The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-07-08
The Come.-Profe..or sw.f;,s Report


dorchester Union and Advert se-,3d.l
Professor Swift. who resides atshe corner
of Ambrose street and Saratoga avenue, was
interviewed by our reporter last evening,
and much valuable information was ODD
tanned from him-a peep OF the comet OBJ
tanned through bis fine telescope also OF
Jupiter and his moons. with other heavenly
wonders. Professor Swift has for the past
fifteen years been engaged in searching Tor
comets, and discovered this one before It's
discovery in Europe bad been announced ID
this country by Coggia. He laughed at the
sensational articles that have been published
in the New York and other papers over Inc
|signatures of well.knewn astronomers. Inc
observations last evening showed that the
tail had increased In length from
the previous evening some three or
four degrees, and that it was tenth
brighter. It's approaching US direct. at Inc
rate of 1900 miles minute, or l,29o,ooo
miles every day, and to reach tne ealtns
orbit it has yet to travel 6,ooo,ooo n1'les.
That it will extend that distance during It's
visibility, Professor Swift does not oelie'e.
If it does The comctic matter is so rare tnat
the earth and all that is therein will be in
sensible to it. And another contingency
in its orbit to- become immersed. But the
way that tail increases in length is something
fearful to contemplate miles per
day-and the wonder will be nearest the sun
on the 10th of this month. The disc Of the
comet is more planetary than stellar, and has
a nucleus which is very bright, and from
the fact that its orbit il parabo|ic 1t Is visit
ing US for the first and last time.
GU u pf that thn
fail is splttng-that the prospects are that
il will have more than one tail to its kite
Last evening there could be observed on the
right Of the comet, nearest the sun, bunchy
nebulous mass, which is the "rooting" of
new tail undoubtedly. The tail is wide in
proportion to its length, but the ratio Of
width to length is now rapidly changing.
The peribeion distance of the comet is about
$4,000. 900 miles, or little within the orbit
of Venus. Should the tail increase in Width,
of which there is no danger, aud not be
curved too much. then we might get little
wbisk of it-but only astronomers would
know it, Business would 90 along as usual
and a possible electrical display might be
noticed: but, as before remarked, the SUBJ
stance of the tail is too thin to hurt anybody,
and then the tail is hollow. 1t is similar to
attaching lenSlll VI ~ -Si''Su
-ilumina.in both. The pump
kin might hurt the moon or the earth by
striking it, but the stove-pipe would not Kill
a flea, and be itself smashed in the bargain.
So thin is the tail that, looking through Pro-
fessor Swift's telescope, fine one by the
way, last evening, the stars could be seen.
But this comet is very important and
large one, and in the next two weeks more
will be discovered in regard to the phys
nature Of comets than has been learned IN
1000 years before. The spectroscope will
be brought into service from every obserya-
tory in this country and Europe.
On the 10th of July it will reach the near
est approach to the sun at distance OF
G3,O0O,00O miles. Longitude Of perihellon,
272 of node, about 100 degrees; inclination
of orbit to the earths orbit, some Is degrees.
The apparent motion is so slow that only n
small portion Of its visible orbit has been
seen. Professor TyndalPs predictions that
some time during its journey we shall be
"enwrapped in the haZy gories OF its tail L"
will not be verified. The separation of ma
tcra particles from the head forms the tail,
and in this the heat of the sun doubtless has
some influence.