The New York herald., 1874-07-13
THE GREAT COMET OF 1853.

tho United States-$40, ,0O0, 900 Worth
OF Property Destroyed-Terridc Tor
nadO in New York Cfty-EruPtion Of
Mount Vesuvlus-The Thermometer lit
Deg. in London.
The appearance among US OF comets, whose
huge bulk seems almost sufficient to fl
up the vast celestial regions, unfaJnomable
as the latter may be, undoubtedly on
many occasions has been attended with
violent disturbances OF the elements OF our
globe. There is some satisfaction In knowing that
the meteor OF 1S11 in which year the great earth
quake occurred In New Madrid, on the Mississippi,
Is NOT expected TO return until the expiration OF
5000 years, and tnat many other comets that have
been heretofore discovered may come and go
without revealing as much OF their continued
existence to the Inhabitants or our planet as o
JACK o. Lantern or ignis fatus. Few comets
created greater sensation than that OF 1858,
which was remarkable 1or richness in brilliancy,
the length OF its tail and the uniformity Of Its
breadth. 1t came when war was raging in China
between that Empire and the Western Powers,
when the Indian mutiny was IN progress.
and when General Johnson was approach
ing Salt Lake to bring the insubordnate
Mormons to their senses. Walker, too, was oper-
ating in Nicaragua, and there were decidedly hos
tile measures proposed In Congress in consequence
OF the visiting OF American vessels on the high
seas by English ships-ofwar. foundations caused
great suffering and loss in the United States and
there was grand eruption OF Mount vesuvus.
Sickness prevailed to an alarming extent In New
Orleans Charleston and savannah, and, to make
the year sin more memorable, there was a total
eclipse OF the sun in the month of March.
rHE COMET OF 1858
was discovered June 2 OF that year by DR.. G. 3.
Donati Whose name 1t bears) at Florence. 1t was
hsto frnrr tha rfh of
was for some time aiterward visible only by the
most powerful OF telescopes But as it's course
was observed 1t was announced that 1t would pass
near the EARTH close to the and 80 near to Ve-
nus that that planet would be in danger Traces
Of q tail were noticed August 20, and later it was
perceptibe to the naked eye in the northwestern
heavens. 1t presented when viewed in this man
ner a more striking and remarkable appearance
than when examined through the telescope. The
comet arrived at its least distance from the sun on
the 30th september, being then separated from
that orb by space Of 5500O,O0o OF miles. For the
next ten days its appearance was extremely mag
nifcent. The nucleus or head resembled
GLOBE OF LIGHT.
clothed In several envelopes OF lesser briiliancy
The Outermost Of these envelopes was continued
a lesser light between them forming the tail. This
remarkable emanation might be described as the
outer envelope broken and the broken ends
streaming behind the enclosure; as the waves OF
the sea thrown out on either side by the passage
of ship, with dark, smooth wake between. In
September the tail extended 4O000,O00 miles, and
early In the month covered thirty-six degrees The
appearance OF the nucleus and its envelopes varied
in o very remarkable manner, frequently assuming
the form OF gas jet. Emanatons OF flashes Of
light from the head appeared to pass along the
n
constellation Bo6tes were plainly visible through
the tail and suffered no diminution OF brightness:
they rather assumed pale, clear. steady aspect.
The comet passed nearest to the sun september
20, and was at its least distance from the earth
5l,0U0,00 OF mieS-on the 10th or October. On the
18th 1t approached Venus Within 9-100ths OF the
earths distance from the sum- Had it been
five days earlier the two bodies must have
come In collision. Its rapid passage to the
Southern hemisphere rendered 1t invisible in the
United States after the end OF OCTOBER but it was
followed at Santiago de Chill and the Cape OF
Good Hope for some months afterwards and was
last observed at the latter place, March 4, 1859.
In California Donatis comet was seen to great ad-
vantage. 1t occupied large space in the heavens
and was wonderfully beautiful. blazing object,
and was visible both in the morning and evening.
STORMS AND INUNDATioNS Ii THE UNITED STATES
Whatever may be said a. to comets portending
dire effects 1t Is beyond question that the United
States suffered most severely from storms and
foods during the summer and tall OF 1858. The
splendid spectacle offered by the nights when the
little consolation to the nouseless and half
drowned people in the western and southern
partS OF the union. A dreadful hurricane passed
over Bentonvilie Ark, in the month OF June, by
which nearly every house In the town was blown
down and twenty live lives lost. The heavy rains
that ell caused the noodng OF the Lower Mississip
pi. The storms OIL wind were terrific The HERALD
OF May 16, 1858, gave deplorable account OF the
river mad, with few exceptions, covered the coun-
try on both sides OF 1t from the mouth OF Lake
Providence TO Memphis. distance Of 700 miles.
and the people mad to remain in the upper stories
Of their houses the lower rooms being full OF
water. The hoods continued for months to infict
anA tufnn a1orn 10
the country. The water ran over the level plains
OF Ohio; cairo was in imminent danger and Mound
CITY was shs yaae M son
Every house in the place was blown down and
several persons dangerously wounded: d., The loss
OF property was estimated at 4O,0OO, 900.
A FEARFUL TORNADO IN NEW YORK.
On the 2lst June the city Of New York was
visited BY q terrific tornado ana thunder storm.
it lasted only hall an hour but in that short space
a vast amount OF damage was done. 1t began as
iour O'Clock in the afternoon. Many houses were
Ten or fifteen large trees We're torn up BY the
roots IN Union square and three or four n
street was nearly demolished. Wagons with their
contents capsized on the streets by the force
vessels were forced from their moorings and
driven into the stream. The American Flint Glass
Works at Hunters Point, was wrecked and two
men killed. The shrubbery was utterly Frustrated
and the streets looked like running rivers. New
York was, In fact, under water Tor hall an hour
telnber, the town OF HolderRess, N. H.. suffered
from pretty severe shock of earthquake.
ERUPTION OF MOUNT yESUyIUS.
On the 2lst OF May commenced an eruption o.
Mount Vesuvius OF great grandeur. II continued
for a considerable time, and the magnifcence OF
the spectacle brought large number Of visitors
to the spot No fewer than seven new craters
opened III the side Of the mountain, whence the
lava issued in broad streams and iell in splendid
cascades over the transverse ridges. The burning
torrents in their course overwhelmed forests vine.
yards and homesteads. They were not fluid streams,
but gigantic rivers OF glowing coke, millions Qt
'teceS OF which were grinding and rolling against
D Il other. The mass Of the fiery Hood was con.
eac. ~s and came down like cascade oil molten
tinuoL Ne upper part OF the mountain fell ln Occa.
lead. IL Ne opening OF the new craters which
stoned by H. 20 vomt forth fire. The loss Of prop.
never ceased -eat, and the shrieks OF the people
erty was very 8, ssing. The spectacle was as
were most distres Yesuvlus was girded with
grand as IL coud De. seemed to drOp down
Jewels of the utmost brlllia others and fScn pOs
became more brilliant thai rptlons CONFINED
dense clouu ascended. Inc eI eusn of lava or