spain considered IL ansonep Of his
death, although lie survived it some
years. Fabricius, his astronomer, map.
l;ped out its path, descTibhigits course
HI. through Virgo and Bootes, past the
lIpole of the heavens into Cepheas and
tICassiopeia.' : MI y
L What rendered this comet particularly
Interesting was its near approach 70 the
earth, being on the i2th Of March only
seyen millions Of miles distant. The or
bit of the comet Of 1864 computed by
Pingre and Dunthome. while that oi
1866 was computed by Hally. and after
wards BY Hind, of the Scuthvilie OBJ
servatory, Regents Park, \ England. IL
was that the two orbits agreed and Pin
gre concluded that they were The same,
| and that il would return again it3Il 848 .-----
lIt WAS accordingly expected n that time,
and its ron-aPpearanre stimulated some
To resexanlination of the previous calcn-
lations. Mr.. Barber found that the al.
traction Of the outer planets, Jupiter, Sa.
turn and Hersshell, had retarded il. Mr..
Hind predicted It's appearance in 1858,
after. making allowance for the disturb,
ances. The excitement and crude specu.
iaaion relative TO ats anticipated near APP
ptoack to the earth last year IS still in
everybody's memory. There is no ne
Ieassity Of repeating that were a comet e
strike the earth II could not penetrate The
earth atmosphere. on account Of the sd:
perior density of tie latter. But the in.
clination Of the comet 70 Che earth's orbit
being so great, (36 degrees. there's could
| scarcely Be possibility Of \ brush Z
| from its tail at anytime. Iris interest.
| ing to consider thislebject in the light Off
traveller, like Won Humboldt. A jour.
| neg oftwo hundred and ninety-two years
| is no small I. tramp
| Lin 975 ii saw the earth III the midst o
1.-The dark ages, Basil and Constituting
VIII, reigaed over the Eastern Empire
! InI England, the horrid murder Of Ed
ward. the martyr, by his step mother
Elfrida, had Just been consummated. The
Norwegiaus were making discoveries j
Greenland, and soon descended uppnthi'
Eeontineht. Il
Il / in 1854, on its next visit itBswitnessec
The first regular parliament III England
land the success of the Pope lin his strug.
| gle| for TEMPORAL power ovef Italy. Til
Crasades had begun 10 tell IN their effec
tupon the culture Of lineage. sl5
I lin 1856 it found America discovered
land greedy Spaniards ,riotMg in wealth
land blood at the ancient capitol Of I'll,
lAztecs and in the Peruvian eities.--
IQsan Elizabeth had Just been established
lin England, and Montague, Seallger, Je
ironle Cardan, Tasso. Camoene, Cervan
ties, Phillip Sidney, were all inthe fowe
.tof their Ivigof, AND the: worlds creates
lgenius, Shakespeare, was Just learning Z
walk.
+ I'd i848 its visits may very REASONABLE,
be supposed to have been postponed \
order TO witness the lScompletion Of TIL
/ Atlantic cable scheme. Viewed in thi
light, we may consider a special indica
ltion of good win on the part Of that Illus
trious luminary. j.
d The best catalogue Of comets known 4
thatof Matuan-lin, 4 Chinese Astronomer
whose collection extend from 5t3 year
before Christ to A. D. 1914, oyer1tW'
L thousand wears. There have BEEN re