The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-08-14
Correspondence New York Herald.
EIayrd-9ut lsIantnm0ur--A Cambridge
Sayait Exploding the E0sefGld Burst
up--A Nahnieus ftunshugs- PrcTessor
WiusScsS on Conn E,ressing the Comet
Is flantamot,r Responsible:
BOSTo;s, August il, 1872

Tomorrow, thc iaih "f August, is the
time, i ,ias l,ccnrumorcd, that this mundane
sphere was TO be consumed by terrible
comet, now on IFS WHY from the llfirchly
regions. Not only thu stipclstilidllS; but
people who ,lstialIS lliSrecld nttren,!,.;S;al
calculations ii every Kind, layc in vain ell
dtaVoic,s to conceal their unea>ineSS and
nervousness on rejecting upon III" chances
OF lhcil~ existence on and after the coming
Monday. Tn" old AiIlcric followers who
have for the last quarter OF Il century pre-
dicted annually
".tE END OF ALL THINGS Earthly
have seized npon this alleged prt-liStiVn OF Il
rroMi.ciit swiss astronomer. and declared,
wilhmure carnrStness and feeling than usual,
that this time the world WAS to be most rcr-
tainiy and absolutely destroyed bya torch to
I've applied by Il heavenly inccndiary. At
their ra:nr-ncctirgs. now holding in differ
ent parts OF the COUNTRY: lbcltIlics and warn
in.r ~ this description have been proclaimed.
and the believers have been indllStriollslv
engaged i'll preparing for their terrible and
final end. Only the politicians, it seems,
have absolutely ignored the timely warming.
The charms and temptations of Office are too
great to allow even such an unusual event
rs
THE BURNING OF THE WORLD
to interfere with vigorous prosecution of a
political campaign. Among those. TOO. who
affect to believe that universal eternity is
close ut hand there have brtn no such evil
denccs of firm beiicf It's a suspension of bust
ness or lack of preparations for the possible
contingency of continuation of IL worldly
existence. Creditors have undoubtedly been
pressed lis relcntlessly as ever. and there has
been no perreptible diminishing of that uni
Ttrsal desire to accumulate wealth which has
characterized greedy humanity for SO many
generations. Lamentablc us it may all ap-
pear. it is nevertheless an apt illustration of
the old saying that 1.-The ruling passion is
strong in DEATH"
For the benefit of the world and its peo-
pie who are anxious about the future of the
planet Herald reporter has undertaken to
gather
SOME RELIABLE INFORMATION
concerning the terrible event which has been
announced for Monday. The story of the
approach of the destructive comet ut the
time specified was said to have come from NJ .
pIantamour, distinguished Swiss astrono-
MGR. He predicted, as alleged, that it would
he here promptly on Monday, and that its
effect would lie so terrible as TO render the
destruction Of the earth at once complete. In
view of an event of such general interest Il
Herald reporter set himself diligently to
work to gather particulars of how matters
were TO be conducted, and in pursuit of such
he visited the renowned Cam
bridge University Il few days ago.
rs Professor Winlock in!' | asked of an
attendant, and was cO,rteOu>ly informed he
was absent Tor Il few days on Il pleasure eN-
cursion. At this was somewhat puzzled.
1t might be that the Professor regarded the
alleged prophecy of the Swiss astronomer in
the light of hoax, and still il might be that
he, too, had discovered the approach Of
THE DEvoURING ELEMENT,
aud IVES making the best of what little timo
there was before its arrival. My only alter
native, however, was to wait in painful s,is-
pense the return of the Professor. To-day
/ called ut an early hour and found him us
calm aud serene rs summermorning. There
was such an absence Of the solemnity 1 bad
expected to find that ] ,y,ts almost ashamed
to make known the purpose OF my visit, att.t.
it WAS not until lie had shown me aii through
The great observatory that alluded, even