New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-19
THE IECTTRE.

The longer | continue to give these lectures
In America the more my difficulty seems TO increase.
when Boston. asked to give twelve lectures. and
feared would be too great task. Before came over
TO America thought 1t impossible that any audience
would attend many as twelve lectures; but since
then since that diligently has passed away from my
mind the feeling have is that these lectures are not
nearly enough to give the facts | would like to
ay before you. EIch time | give lecture
feel more and more how much have TO omit. men
ton ths because should Ike you b. bear in mind that
II bring the facts rapidly before YOU IL Is
due to the difficulty under which labor. feel that
am taxing an audience greatly ny bringing facts before
them one after another with such rdpdity. II Is only
the confidence have in American audiences which i'm
pes to 70 with these lectures bringing ON these
facts without giving ne ~ 1t were for any rest OF
mind. desire you however 70 recognize the difficulty
snder which | labor.
The subject deal with tonight is really fit
subject ortwelve lectures II is full mysteries. and full
also OF discoveries which have recently been made
deal with il In lecture is somewhat ambitious
attempt, We have. to begin with. the great wonder
shat comets and meteOrs should in any way he
associated they unlike each other. Comets are
very large bodies much exceeding the sun in magni
Jude and the largest OF the stars, and having that
mysterious faculty that they possess OF coming from
athOmlcSs depths OF space, after journeys which must
lasted millions OF years, rushing mp toward
he Sun. passing close around him. and then paSsin
away with hint what depths of space they will
~ to- II is strange fact that should have TO asso
nate with bodies like meteors, so small in dimen'
uons tuat a child could in many carry them.
bodies 80 large that sinks into insgnhcance III
COMPARISON with them.
the COMETS COURSE EXPLAINED ny GRAVITY.
Now let pass % the facts most important In this
natter Again remind you that am obliged to leave
,ut the dealt with our textbooks of asrono-
nv 10 take the more striking facts associated with the
falrop nv asfr1 Of
,egn with comets VIC have in the first place the fact
that from outer space. and after travelling
almost directly toward the for long period
l time, circle around him. and pass away
again into the depths or space. There Is a
act which seems at first to remove them from
Al, the ordinary laws OF motion certainly all the laws
presented by the planetary system; but it was pre-
,scIy In that especially that comets first asrOnO
ncrs proof that there resisting the truth of
The law OF gravity Newton took the comet OF $780, and
saving found that it travelling parapoc course
better described as an exceedingly long Oval-was
able that comet would follow such and such
cOurs although its Orbit was OF an entirely different
planets and continually changing day
by day. Yet he said: IL Will follow that body and
eel precisely where it VIII go - and 1t was this
mastery Of Newton the laws of celestial motion that
5t convinced astronomers OF the truth OF the laws OF
gravity The and folio wed the precise path
mat Newton suggested Let us see how the comet
moved. 1t travelling up toward the sum- seeming
20 move directly toward him. marked among all comets
Oy directness of It's path toward the When 1t
was within sixth part of the suns diam
.tor 1t circed around him aud then
passed away on track precisely like that on
which IL had arrived. Like all other comets of
distinction 1t had long tail and as 1t approached the
sum- that tail extended according TO the known laws OF
comets away from the sun, and was thus carried be-
aind the comet; but as the comet passed around the
un-and passed around it in few hours when it was
een on the other side, long tall cannot call IT the
,ame tall-a long tail, 90O0O,0O0 miles in ex-
cent. seen, no longer carried behind
The comet but travelling now in front of 1t
ind in the day two that that comet lost sight Of
hat long tail thrown out by the retreating comet
Now that comet had taken four weeks in approaching
she distance Of 9OOO10OO miles, though hav-
mr. at starting all the velocity with which II mad ar
rived; but IN less than four days that wondrOus tal
N.0O0JO miles long, thrown out Ill front OF the