The New York herald., 1874-07-17
OUR CELESTIAL ROCK IT.
Facts end Fancies Concerning Comets,
Their Purposes, Possibilities and Results.

Facts and Fancies Concerning Comets,
Their Purposes, Possibilities and Results
Last evening the comet made another brilliant
appearance In the heave s, and the usual groups
OF curious stargazers assembled to watch the mys-
terious visitor AT times the rays OF light emitted
from t. G tail seemed TO expand and form an iu-
minated "Prince's Feather;' and, again, the rays
would contract and pierce each other through ana
through Ike brilliant lances. The interest IN
this wondrous vagrant orb seems to increas Sc
daily, and the mass of correspondence received
from all parts o. toe country asking ana giving IN
formation is surprising. References have already
been made IN the HERALD to the remarkable
comets that have developed themselves IN the
gorv OF the h. avcns during the present century.
Kepler has asserted that these luminous bodies
are scattered through space with as much prou.
sion as fishes in the ocean. and Arago estlma ed
the number that traverse the solar system
at 1880, 600. Most OF the comets have
visited the celestial regions occupied by our
world Tor tie first time, and Il they have slreaGy
been with us their visits happened at periOis so
remote from ours that no human observations
have been handed down to us, even If man then
existed on earth. a comet that makes its pc ma
nent home in the solar system sutiers-in the most
literal sense OF the term-graduai destruction and
becomes dlSpefSeu all over us OrDlt or PAIN
through the heavens. The appearance OF the
comet Of 1871 made an extraordinary sensation
those of 1895 and ls4s were remarkably brilliant.
Donati's of 1858 ana rebbuts' OF 1861 were among
the most magnificent on record. The two latter
were bright as the steadily beaming mass OF
Jupiter, and were objects, like the meteor now shin
ing during the present summer nights in the
armament, OF silent contemplation 10 awaken
thoughts thas do not start except in presence
of porteptous ana mysterious apparitlons. For
lowing close on Tebbuts' comet came from the
unknown depths OF space that discovered by
Rosa, in Rome, during the month of July,
1862. Although not competing IN brilhancy
dimensions with either OF those named, yet
to observers 1t presented many features OF great
interest. The diameter OF it's coma was upwards
OF 100 coo miles ana
THE LENGTH OF It's TAIL 100000 OF MILES.
It appeared between the well known pointers
and the equally well known pole star, and was not
far removed from the position occupied by the
great comet Of 1861 though the two objects were
entirely distinct and different. 1t came nearest
to the earth on August %, travelling ut the
rate OF 1000, 900 miles day. 1t remained visible
up to the middle OF september, and on the 1lth OF
that month crossed the pane OF the ecliptic at q
point rather more than 100000 miles from the
path OF the earth. A few days after Its first ap.
pC0rdnCe Ial0U JeI OI llBNG was uOUCeu dS pro-
ceedng from it towards the left. and this was in
every respect similar to the fantail sector
to such perfection Donati's and the comet OF the
year before. The tail was faint and slender, and
the head attached to 1t like thin bulhous root
stalk-a popularity rarely witnessed in such
celestial phenomena. On August %, 1862,
exceedingly grand luminous jets, ever changing.
were plainly seen proceeding from the nucleus,
like gasiiame from an Areand burner. This ema-
n at tlnn ri
resemDed that exhibited by Halley's comet In
1888, and continued several days. The whole
aspect OF ROsa'S meteor was very like that of q
rocket turned aside from its course by strong
wind.
The comet OF 1864 was visible In August and had
head unusually large. To the naked eye on the
OF the rnird magnitude. bnt IN the telescope it
appeared as ciIcniar mass OF meDulous matter,
TALL but 1t presented no special features o. interest.
ENCKE's COMET.
by far the most interesting of that class. having
ssfh at the As"sa 6 S' %as VISIBLE BE-
years by Miss Caroline Herschel, sister OF the cele-
brated Sir W. Herschel; by Thulis at Marsees,
that the true form OF its orbit was elptical, and
that 1t had period Of three ana third years.
On looking over catalogue OF all the comets tncn
known he was struck with the similarity which
the elements obtained by him bore to those Of the
tion was identical with them. lie was
1918 was the same as the three above mentioned.
and also that between 1856 and 1918 1t had passed
at ITS nearest distance from the sun seven times
would arrive at perihcion on May p, 1922, after
OF the planet Jupiter. SO completely were these
calculations fulfilled that astronomers universally
attached the name OF Enckc 80 the comet of 1919,
not OQly as an ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF his diligence
and success in the performance of some OF the
most intricate and laborious computations that
occur In practical astronomy, but also TO marx
the epoch OF the first detection OF q comet OF short
perod-one OF no ordinary importance in this de-
peared since, though not always visible, In the
northern hemisphere. The contraction OF
ING, and it is ccnjectured that after many
ages 1t NAV be at last precpitated on the sun. In
1858 It. reached its penheon september IS, and ITS
In the year 1925, when 1t passed over the same
path among the stars, 1t presented much larger
Several new comets were discovered during the
any importance. We are now on the eve of bid.
ding farewell to Coggta's luminary, which, as 1t
moves ,u nrt1er away, VIII lose the great velocity
when 1t gers at its greatest distance from the sun,
it Will travel at vely slow pace probably not
making more than lao miles day, or less than SIX
miles an hOur, as was the case with the comet OF
1850. We may well stop moment to consider
budb peopie III every pdrt Oi tne gODe we lnnablt,
wnere COggla's comet IS visible. are gazing with
wonder, and no doubt In many places with fear,
at this unusual object whose burning tail nouts
the polar star and whose fierce BODY threatens
at acK on the brightest OF the considerations.
Such reflections must stir up profound sentiments
oil awe and teach lis how insignificant Is the rth
in comparison with the inconcevable vastness OF
the Universe. and how great Is our dependence on
the Almighty Lord and Creator OF all things visible
and invisible.
ASSAUnTING AN OFFICER.
Jacob Ernest and his wife. Rridpet uar