New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-08-13

Therefore ding the CHEEKY song
L. L. i i PP: :::||
AL tie Year RonnA
THE PLANETS PERIHELIA.
The Predictions Or Great Disaster
Within the Next Few Years, because
o. tho Pefihellon Passage OF the
Four Great Planes, All False. The
Facts ~ - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus
and Neptuno.
DECATUR, Ill.,. Feb. q
To the Editor of the Inter-O Ocean (Chicaeo):
Notice numerous articles going the
rounds OF the press predicting pesti-
lence, famine, floods, droughts, northers,
slroccos, monsoons, hurricanes, tor
nadoes, cyclones, earthquakes, volca-
noes, wars, all kinds Of diseases, etc.,
ad .sausexns, all consequent upon the
periheliOn passage of the four great
planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and
Neptune, within the next few years,
and the further fact that it is said all Of
said planets will be upon one side Of
the sun at or about the same time.
Until recently supposed these predic.
tions were the idle chimeras of idle
minds, but they have become so fire.
quent, and occupied 50 much Of the
newspapers, causing 80 much of ILL
grounded fear and forebodings in the
minds OF many, that have concluded
to :" dip my paddle in
Let me ask upon what data these
predictions are made. It is claimed
that at certain epochs of the worlds
history certain pestileuces, wars, FAM
ines, floods or droughts have obtained,
and that at said times certain planets
have been in perihelion or opposition,
or both; hence the results. Who
I" hencep' I venture to say II anyone
will show that certain planets will be
go and so at such and such times.
and that malefic effects will follow,
that he will be able to show q railroad
accident, steamboat disaster, = burn
ing church or theater, pestilenoe,
flood, drought or famine, q war, or .
Presidential embodiment in some part
OF the earth without fail.
I have recently read work on astrol.
ogy, published in London, Eng, in
which all kinds of results are predicted
az to war, pestilence, health and death
OF Kings, Queens and Emperors, con-
sequent upon certain consultations,
etc., etc., but the author is very careful
not to name any specific thing that will
follow. though. il any King or Queen is
III or dies, or any calamity occurs in
any part of the world, he very quickly
claims it as veritication of some one
Of his malign predictions.
Such things are so contemplate that
ehey almost make one sick, and I am
to have charity for those
who suppose must also, e1 pecessisate,
90 tssGnG mems in c01pore i,ssapo, in
undertaking to make plain mathemati-
cal deductions as to the weather.
Let anyone confine his predictions to
The specific things that viii follow in q
limited locality, and the per cent Of
verificatiOn will prove the truth or
falsity Of his hypothesis.
Too much stress is placed upon coin.
cidences. In my astronomical calcula-
lions have met with more than 100
condolences.
Probably the most noted coincidence
on record is the relation which Sir
Isaac Newton discovered between the
falling apple and the curvilinear path
Of the moon, called gravitation. I
have worked out tour different coin
cidences as to the relation between
falling body at EARTH surface and the
moons path, each fully as remarkable
% Newton's, yet am not prepared to
call them other than coincid ences, for
the reason that, after long ana patient
labor, / cannot demonstrate them any
more than / can Newton's hypothesis.
But it Is easy to demonstrate that any
system Of gravity which depends upon
"a original impulse must necessa-
rilY be incorrect.
The very data upon which these
maietc predictions are based are incor-
rect.
It is assumed that the perihelion Of
said four planets occur about the same
Lime, while the actual facts are that
he perihelion Of Neptune occurred on
The 18th of August. 1876, according to
ne books. But the new tables Of Prof.
Newcomb, Of the W. shinaton Observa-
'ory, which are the most recent. and
generally considered to be the most re-
N leu1s mage r. the peI,hellon point Ct
z = n,; as sc seen. from the snn) IS deg.
. mn. 81 SEC, which Will make its
perihelion in 1881; while other astron-
omers calculate its perihelion point to
oe ~ deg. IA min. 81 Sec, which would
ilisarreamant t - aovop resg. .,. 1000
he !. doctors. > = 800 $40 elons
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