The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1872-04-11
The Coming Comet.

OF The peIcga astronomer, :iter the manner
following: ave have reason TO know, If
says, ''that many weak people have been
alarmed, and many still weaker people made
positively i'll by an announcement that has
appeared in almost all the newspapers. to the
effect that Professor Psntamour, OF Geneva,
has discovered comet of immense size
which is 10 collide, as our American friends
would say, with our plauet on the 18th OF
August next We fear that there Is no
foundation whatever 70: the rumor. In the
present safe OF science nothing could be
more acceptable than the appearance Of
good large comet, and the nearer il comes TO
US the better. for the spectroscope has long
account to settle with the whole genus, which
up to this presen, time has eluded our grasp.
But il is rot too much to suppose that the
lavmen IN these matters might imagine tina,
The discovery would be TOO dearly bought by
the ruin Of our planet. Doubtless, il such
ruin were possible, or, indeed, probable-but
let Us discus, this point. kepler, who was
wal;t 10 say that there aye Is many comets in
tie sky p fishes in the ocean. has had his
opinion endorsed in later times by Arago,
who has estimz:ed the number Of these bod
lss which traverse the solar system at Il, J00,-
600. EC! what follows from thisg. Surely
that comets arc very harmless bodies, or We
should have suffered from them long before
this, even II we To not admit that the earth
Is a Old Is geologisis would make il. But
this Is not ALL IL is well known that some
among their number which have withal put on
very porien,ious appearance, are merely the
celestial equivalent OF cur terrestrial wind
bags'-brougL; down 10 their proper level
trey would have shriInk INTO very small d.
nensiOBs indeed. But there is more COM
fort still. The comet OF 100 positively
got 50 near 10 Jupiter that it got eutangled
among his moons, the diameter Of the
smallest Of which is only some two thousand
miles; but the moons pursued their courses
as ii nothing had happened, while the comet
was 50 discounted by the encounter that it
returned by another road. e, astronomic-
ally speaking, MS orbit was entirely changed.
While, last Of all, in our correspondence
this week, will be found che fact the more
in favor Of the idea that, in 1861, We
actually did pass through comet. We
have suggestion for those weak people who
are still alarmed by these celestial portents,
and steadily refuse 10 acquain. themselves
with The most elementary work on astronomy,
which would convince them how groundless
their fears are. In India, during the last
eclipse, the priests reaped magnificent har-
vests from the offerings of the faithful. In
England, possibly, il would be considered
incorrect 10 make such offerings to the priest;
but let them still be maHe-to the Roysl As
Society In this way the
English Phiiistine would approach nearer
he standard Of his less civilized brother;
science would be benefited, and doubtless
he omen world be ayeried-at all events
hey always have been.
(. i5.s.rs.cef;II Scene in r:.c Virginia
Legislature.
There was a very exciting scene in the
House OF Delegate, Of Virginia, the other
lay, between two conservative reputation
members, both from The Valley, which, bu:
or tie prompt interference of the Sergeant-at
Arms might have had bloody conclusion.
The disposition o! the lard scrip granted by
JoEgrcss Tor educational purposes was the
question before the House. Mr.. George DE /.
Nea!c, OF Rockingham very old man, who /.
lad been ia the State Senate for seventeen |
-ears before the war, was making some re-
marks, when lie was interrupted by Captain !
OF Shenandoah, brilliant |
'oung Repre- sentative, who is also the editor |
# paper IN that section of the State.
Mr.. De Nealc turned upon Eiddlebarger |
nd very anSriIy denounced him as a damn
d puppy and scoundrcl." Eiddlebarger at /
,ncc went for De Matchmaking directly |
or his scat-saying, "I'll Gu, your entralls
MT, il YOU are an odd man. Whether he I
lrcw a knife or not is no. known, but the I
caught him before he .
cached his objective point, and both the /
honorable memuers were arrested. They /,
ycrc subsequently, brought before the bar OF /
he House, and were hliled in the sum Of
> 900 each to answer in the morning for 4 I
preach OF privileges. There was political I
cud OF long standing between tho Valley
members, which las Illus assumed the form
u open war
Tie old Whigs and old Democrats NAV be I
oEccd by the exigcncics of the times TO sleep /
osetker, but it is impossible TO keep them
rom kicking enc another, and therefore they
make very unsmiable bed fellows. The incl .
lent o! course caused intense excitement in .
he House, and fer time all business was
Gsverdoa. The old aris;ocracy Of Virginia .
AS a,.' few Representatives, which are still .
o J.. !DGIi lying around the Capitol and
hcse were .grsihly outraged at this innova-
ion upon the digniiied manners OF the
ncicnl rcgiHsf, aua they den0unce the whole .
.cgisla.rc IS Tie shah5ic-l set Of vulgar i'm
.ec:ies and Ignorant incomV STEMS that ever
iisSFac1l the Capitol of the good Old Com
nonwealih, not even excepting the "Black
nj Tan Radical Constitutional Convention
/ "1-lS.