The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-09
THE COMET.

THE COMET.
We are not scientists to discourse learnedl
about the brilliant phenomenon known a
"Coggias Comet" which may be seen an
, some reflections of our own may not be unin
teresting.
: Looking at it through an opera-glass, tn
centre presents the appearance Of brigh
globe, about the size of star of the frs
magnitude, rapidly emitting golden globules
in elittering coruscations into space. Whether
such particles are actually emitted or not
they certainly appear to be struck off from the
comet in dazzling rapidity and profusion
This may be nothing more than the effect o.
the peculiar glistening of the brilliant atoms,
whatever they may be- Of which comets are
composed as occasioned, perhaps, by the
startling force and velocity with which they
are precipitated through the immensely OF
space, just as the globules of the water Of the
ocean when perturbed by storm at midnight,
glitter in its sheen from every particle Aof the
globules themselves, which in turn
refract each others light, and break
the emissions into multiplied thousands OF
reflective particles of their own. How this
may be, we, of course, cannot determine, and
it is question, perhaps, which will never be
solved by human minds, unless we should be
subjected, some day, to the apprehended con-
tretemps Of the falling of a comet upon the
earth, if indeed, such thing is to be really
apprehended as calamity. We say the fall
ing Of a comet because experience has shown
whatever their composition, although they are
said to be millions of miles wide and hun
dreds Of millions Of miles long, and thus, so
far as such dimensions alone are concerned,
the earth, and, for all we know, even the sun,
moon and stars, to-no one knows where.
1t is some relief then to those who are really
apprehensive, to be thus scientifically assured
that a comets tail is nothing or next to moth
ing-a harmless phenomenon, a sort Of vapory
or atmospheric illusion, shadowy milky way,
somehow occasioned, perhaps, by the ire
mendous and accelerated velocity with which
the comet disturbs the great oceans OF at
mosphere through which it passes, just as
the leviathan, surging through the sea
marks his passage by the foamy
current which he leaves in crested tracery Of
phosphorescent brilliancy behind him. But
whether mist or myth, or whatever it may be,
a toll 10 1ar, wa
feel assured from the fact that the earth has
heen known to cut trail through one, say
light thousand miles about the earth's
diameter) wide, and two hundred and fifty
Thousand miles long. before we got out
of the caudal ENHANCEMENT; all without
anybody being caught up by it, or
able to catch it, or find 50 much as
particle of it, or, in any particular sense, real
ize its presence, though it is supposed to have
left some influences behind it, tending to
greater or less humidity OF the atmosphere, the
Lord only knows which, if either. Even as
to the comet before US, we observed the other
night as if in confirmation of the evidently
sublimated character Of its tail, whether mate
IIA OF lmmAIoIl0l, tUHt SLtI, WHICH Inc
slightest cloud obscured, shone through it
with undimmed lustre. So we conclude, from
our own observation, that a comets tail is a
thin and harmless thing, not likely to brush
the world away in its most majestic sweep.
But though well enough assured as to the
innocence Of comets tails, we are not 80 sure
about the substaniveness or immateriaity Of
their fiery-looking heads, which, for all men
know, may be solid, burning globes and very
dangerous things = an important consid-
Grafton to Us now if it be really true,
as supposed that the Coggia Comet is
rushing full tilt head foremost toward
the earth. We don't know so well,
then, about saying. Let her come C)-darting
at rs, rs she does like an exclamation point;
ter despite the calculations of astronomers, she
may be the very comet Of 1843, which ap-
preached 70 near tho sun - to have been ex-
posed 70 h1ae tvo thousand fold greater than
49, Il rsdAat iA uso. unlen bsEnsd up.
- ny hAw bssans ) buEnisg IN heseG
- g / u rs