The New York herald., 1874-08-11
A Curious Phenomenon Reported bN
Professor Swift, OF Rochester-The AsA
Constituent of u Comet Seeker.
rEroro tho Rnetou yournoI1

From the Boston JournaLl
ROCHESTER,, N. Y. August 8, 1874.
remarkable and unexpected phenomenon OcS
CURED on the evening OF August 3, which, SO fan
as l know, Is without any previous parallel ini
cometary astronomy. The comet was lost to tell
escopic vision from half-past eight to halfpasu
nine, and with the closest scrutiny could not bed
seen. Just before twilight had ended repaired
with my telescope to my nightly labors-comea
seeking. friend wishing TO see the comet, d
pointed my telescope to that part ol the skX
where lett 1t the night before, with the remarh
that, knowing it's direction and rate of motion, d
was going to hit it the first time. failed; tried1
again, ana JAILED again and for fifteen minutes
cloud visible In tue SKY. Never was more as
tonished, and not little Inundated, for fea1
nights I had been the victim OF an tiuJ
SION. I thought OF that venerable martyr od
fishing to the world that ne saw Saturn triple, u
again announced that saturn was as round as,
aaa Has tn0So6i my glass M ,S or
ability that after all the comet may have been only
piece or the tail OF the one which has just left us
us sort OF side show, but the Beecher-r -rtlton
scandal being the more attractive subject, had ieH
tor parts unknown. then thought or the
DISRUPTED COMET OF BIELA
ana Of its fnal disappearance bat 1t was not satsi
factory. At last happy thought struck me and
one that seemed adequate to explain the mysteryI
1t was playing hide and seek with one Of the stara
OF the opposite sex, and was determined to sed
Just how they did It. There were but five stars
that could possibly be guilty, and look at them
square In the face seemed to convince me that
they all were innocent. l could almost imagine
q guilty, suspicious look. MY friend was in1
vited to look, but he could see no evidence Of
guilt Again looked closely at each till all hadt
been examined and cross-examined, bur the
evidence was circumstantal and unconvincnga
The longer looked at the brightest star mot vls1
bic to the naked eye, though nearly sol was more
and more convinced that the comet was centrally
supertmpOSed upon the star. l tried high and
low powers, and came to the conclusion that my
eye, for many hundred sleepleas nights trained to
viewing faint nebuOus objects, could not be de-
ceived. thought OF that glorious and never to
be forgotten corona around the sun at the total
solar eclipse which observed in Illinois in 1862
ana though that was ten thousand times brighter
yet this phenomenon brought that vivldly to my
mind. Watching the star 1or some fifteen Minutea
l was gratihed to see
THE COMET SLOWLY ApPEAB
on the right side OF the star and slowly move 0ns
ward toward another and fainter star, which u
also occulted nearly centrally some two h0urS
after. OF course the comet was between us and
lignt or the comet This is the nrst time eveH
.yew1cor read OF comet bright cnough "a
be seen with an opera glass completely
the stars occultation selected another star for
comparison equal to it In Brightness and when the
star was free from all cOmetary matter ] again
still sensbly equal. What wonderful act is this
for human study and how convtncingly IL teAchea
us how little we KNOW This comet is undoubtedly
thcknesses OF glass Will hide as much light al
100000 miles OF cometary matter whatever thau
may be. The comet Is slowly
INCREASING IN BRILLIANCY,
yet 1t is without tail or nucleus. 1t Is moving q
little over half q degree day toward Alpha Ursd
MINORS. Its position is about midway between
known as to Its identity with any preceding comet
LEWIS SWIFT.