Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-08-19
Look Out for CometsI

scope have shown US, among other
things, that this world pursues its
mill-horse journey round the sun
amid more perils than mortality
of before its near.sighted-
ness was cured by Herschel. Pre-
vious to the seventeenth century,
in the early part Of which Calico
the upper works Of Gre
alton one thousand times, nothing
was known of these celestial row.
dies, the comets, beyond the In
formation derived through the ma
ked eye. Now, thanks to the pro-
gress Of science, we are aware that
the highways of heaven are full
of these nuisances, and that a col
lision with one of them is by no
means impossible. No telescope
of a magnifying power equal to
Herschel's reflector, finished in
1895, has since been constructed,
and yet the tale of the cometary
family has nearly doubled within
a few years. The prospect is, if
the increase should continue in the
same ratio. that comets will event
ually be as thick in some parts OF
the solar system as Conservatives
were during the late election. In
that case, accidents will, be inev-
liable, and we cannot reasonably
EXPECT that the earth will escape
unharmed. 1t is thought to be
highly probable that the satellites
of Jupiter were twice damaged by
collision with one of these rovers
Of the skies, during the last Gen.
fury. Lexell's comet "went for
the Jovian train in 1869 and l719,
with such force that it was thrown
out of its orbit by the recoil OF
the blow. Nay, more-the same
comet made a dash at the earth in
1770, and only missed our planet
by about fifteen hundred thousand
miles-a mere trife, you know
Anothercomet, whose name dwells
not in our remembrance, ran
across our track in 1913, and, had
the earth been two weeks ahead
of time on her annual trip that
year, there would have been
shocking accident. Eight comets
whisked their tails within our Wis.
ion in the year 1916, and many
of these reckless gadabouts have
since visited the planetary system
so that it is rather surprising than
otherwise that the earth thus far
has escaped brush from a comets
caudal appendage.
Nor is this the worst. The Co
Iumbia Phoenix, published at the
seat Of the South Carolina Uni
versity, says the most wonderful
comet the world has ever known
is now to be seen, with the naked
eye, any clear night, in the North
ern part of the heavens, between
, eleven and twelve o'clock, ant
from that time till the morning
star rises. Astronomers sey tina
this comet will approach mucl
nearer the earth than any come
; ever did before, and that eithe
: the earth or the comet will have t
| .
change its course, or a collision j
. inevitable. The Phoenix compls
Gently adds that this comet is ma
ny thousand times larger than tn
earth, and is a solid mass of fire
with a tail Of fire that would reacI
around the earth more than a hur
dred times, &c. I'll
: Another writer affirms that CON
; cts are nothing but illuminate
vapor, SO exceedingly light tina
if one were to collide with "a
: earth, it could not perceptibl
penetrate our atmosphere, bu
: would recoil, like an india-rubbe
ball when thrown against a house
Still another theorist is of til
OF inion that comets are compose
of "watery vapor, or cloud, o
great tenuity," and seems to thin.
thatif we run against one Of ther
g we shall be swamped. "Onl
d think" says he, ''of a sudden ia
elof water. sufficient to raise tn
:, ocean hundred feet, and sui