Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-10-14
Comets of the Olden and Modern
Times

Comets of the Olden and Modern
Times.
Comets is no "new thing under the sum-
A learned writer in the Boston Traveller
has devoted considerable space to their his
tory. The facts stated we condense.
The first comet mentioned in history of
great magnitude, appeared about the time
of the birth the of Mithridates. and was
visible seventy days. Its brilliancy is COM
pared to that of the sun, and its tail COW
cred fourth part of the heavens. The
Chinese mention this comet. The Chinese
l7s years before our era, also mention a
comet with nucleus of reddish tinge,
and tail between fifty and sixty degrees
long, that appeared for eighty days.
In the year of 2s9 of our era, comet of
the brilliancy of Venus appeared, and is
said to have inspired the greatest terror
The head appeared to he composed of sew
eral small stars, and the tail was sword
shaped.
A comet appeared in 5s2 of an extra
ordinary appearance. 1t is described as
surrounded by thick darkness, and situa-
ted on kind of opening; it shone in the
midst of the darknessy' The tail was of
great magnitude, and resembled the smoke
of distant confiagration.
In 6l5 comet was seen in China of a
dusky color, the upper extremity of the
tail having kind vibratory motion. 1t
was upwards of sixty degrees long. In SOL
a great comet was seen in Europe and Asia
with tail one hundred degrees long. The
comet was one of extraordinary magnitude
an brilliancy. The comet of l 1264 was
also of remarkable size and brightness
The tail upwards of one hundred degrees
in length, curved in the form OF a sabre
In the spring of l402 one Of the finest
comets on record appeared. l: was so
bright rs to be visible at noon day, and
produced great terror among the ignorant.
The most celebrated comet of the 18th
century appeared in 1472. 1t came very
near our globe on the 2lst of January, be-
ing less than three and half millions of miles
distant. 1t was visible in full daylight,
and its tail stretched across the heavens.
The comet of 1877 was of blush color
with white vapor ten degrees in length.
1t was the first whose distance from the
earth was ascertained. In 1913 Kepler
discovered comet, which exhibited cor
ruscations in its tail, of upwards of one
hundred degrees long. The comet of 1852
o1, aI h.,
of pale livid color. The comet of 1850
was an object of universal attraction, the
nucleus confused mass of light, and the
train extending over vast are of the sky.
1t was observed in all parts of the world,
and at its perhelion passage almost grazed
the suns surface, moving with velocity of
$50 900 miles an hour.
The comet of 1744 was the most splend-
ed of the eighteenth century. 1t equaIled
Venus in brilliancy, and at one time exhib-
tied six tails, emanating from the head and
forming rays like fan. In 1869 le-
markable comet was seen, with tail curv-
ed towards its extremity, and one hundred
degrees long. The comet Of 1907 had a
well defined planetary disk of a circular
form, with tail nine millions of miles in
length. The comet of 1911 may be re-
garded as the most famous of modern
times. 1t was visible year and half;
nearly twice as long as the longest duration
of any other comet. In the autumn of
1911 it was conspicuous all night. Its tail
extended over an arc of twenty-five degrees,
and was six degrees broad. In October
the train exceeded one aund ed millions of
miles. The nebulosity was upwards of
one million of miles in diameter. Astron-
omers calculated its re-appearance in about
three thousand years.
A fine comet appeared suddenly in 1919.
1t exhibited phases similar TO the moon,
and Arago ascertained that it shone by re-
fected light. In 1925 comet was visible
for nearly an entire year. The tail in Oc-
tober was fifteen degrees long and divided
into two branches. The nucleus was COM
posed of three bright points. Period of
the revolution estimated at no less than
four thousand years. In February, 1s43,
a comet made its appearance in full day
light, near the sun. 1t presented a splen-
did appearance during the first week in
March throughout the Southern Hemis-
phere. 1t approached within 10000 miles
of the suns surface. The nucleus was ex-
tremely bright, tail thirty-five degrees, as
seen at Brazil of brilliant silver color, but
with streak of bright golden hue run
ming directly into the head. 1t moved in
perihelion, with velocity of a million and
one quarter miles per hour, and described,
in little more than two hours, one-half its
angular motion around the sun.
The Donali comet of 1858 presents an
appearance that will class it among the CO.
Iossal ones of former times.
Funeral of Karl Lucas.
The funeral of Karl Lucas in Cincinnati,
the victim of q political assassin, took place