The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-09-22
I He DISPATC II.
WEDNESDAY MORNING. .sEPrrMBrs q lass
The Comet.

WEDNESDAY MORNING. .sEPTEMBEa n 1855
The Comet.
Those who look upon the small nebulous star
nov visible can hardly realize the terrific appear.
| aace OF this same object when. In 1864. it 40.
preached tho with tall one hundred degrees 4,
| fngh! Its tail came streaming ur 10 the mornipe
several hours before ts head, and when its nucleus
was 10 the zenith the train stretched below the
western horizon. Its train WAS first very broad,
but IL decreased In width, extending enormoustv y
10 length II is said TO have disappeared Oct al.
on the day OF the death Of Pope Urban Nv. 1t was
OF course, thought special forerunner Of that
| event.
This comet had appeared be fore in o75. and also
10 as5 and 104, as mentioned by Chinese anuaIis,s
This would give it Q period Of about 292 Years In
go its tail Was 40 degrees in its nucleus
or hesd vas 90 bright as to be visible In the day
time Its next appearance, after 1854 was In 1856.
In the month of February. Its aspect was very si.
milsr to its present one, being "some what paler
than the planet Mars, and With train of four de-.
grees In length" 1t has been known as athe
great comet Of Charles "" because it appeared in
the year 10 which his sbdication took place. The
Emperor Charles v. of SPAIN considered il an
| omen OF bis death, although he survived 1t some
years. Faorieins, his astronomer, mapped ont it's
path, describing its course ''through Virgo and
bootes, past the pole of the heavens into Cepheus
| aud Cassiopeia"
What rendered this comet particularly interest.
,hg was ITS near approach to the earth, being on
Tue 18th OF March only seven millions of miles
| distant The orbit of the comet of 1864 computed
| by Pingre and Dunthome, while that of 1856 was
computed by Haly, and afterwards by Hind, of
.he southViile Observatory, Regents Park, Epp.
land. 1t was found that the two orbits agreed and
pingre concluded that they were the fsame and
that 1t wouid return again in I84S. Il was ac.
cordingiy expected at that time, and its non
OF the previous calculations Mr. BARBER fonnd
mat the attraction Of the outer planets Jupiter
saturn and Herschell, had retarded it, Mr. Hind
ptedicted ITS appearance in 1858, after making al
ha diatvx rhop
ana crude speculation relative to its anticipated
near approach to the nth last year ia Atm In
eseryoody's memory. There is no necessity of
repeating that were comet to strike the earth it
couid not penetrate the esrihs atmosphere, on
account OF the superior density Of the latter But
the inclination of the comet to the earth's orbit
being so great, (a6 degrees there could scarcely
, ne POSSIBILITY Of brush" from its tail at any
time. 1t is interesting to consider this objec, in
light OF a traveller like Won Humboldt A Journey
oi e TWO hundred and ninety-two years Is no small
"tramp."
In 975 1t saw the earth In the midst of tho dsrt
ages, Basil and Constantine VIII reigned over the
Eastern Empire. In England, the horrid murder
of Edward, the martyr, by bis step mother, Elfri.
| da, had just been coHsrmmafed. The Norwegiaps
were making discoveries in Greenland and soop
| after descended upon this continent.
In 1854, on its next visit, 1t witnessed the frst
regular parliament in England, and the success of
| OF the Pope in his struggle for temporal power
| over Italy The Crusades had begun to tell in
| their effect upon the culture of the age.
1u 1856 il found America discovered and greedy
| spaniards rioting in wealth and blood at the an
cient capital of the Aztecs and 10 the Peruvian ci
| ties. Queen Elizabeth had Just been established
| 10 England, aud Montague, Scaliger, Jerome Car.
| dau, Tasso, Camoene, Cervantes, Phillip Sidney,
we're all in the flower of their vjgor aud the world
greatest genius. Shakespeare was just learning to
| walk.
| In 1s4s it's visits may very reasonably be sup.
posed to have been postponed in order to witness
| the completion of the Atlantic cable scheme
| Viewed in this light We may consider 1t special
indication of good will on the part of that iustri-
| GUS lumnary.
| The best catalogue of comets known Is that of
Mafuaniu, Chinese Astron ,mer " hose collection
| extend from 6l3 years before Christ to A. D. 1644.
| over two thousand years. There have been re-
| corded about seven hundred in all, of which the
| orbits Of about one hundred and eighty have been
| calculated by astronomers. The periodic revoiu-
| tions vary from three years to several thousand
years. SINE approach in their PeTeheiioD SO near
to the sun as to be heated to white heat, some
| suppose.
| Although the number of comets is 30 large there
| are comparatively few which appear to the naked
eye; ouly about fourteen in century. But to the
| Telescope, hardly year passes without the obser-
vaton OF one or more. In 1910 four were seen,
| in 1S4S there were eight
Sir Isaac Newton frat calculated the orbit of a
| comet aud demonstrated that they moved in clip.
tIcal paths. Before that time it generally sup
posed that they moved In parabolas and never re-
turned to the solar system after leaving it.
