The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-07-13

orbit, SO profound had become the pub.
lie interest In the matter, that the import.
ance Of at once allaying the excitement
by o mathematical demonstration OF the
impossbllity OF o collision was apparent.
The Signal Service Bureau, therefore, ap-
pointed a commission OF savans 10 make a
i report upon the true path Of the comet.
This commission was appointed on the
10th OF June, and their report was pre-.
sented on the Goth. Unfortunately 1t
settled nothing. The commissioners, who
were eight in number, were divided. Four
held that the comet had clearly been
turned from its former orbit by the attrac.
ton Of some distant planetary body
probably the moons Of Jupiter, and that
1t would therefore pass nearer the earth
than 1t formerly had done. They, how.
ever, asserted that 1t could mot come
nearer than about fifty millions Of miles.
The remaining four commissioners, on
the contrary, decided that II. Planta.
mour's calculations were entirely accu.
rate, and that the comet would strike the
earth In the following August. They
nevertheless argued that no serious dan.
ger was TO be anticipated, and the COLI.
sion would not produce any result more
important that caused by the fall OF a
rather large meteoric stone. The sub.
stance Of the comet would be condensed
they held by tie pressure Of our Rtmos.
phere, and would very possibly prove to
be no more than few feet in diameter.
OF course this only increased the alarm,
and the comet became the universal
theme Of conversation. On the 2Sth OF
June 1t became visible to the naked eye,
and from that time onward the streets
were thronged at night with gazers OF the
alarming phenomenon. The press deyot.
ed a large space daily to "Comments on
the Comet" and cases of insanity pro.
duced by fear Of the coming catastrophe
became frequent The illustrated papers
made harvest by the publication of
frightGul pictures OF previous comets, and
the number Of men who erected battered
telescopes on the sidewalk after dark, and
reapeda harvest by showing telescope
views Of the comet, increased week by
week.
By the9th of July tho comet presented
terrific spectacle, such was the velocity
with which it neared the earth. It's head
was then near the star "Alpha Lyra," and
its tail, which was fan shaped, expanding
at the end, covered an arc OF eighty.five
degrees. Its light outshone that Of the
moon, and the lighting of the street lamps
was Unnecessary, Business was not per-
ceptibly affected, and the theaters were
more crowded than ever before. It was
also noticed, on the other hand, that the
churches were unusually full, and though
no especial meetings were yet held, ex-
cept by one or two obscure sects with
second adventist views, there was per.
ceptible increase in public interest in reli-
gion. The comic writers still joked upon
the matter, and the papers that had pre-.
viously disbelieved the prophesy were
still inCredulous. The Times and Tribune,
however, began to admit that a collision
might be possible, were some unknown
comet TO appear, but stoutly denied that
there was any danger from the comet then
visible. As for the. World, it demonstra.
ted TO its own satisfaction that the comet
instead Of approaching, was actually re.
ceding, and in the fervor OF its arguments
recalled the splendid casuistry with
which, during the Franco.G German war, it
won French victories daily until Paris
fell. In Europe the excitement was great
CT than here In all the Catholic countries
fast days and penitential professions were
openly ordered by the church to avert the
impending calamity. In England there
was great uneasiness manifested among
the working classes, and the Methodist,
who held field meetings all over the coun-
try, made converts by the thousand.
1t is unnecessary to dwell upon the
steady increase Of the excitement here
during the month Of July. By the 1st OF
August all hope that we should escape a
collision had been abandoned-except by
tho World, which never omitted Its daily
proof that the comet was receding. The
only question which now divided scientific
men was the hour when the collision
wouM take place This became matter
of the utmost impoItahce Were II, to
occur during the day, the comet would
strike somewhere on the opposite hemi-
shere, aud it was then hoped that the PEG.
pie of tho western world might escape all
injury. Most of the scientific men as.
serted that the blow would tall at G A. N.
on tho 10th Of August, and that the i'm.
mediate point. of contact would be the
plains Of Siberia. An unfortunate as,
tronomer who took the opposite view,
and claimed that the comet would strike
near Washington, was denounced as q
traitor by the Tribune, and narrowly es.
capped mobbing. There was yet no ap.
parent falling of in the number OF Gus.
toners at the shops and brokers' offices,
or irthg throngs which filled the thea.
ters. II was known, however, that
large purchases Of goods were made by
retail merchants, and that business in
real estate was almost at stand.still
The Catholics were now holding daily
services in their churches, and many Of
the Protestant sects were following their
example. There was in TACT q strong re.
| yival of religion in progress everywhere,
but at the same time the thieves and bur.
glars were unusually active. The police
had relaxed their strictness, and many Of
the patrOlmen neglected their beats TO at.
tend religious services, thus giving the
dangerous classes an opportunity Of
which they at once took advantage.
i On the 9th Of August, for the first time,
there was general neglect Of business.
The steamer for Liverpool carried but two
Passengers, and the railway trains were
thinly patronized. During the day the
churches were all open, and the stores
/ for the most part closed. Wall street
alone kept up It's interest in worldly
things, and bought and sold as though no
cpnet had ever made its appearance, Sin.
tGularly enough, q very large number OF
marriages were celebrated on this day,
though during the previous three weeks
there had been fewer marriages than at
any time during the last twenty years.
: The comet was now q stipend us sight.
Its nucleus was nearly as brilliant as the
! sun, and its tail swept below the horizon,
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