The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-07-10

L man k1o H. oscss 49,
ma great Thatcher come. ,s- s.slssx v .'''''
great attention, Al our lsl . s, -. s...
y@ oossrvahas Ia Europe, ey. In the ssssAp ss..ss
] .nn country n hes no, ssy been ssss. ss, name.
NJ soutesfn o. 'siHAcy," ths RisA~osA pspsl
call II, -H-sAsa Il ec, ''''d . a.. the comet. u.
the confcderacy. is rapidly e~~~ -. , ,s.. !.
best, 1t 10 but . sort Of brilIiant aSta~s~--
orbit, position and identity, being aos YET sssss--
Ills - much OF . noudsscrips "whst 10 ~" aas0s W
stars Is the confederscy among the nations that
generally regarded ~ . sign Of war and that Europe
does not and cannot "ses 1.-THE appropriations o.
the COMPARISON must be admitted.
Bsyoud this god.faths -shp II the Richmond
journals, there b very Little 70 record u
regard 70 the comet II has sreauy dmin
iahed In size since nrst SurS upon US, like q
meteor on Sunday before Last and NOE very ordinary
looking comet indeed Ths nucleus ID stn distinguished
by fan shaped extension and when through large
telescope seems 10 undergo observable chaness hourly
Tho chief popularity Of the comet lAss evcnSnS was
streak Of white light running from the nucleus through
the TAIL like the quill Of feather. II 10 remarkable
popularity Of this comet also that uuAke those esoSe
observed, ~ orbit seems to have encred the SUM- ae
slipnoose, and Is apparently rsurnng upon the
same path by which approached the When nrss
observed, on the ath Of April III occupied very nearly
the same relative position towards the Great
Dppe that did last evening 1t has doubled upon it,
path through the stars and b therefore - eccentric
it, orbit 40 in IT. appearance.
The interest which the appearance OF the comet has
created has directed public attention towards Mr. Albert
r. Thatcher, it's acknowledged discovsrer Passing up
Broadway any fine evening" for year or two past you
might see, the corner OF Murray street. large seIe-
scope mounted upon large, cumbrous but ingeniOrsy
adjusted frame and stopping to notice this you observe
TALL gen!iemany looking parsonage, whose mild, plea
SAINT manners aud chidlike simplicity OF face and de-
pertinent separate him immediately from tho care
less throDg around. he adjusts the instrument,
takes observations allows passers by to inspect the
stars, taking the while in low quiet tones, and with
uency which indicates his knowledge Of the subject OF
tho phenomena Of the heavenly bodies which are in the
hed Of the telescope You Immediately that he is
no mere exhibitor for money for from some he declines
to receive any fee from others he collects small sum
and to others he refuses show his instrument At any
price whatever This gentleman whose peculiar nicely
Of dress and amieblity Of mark him a. "oha
rac!er" IL none other than Mr. Albert n Thatcher, the
disooverer Of the great comet.
Mr.. Thatcher was born in Boston, Massachusetts,, in
1929, and bis father was one Of the weaithest mer'
chants that city, and he connected with OF The
leading merchants Of New York. In 1850 Mr. Thatcher
graduated at Harvard College, and adopted the profession
Of civil engineer 1t was noticed, however,, that he
could make only rough pans and investigation as to the
cause OF this revealed the fact that his LEFT
eye had entirely lost the power OF sight.
Upon this discovery, Mr.. Thatcher Immediately
threw up his profession and having always had love
for astronomy, be entered the regular corps Of OBJ
servers for the Cambridge Observatory and sta
toned at Boston.
There here Mr. Thatcher made the street corners his
observaores Public attention attr acted to him and
to many seemed strange that Of one Of the wealth
Jest merchants should be thus engaged upon the street
Fleeing from notorety which is very disasteful "a
him, Mr. Thatcher came TO New York about two years
ago. In making his observations from the street he
only follows the example Of Lalande, the great
French astronomer, who used to exhibit bis spen
did instrument upon Of the bridges at Paris
Partly because he prefers the pure open air Of the street
and partly he desires to instruct the public and
a he expresses It, "make them happy" Mr. Thatcher
continues his out Of door observations His instrument
ID very fine better than that at Yale College
He would procure much better telescope, however
and might be persuaded to take public position
were not that he fears accidents from drunken o,
thoughtess persons The police inefficient that HI
employs mana faithful stout, Sam wellerlsh fellow
to take care Of him and his glass. This MAJ
sits in the shade Of the house, like indistinol
nebul@, when all Is quiet, but emerges, comet.lke
his master Is insuted BY midnight pedestrians. Nov
that M. Thatcher has become known to the publ,
through the HERALD his fame and the business upon whct
he engaged will secure him every respect and protect
him from annoyance and interruption.
Mr. Thatcher observed this comet on the 4h OF Aprt
last Two or three observations convinced him that
the minute taess rapidly moving point OF light nea
the North STAR he had found comet His observa
lions were then sent on TO Washington Cambridge
Europe, and Immediately published 10 tn
| HsRALp, and his discovery was acknowledge
by all the observers Of the country. Let
tiers from Hersche and Lassee, subsequently received
state that the comet had not yet appeared ia Europe
and that Mr.. Thatcher is It's undoubted discoverer
though expecting the comets return, after ts dssou
| around the sun, Mr. Thatcher could not, Of course
know its orbit, and did not see It upon that sunda.
| evening when It burst, as large and more bril-
liant than the moon, from between the psrte
Clouds and then startingy vanished, with an efsc
moro than theatrical On the Wednesday evening after
however, the comet came into the Geld of the telescope
| at the New York Observatory. "whas is this brish
bodyYn asked the observer of Mr. Thatcher cob tina
is my comet replied Mr. T., and, without any excite
| ment, the ordinary observations were resumed. Tn
| excitement came afterwards, nevertheless, and Mr.
! Thatcher is now unwe from over excitement. he ha
several nebulg now under observation and hopes
| accomplish other discoveries before loBg.
The comet is now leaving the earth with apparently
n!nshpg Speed and will set, In this latitude, about
the 10th Instant II will be Visible to the naked eye 70
about two weeks longer and by the telescope for abou
month At different hours its tail seems to point II
| wards different points Of the compass; and this
caused-not suppose, by any attraction toward
the sun, for comets tails are not like sunaowefs-b,
by the motion OF the earth upon its axis, just as Ii
esr,hs rotation causes the apparent evolutions OF u
Dipper around the North Star.
We are not to be left, however, without celeeti
phenomeuonl these trying times even after The d
parture OF the comet. Venus now appears at hafpa
eight p NJ, rising, gibbous, about ten degrees aboy
the western borzon and is. moving rapidly southeas
BY January next this splendid planet may be seen in Il
full glare Of noon.he admired OF thousands Of wonde
ing gazers.
Miss ELIZA K. BAxrEn ss will be perceived BY our q
vertisng columns, recites this evening a. Dodworth
Hail, SEE Broadway. Competent judges who have heal
her readings express the opinion that an excellent pe
| eovnarce NAV he onticipated