Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-08-01
THEC0MET.

Long since, IL was m conviction
that .little boats should keep near
tbs Shore but must digress, in
consequence ofhaving read several
articles Of scientific speculationre-
specting the Comet,and the" COM
ing man, /" and the dreadful epoch,
in which we are about to enter.
Whether tits q scientific halluci-
nation Of the mind ofscientific men
that cause them to error that they
prognosticate coming events, for
the purpose Of becoming conspicu-
ous.is not my business to sh0w--it
remains only for me to remind
them that much evil did follow
heretofore In the wake of former
predictions; whilst no good what
ever resulted from them. For the
base Of the new prediction, we are
told that 1.-THE comet In the sky"
and we are to enter the " afilux Of
said comet the latter end Of July.
Working this problematical ques-
ton or the future by the rule Of
superstition, one scientific gentle
man saws 'sLet us suppose y the
comet to emil " hydrogen" with
an excess OF that which IL now
present la the earth's surface,
: man changes or dies" Should
the comet be composed Of the mat
for nf whirh Saturn,s rings
are made, it will stone us to
death.n I'f Of Nitrogen, there
still is DEATH" or man changes.
The last prediction-acme OF all,
and most terrific--is mo suppose
ton can be made which shall adj
nit OF the longer Ii e of man ~ My
object is to allay fear, not to criti-
else. Man changes or dies.
The prediction on the Divine Gov
eminent of the heavenly body,
which is soon to make his transit
ton from our view into space, are
rashly made, and do not admit of
an excuse, when we consider it as
food thrown to the mind Of those
easily excited by fear. Though a
youth, well remember the con-
sternation caused by the magma
nv flight Of scientists, and heir
written predictions respecting the
comet OF 1S43. Some of our OIL
German people remember no
doubt that one Of their astrologers
foretold the coming deer" hav-
ing seven horns, and all who failed
to kneel or make obeisance, were
to die" and although no such beast
made his appearance, many did
die through fear and some COM
mitted suicide. Nor were the pe0-
pie of our own country, less sub
ject to the terror which then l1843)
prevailed. Weak-minded. women
drowned their babes become hor-
ror stricken at their rash act, look
ed reality in the face, plunged in
and followed them to watery
grave. Men, too, young and old,
who had been unsuccessful in bus
mess and lost their fortunes, look
ing into the future and seeing not
one ray of hope for their recovery
from insolvency, were fit subjects
without recourse to their Creator
for grace to sustain them) for the
knife, rape or pistol after depicting
to themselves the then coming
events, which, after all, were only
decisions of great (men) scientists.
Is the approaching cycle epoch to
give birth to another panic fear of
the comet ? God forbid it. To tell
the truth, and shame the devil"
the words OF Christ to His disci-
Piles should keeps all who have faith
in Him, from giving credence to
any calculations which scientists
may make out; outside of their
true standing as astronomers, as
trologers, etc. Here are the words
he said "Of that day and hour no
one knowe.h, no, not the angels of
heaven, but the Father alone. -
Notwithstanding those words of
Christ, and the evil consequences
which did result from like predic-
tons made 81 years ago, one (per-
haps morel of our own nation,
takes up the echo of other scien-
lists, VIII M we thought dead, and
replaced hy men ofsfar greater in-
telIigence " He tells us of the
coming man y coming ON the
comet. 1t is comfort to know
that said coming man is not an
thropophagi, and that we WON'T be
eaten. We must infer, from what
he tells us; that the coming
man . is to come on the comet, as
he has mentioned no other con-
veyance; and, we are to change,
having become too petty for ma
ture to tolerate us longer, let Us
/" depart in peace,n and let us also
prelude the comet as being the
most fitten vehicle, we will imag-