The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-07-05

| questionable. II the people OF this brave city OF
coming straight on for Manhattan Island they
would tremole until they shook their shoes on
/ But when The Professor says that less than two
years ago the earth was actually
| STRUCK BY THE HEAD OF A COMET
ne shonia nave stated where the head struck ne
nalVely observes 'N0t OF knew IT, IL
must nave been a soft headed comet, and II the
Professor has the smallest clew TO the place whe re
the mead struck he should start OF on voyage or
discovery and find the fragments of the skull Mr..
Bergh - In need of such specimens Tor his mu.
| heads, horses Third avenue) heads-but ne would
| certainly 90 into ecstasies over the mead OF
I comet.
PROPER Use THE sPEcTRoscoPE.
From Professor Parkhurst to Professor Rayet is
other in New York; but yet there s an interest In
the recommendation OF NJ kayet In regard TO the
! use OF the speetfoscope, which might be prohtaby
regarded here among astronomers. lie re-
marks that II instead OF placing the slit OF HE
spectIoscope across the nucleus so as 10 OBTAIN at
once the spectra of the nucleus and the envelope,
! the slit Is placed across the tail. spectrum or
without, however. a trace OF continuous spectrum,
and eacn IS separated by dark Intervals. Ia inc
tail there IT, therefore, no solid lncandescent
material III sensible quantities.
A Visit TO the National observatory
A View of the Interesting Stranger
Through the Comet Seeker-s'A Per-
! fectly Lovely Comet" - Interesting
! Statement Of Professor Hall.
/ y ARLINGTON, July 1, 1874.
the comet now visible in our northwestern skies
after nightfall would envelop the moon or brush
the earth with its tail before its departure into the
realms OF everlasting night, your correspondent
puzzled ''what TO do about It," when to his
great relief he received instructions from the
HERALD office TO settle the question in
call upon Admiral Davis and the Professor at the
National Observatory and in securing, through
them, an interview with the comet itself The
no cd
at the Observatory and, waiting upon Admiral
Davis informed him OF the object Of the visit. The
gallant Admiral, distinguished for his courtesy no
less than for his bravery, answered, 'Certanly,
! Sir: any information respecting this comet which
we can give you will give you cheerfuliy"
Your correspondent was then referred to Professor
Eastman. from whom, after a pleasant converse
! ton upon the comet, comets generally and the
Observatory, we separated, to ''come up at eight
O'Clock in the evening OF Thursday, the I'd inst, If
the skies favorable; for here, you know, we
are entirely subject To-"
"Old ProbgbitiesY'
ayes, to Old Probabilities, as they cali him.
THE VISIT AND THE INTERVIEW.
Thursday evening proved too stormy to make
! any observations. On Friday morning-the heavy
thunder clouds OF the previous night having, with
their free discharges of electricity cleared the sky
giving promise or bright armament alter night
fall-the writer vent up the National Observatory,
and, finding Professor Hall on duty, asked him Tor
the favor behalf or the HERALD Of another
chance this evening for telescope inspection
of the comet and OF his services IN
the observation for two OF the HERALD
corps. The Professor answered, 81 shall be
glad to serve you. should the skies be favorable
and think they will be; and shall expect you at
about eight O'Clock" Thanking the Professor, the
narrator came away, and, making the necessary
arrangements for the evening. awaited the APP
pointed hour. few minutes after eight, with his
colleague, he was at the Observatory and found
Professor Hall at his post of duty. "you are in
time, gentlemen" said he, "Ior the twilight has
not yet gone down; and you see, that heavy
bank Of clouds may spoil our expectations OF Q
pleasant interview with the comet. / think,
however, that in short time those
clouds will disappear, and that you
Will have satisfactory interview with
our celestial stranger. Meanwhile think you
VIII be gratifed with an observation Of Jupiter and
Venus, which are not ooscured by the Clouds"
We in the dome OF what they call the
''small equatorial" splendid telescope, hardly
small in comparison with the ''great equato-
rial IN another dome OF the building, bur distin-
guished from the other as the ''smal equatorial"
This instrument is in a movable dome on the nigh.
est part OF the Observatory, while outside, around
the base OF the dome, at a commanding
/ IL o.
spacious nat for observations with the NAKED eye
and the cOmet-seeker."
Our first observations through the equatorial
were OF that king Of the planets OF system, the
majesty, as large as the moon, in soft, mellow
silvery light with his kingy belts around him and
three of his four moons In null relief attending him.
the fourth was out OF view behind him.
They are very small compared with the bulk OF the
great planet but they stood out in the deep, dark
SKY. round and bright and in beautiful Keller.
And how fearfulIy deep and dark The sky appeared
behind them Our next observation was OF
THE GODDESS VENUS,
nearer the western horizon, and size appeared as
glbpous moon, or as the moon in ner third
tnat Of Jupiter; because she is so many millions OF
miles neafef the sun than he If there are, OF II
there were Inhabitants like ourselves upon Venus,
our planet would appear to them something larger
and brighter than she appears to as, and with this
sSo %5aa ex ~ be SST be- Sh
Now" said Professor Han, 1.-THE clouds are
stranger the comet, IS coming out in fine relief.
Let us go out on the platform and take a peep az
but our first impressions were from the general
sights and sounds around Immediately below us
shadow, and concert was gong on IN t. semi,
ass and shadows Of % n of
Arlington, and westward the lights OF
Georgetown. ON the nortnward the boundary hills
OF Washington stood out darky defined, while to
the eastward the lights OF streets and avenues and
various tall buildings, through a stretch OF two
miles to the capitol and Capitol Hin, gave to the
city an imperial aspect. But We had come TO see
The comet, and there he was fascinating little
interloper in the heavens, even TO the naked eye.
''GenLemeD,' SAID the Professor, this Is our
comet seeker putting his nand a1ectionatey .
upon a telescope liked upon the parapet, and look
ing Tor all the world Ike q mountain howltzer.
''You see can turn him and twist Inn about in
any direction, and nc comet coming within long or
short range OF the observatory, high up or low
down though he may be. can escape HIM. Vow
lie has this comet fairly within his grasp, and
will see that il is handsome comet, and a dashng
fnIln no n or has IN
MS mind TO trave.n
We took good look at the comet and repeated
- and over again, through the "comeJ
seeker,n and the sight positively charming.
There was first "a round, wen defined nucleus Of
soft, wnite light, and from 1t there was next,
streaming out from the SIDES from the end
towards the sun a broad. beautiful nalo in the