The name "comet" is derived from q Greek word
| tkome) meaning hair, and it was supposed that
| they "shook war and pestences from their horrid
| hairs Louis Repub.
| THE WESTERN HOG TRADE.-The Louisville Jour-
| nal of Saturday says:
We hear of tew transactions in hogs in this
State for few days there being stand OF, bet tween
| buyers and sellers. Gut West hogs are offered
freely at low figures. house in this city was
offered t'ceaty thousand dollars by telegraph, on
| Thursday, at two eligible packing points on the
Upper Mississippi river, at Al cts. net; and we
near Of purchase at desirable point in Indiana Ct
| five thousand head at cents let. Weunderstand
that Messrs. Quingiey Co., of Bowling Green,
| KY, have contracted for some twenty two thous
anG head to ba packed there this winter at ceurs
| net It is estimated that full $4,000 head will
/ be packed at that point this season.
| LATER FROM UTAn TERRITORY -Advices from
Great Salt Lake City to August 2l, state that the
| MoImops are in a wretcheu condition for CLOTH
! ing, and that the woman particularly seem to be
the sufferers. Brigham still remains in his place
Of security, from which il appears he is afraid to
venture among the iuceased portion of bis follow
ers. Mrs. Gov Cumming and some of his wives
| have been paying visits to each other, aud it
| would seem that they quite sociable terms.
The officers OF the United States courts in the Ter
ritoty hnd some difficulty in properly perfor
their daHes in consequence of the obstacles thrown
in their way by the Mormons
| DlsEAsE AMONG THE UrSTERS.-W6 understand
| that the oysters and clans which abound In such
profusion on our coast have become diseased. On
opening them the contents are found to be perfect.
| iy black and shriveled mp, presenting = singular
| appearance In consequence of this the souuders
| have stopped eating them altogether. Who can
tell the cause of this mortality among the oy sters
| Wilmington " CO. Herald.
| SALE OF A LARGE CorroN FAcroaY-The Proyi
dence (R H. Journal reports that the steam cotton
mill in that city was sold by auction on Thur siay
last for $4,000 and the taxes assessed upon it the
present year amounting to about $1,000 more
dessrs. A. D. J. Y. Smith were the purchasers
There are $4,000 spindles and 36s looms, with all
the usual preparations. Tho assessed value of it
last year was 100000
| NEW YORK QUARAyTINE-REmoyAL or RysrRIc-
rIoSs.-At meeting Of the New York health com.
missoners, Monday, IL was resolved to reduce the
Term of detention of New Orleans aud Charleston
vessels arriving at quarantine with sickness on
board to eight days, and those without sick to
four days. thus shortening the detention over one
| half The restrictions upon loading New Orleans
aud Charleston vessels at quarantine were also
thrown on, aud steamers from New Orleans were
allowed stream permits. Vessels from Savannah
were exempted irom quarantine.
| cago exploded on the 18th, and the flames were
carried by the wind directly on to Joy Frisbie's
| ice house adjoining, two Of which were consumed
| and some $500 worth Of ice destroyed. Joy &
Frisbies loss in buildings s $4,000, covered ny Ia,
surance. Total loss about 81, ,000
ScorT CLuBs IN MAssAcHUsErfs-The Boston
Post gravey asserts that movement 10 foot for
The Organization of political clubs Ia various oca
iIops for bringing forward General Winfield Scott
rs candidate for the Presidency In 1S60 1t is
| stated that ample funds are provided, and that IL
is the intention to run him as the peoples candi
date.
THE NATIONAL HORSE SHOW at Springfield, Mass,
closed on the 18th instant, with grand banquet,
at which the Hon. Edward Everett delivered an
admirable address. Col. Walter Harrison, of Va.
Richard Yeadop, offs. G., and Gov. Banks, Of Mass,
also made speeches.