The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-07-11
HOME MATTERS.


Old Sol may have had the satisfaction of max
ing il pretty hot for us during the past week o.
two in the day time but he couldn't roll US o
the qualification of sitting on our front porel
ut night, basking in the cool breezcs and lookin.
up through a HELD glass at the comet, IL Is on'
of those shows we can see without needing Il
thank him for CLINT OF light, and though
beats Il circus there is no charge for admittance
We don't exactly know who Mr.. Coggia is
but we tender him our Acknowledgements for cX
hbting his comet wi,hou charge, and in The
cool OF the evening instead of under broilins
sun.
The comet has been fairly visible TO the naket
eye since the 1st inst, its position at first being
below and west of the North Star, so that by
taking the left star of the Pointers, uower stars
of the dippcr,) the North Star and the comet
the three formed an isosocles triangle, the csme
being the lower angle. Since then, however, i
has moved apparently n degree or two lower anf
westward, SO that last evening it was in direc'
line with the stars forming what is called TIT
Bears Shout.
The comet came so suddenly and unheralded
that thus far the astronomers have had little &c
say about it. The only one who has been figuring
on it to much purpose seems to be Prof. Park
hurst, of New York. He says of its movements
after July I'd:
The nucleus will move toward the south
while the tail will increase in length, so rs Ia
bring its extremity gradually northward. On
the 18th Of July the head of the comet will have
reached the horizon in the northwest ut the end
of twilight, so that it will not easily be visible
Nov thatI data lint In tni1 veil
to the polar star.
Donati's comet had Il rctrograde motion, and
when the earth met it, and the tail was most
brilliant, it was placed at nearly right angles
with the line Of vision, On the other hand, this
comet whose perhcliOn distance is very little
greater, coming Just within the orbit of Venus,
moves in the same direction with the earth, ana
nearly with the same velocity (redueed to the
plane of the equator in consequence OF which
the tail, which is now nearly at right angles with
the line of vision, will gradually turn toward us,
still apparently pointing in the same direction.
II will be remembered that Donatis comet was
curved like a soldiers plume; but Coggia's is
now and will remain nearly straight, because the
curvature will he directly from us, and therefore
NOTWITHSTANDING difference from
the tails OF comets generally Is that 1t Will bc so
fOreshortcncd as to be remarkably wide at the
end.
On July IL the tail will extend far beyond the
pole. and dcyclOpe a new characteristic, tapcring
of rapidly toward the end. Within three or TOUR
days after the 10Th, the tail will have become so
extended in the neighborhood Of the pole rs to
fill a large part of the northern heavens. Yet 1t
will not be conspicuous object, because il will
be so faint to look rather like an immense
cloud or new milky way than what il really Is.
BY this time we shall have solved the question
whether the tail is hollow or has radatcd
structure, or what is its constitution.
In his first paper on the subject, the Professor
made the somewhat startling prediction thai
- on July 22d the earth will be wholly within the
eastern edge of the comets tall and as TO the
effect this would have upon the earth, he was OF
tie opinion that it would be unapprcciabc fur
Their than "possible electrical phenomena like the
Aurora Further:
1t will, of course leave us portion OF its al
mosphcre when il departs, but probably not
enough to affect the barometer, or to come with
in The cOgnizanCc even Of scientists. But there
may be, by possibility, one permanent effect OF
scientific interest and curiosity. If the earth
should not entirely escape, the moon Will also
probably he involved, and it viii also retain
portion of the comctary substance. AS the
amount Of atmosphere upon the moons surface
is now so small, it, indeed, there is any at all,
that il is unrccogniZablc by the incest astronOm
ical scrutiny, perhaps after the passage OF the
comet we shall find that hcnccforth the moon
ty, which will materially modify the phenomena
Of OCCUPATIONS and solar eclipscs
The Professor, however, relieves IA immensely
by the assurance that Venus is safely ont of The
way, and that the transit expeditions will not he
ntcrfcred with in 1874.
So far so good. But now, in another cOmmu-
Dication to the New York TriJuae, the Professor
greatly damps our high-wrought expectations
BY telling us that, not having in his former cal
,ulation taken into account the fact that "a par
ticlc leaving the head Of The comet June 80 will
On July >? he still outside the orbit Of the earth,
and that therefore, the portion of the tan near
est us will be more than two days hchindhand in
,rossine the cclptic. il j. 80 yet somewhat
doubtful whether we shall be involved within the
comets tail" That would be- too bad. We have
,ui,c q rare 10 loudle the tail Of that comet.
U,SSix. Edao,x-The Republican, in recent
article. headed "No Change in Licensc-.jubce
If the Bottlc-Tippers over the Decision Of the
'ity Council" says that McGinnis, inspired by
he greatness of the victory and the applause Of
MS apprcciativc hearers, was exceedingly volu.
bic and tedious.
lotoriety 20 enter into controversy with the
,ditor of the R.pu6i'cgn ON any subject. How
.ycr, deem it duty which owe t. my friends
md myself To say that the above article is intend
ID to place me in false position rs viii bc at
once perceived by any one who will contrast it
with the remarks To which it refers. Whether
his was the intention of the writer or whether
{ wa, done through his ignorance or stupidity,
ne j. equally culpablc.
In the INST place, am no bottc-tippcr as the
,r,irlc in question would have its readers be-
icvc. expressly stated at the commencement
If my remarks that ! was in favor Of temper
lncncc, using myself neither distilled nor malt
iquor in any form.
| distinctly remember having said that as FAR
a. the intentions of those engaged in the pres.
ent movement are good, to That extent they are