Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-11-10
From the Scientific American
Comets.


marks on these remarkable and eccentric bo.
dies Their extraordinary appearance caused
them to be regarded in ancient times with
superstitous terror, and as representations
of war and other great disasters. Their om.
nous aspect is heightened by their visiting our
part of the heavens from all directions, aud
crossing the usual west to cast course of the
planets at all possible angles. Moreover,
tho train of faint light which thoy leave be-
hind them is q substance so extremely thin
that the smallest stars may be seen through
it; and it is SO slightly pondcrablc that the
proximity Of comet of 200 600, 900 miles in
length seldom disturbs the equilibrium of any
body near which it may happen to pass.
l'ut that it has weight we have evidence,
for the velocity Of comets diminished, a fact
which also determines that the ether of illimi.
table space is resisting medium, sensible to
body of such inappreciablc tcnuity How.
ever, the matter in comet is so small in
weight that the comet Of ITO was in.
volvcd, as it were, among Jupiters satel.
lites for some months, without any distur-
bance of either to the slightest degree The
comet of the year ITO is an exception to
this rule. In that year it was seen to bo NOV.
ing in the usual cllirtical orbit, having pc.
riod of 81 years. But on calculating it's time,
astronomers found that it had passed near
the planet Jupiter, the attraction OF which
immense body had disturbed its course to n
remarkable degree, and this accounted for it's
being unrccognizcd by the scientific world,
It's period, previous to the perturbation, hav.
iny been 43 years. 1t returned to tho sun in
lII0, but was not visible to us. Again in
1919, it was SO attacked by the same planet
that it's orbit was changed into one of IS
years, with pcrhelion, or nearest to the
sun, distance OF 100000, 900 miles; and il
has never since come To our view The peri.
cd Of revolution Of Encku's comet has dmin.
ishcd, by about 3 days, in so years, that is,
in about 25 revolutions
The great discovery that led to comprc,
houston Of the nature Of the orbits of comets
was made by DR.. HALEY, that cmincut as.
tronomer asserting that the great comet of
wear. liA2, .gas '''ITSat ~ -2w11tF those. .la'
1907, 1881, aud 1856, and forctclIing it's re-
appearance in 1859. it was retarded, how
ever, between one and two years, and re ap
pcarcd in 1888. It's next visitation will be
in the year 1912, or thcrcabouts. History
mentions appearances of this comet as far
back us the year ii t. 9.
There is little reason to doubt that the
earth passed through the tail of the comet Of
1861. Mr.. j. r. Hind, the astronomer Roy
al, predicted that the transit would take place
on Sunday, June 80, of that year, and Mr.
Lowe, another English astronomer reports
that, on the evening of that day, "the sky
had yellow auroral, glare, like look ; and
the sun, though shining, gave but feeble
light. The comet was plainly visible at 7:45
p. NJ, hurng the sun shine, while on subse.
4ucnt evenings it was not seen till an hour
later. In the parish church, tic vicar had
the pulpit candles lighted at O. o'clock, which
proves that a sensation of darkness was felt
even while the sun was shining. The comet
itself bad much more hazy appearance than
at any time after that evening""
The comet of Enckc, as above stated, has
period of about st years 1t passes near
est to the sun at n distance of SO 900 900
miles, about the radius of the orbit of Mercu-
ry. Its greatest distance fron, the center of
the solar system is 3S6,00O,OOO. 1t will
reach its perhelion in January next but will
be visible through telescope aomc months
before that time. The appearance of comet
in our heavens is usually accompanied by
high temperature of tho weather.
We look for somo important discoveries, as
to the nature of these mysterious bodies, by
means of the spectroscope, the marvellous in.
| strumcnt that is destined to charm
"Iicr secret from the latest moon'
THE FLIGHT OF bullock. B.
Bullock, who has been, for three years past,
filing the Executive chair Of this State has
resigned; and Benjamin Conlcy has assumed
the role Of Governor by virtue of his position
| as president of the Senate The immediate
cause or causes which havo influenced Bul-
lock to resign are not stated The almost
immediate asscmblagc Of tho Legislature,
composed, as it is, of a large majority of hon.
est, upright mon, who arc determined to
have thorough ventilation and exposure of
tho mons.rous villainies of Bulock's admins
tration, las no doubt been the controlling
cause Which has produced this sudden but
not altogether unexpected resignation. The
recent failure Of Kimball has, no doubt, pre-.
cipitated this gratifying action on the part of
| Bullock: Is has been suspected for some
days past that bonds of the State wore issued
and paid to Kimbal largely in excess of the
amount authorized by law. Indeed this
fraudulent issue of bonds has been, within
the last few days, virtually admitted by Bul
locks political friends, and the disclosure of
this monstrous fraud, in all its vainous dc.
formty, was sure to have bcon made in few
days. We thought last week, when Bullock
left the State So suddenly and under tho
shallow prctexts which wcro gvon by his
friends, that ho would not return. He has
had good timo-has we'll fcathcrcd his own
1 ~ |, .Nrk. L., \