The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-06-26
THE GREAT NEW COMET.


WASHINGTON, June ia slender.
elderly gentleman called at the Naval
Observatory this morning, seemingiv
in some anxiety.
This Is awful said he TO one of the
young gentlemen.
What do you near he was asked.
why. the morning paper ssys that q
new comet has been discovered. which
10 great in sizs. ana is thirteen degrees
apparent distance from the sun. Is il
trueT
1t 10 quite likely
But Prof Proctor said in one Of his
lectures that he should regard it as very
ominous for the earth IL two comets
were discovered this year, and one has
already been found by Prof Swift 1t
Rochester
Prof Simon Newcomb's somewhat
rigid msthemstical features relaxed "A
he heard OF the timid mans fears. Yes.
be knew very we'll that the discovery
OF new comet would give alarm to
many people. and did not wonder at
the fear expressed today.
III there ever was any GREATER nom
sense than this idea of the end of the
world resulting from the discovery of
two comets. have yet to hsar OF it, be
said.
But Proctor has been quoted by
some Of the papers - having made
some such remark. was said.
Il cannot think that Proctor ever
made such remark said Prof New.
comb. This fear OF comets is delu-
sion. know. as prevalent as it 10 diff
ficult to disabuse people OF. Why. no
harm would come. probably from runs
ming into any number of comets
Prof Newc0mb added that he had not
yet received any information relative
to the reported discovery of the great
comet. and that the announcement of
such discovery would be transmitted
TO the Smithsonian Institution, and as
yet no report Of that kind had been re.
ceived there.
Gould we see the comet if il 10 in the
position assigned to it by the published
report this morning. the Professor was
asked.
With the asmost gravity he SAID:
You bad better 90 and look at the sun
and see.'
Suppose it is on the other side of
the sum-
Then any body anxious to see il
might get on the top Of Washington
monument, and look at the sun at su..
set with curved telescope The math-
emstical Professor was plainly joking.
Speaking seriously. be said OF comets
that nobody could tell when the earth
would be visited by another great COM
ct like that gorgeous and terrible hesv.
emily object that was seen in 1883. The
first great comet with Q known orbit,
that astronmers p .ict will bs visible
to the inhabitants vi the earth. will ap.
pear in 1910. "A large comet is liable
20 appear at any timer
Oh. yss.'
is il trus that the tail of q comet
ever swept the earthY
1t is supposed that the earth passed
through the tail Of the great comet that
appeared in the sixtesnth century,
One Of Prof Nsweomb's assistants
here snid that the earth meets fifty
million Of comets, n."re or less, every
year. Almost oil Of them are ignited
by the rapid passage through our at
mosphere. and become ahooting stars
Nov and then one does not ignite. and
strikes the earth. These are called me-
teoric stones. of which . very large
specimen ID in the Smithsonian Insti>
tion. The universe Is full OF them.
The assistant added that ID was held
by some astronomers that the result
which would follow shonld . comst
strike the earth--A large comet--would
be to rssolve both bodies at once BY the
concussi0n into clouds OF incAndsscent
mist. or gaseous matter. . result which
would bs % sudden and instantaneous
that the inhabitants Of the earth would
never know what had happened.
1t 10 probably fact continued the
astronomer. that the world 10 growing
by the accretions ef these mineral de-
| posits from other worlds. There 10 ne
question but that msNsrai matter. sky
OF comet dust. filters dawn through our
atmosphere. mixes with the aggregate,
and incssases the body Of the earth.
TIE weight in year is Of course inap-
preciabls. bat tho effect in long ages
mnst Be great.
| But the most serious question is,
whst h going 10 hsppea 10 the sun.
Our great organ Of light and heat Ia
shrinking In volume, and heat 10 main.
tsissd BY this shrinking. OF course,
this cssnot 60 on forever. The sau
viii q some time BE- sxtinguishsd. Ths
only vay then 10 relieht and rshest Il,
% to speak, would bs Tor large body
to striks the sun. dissolve Il into incan-
descent matter, out Of which anotbes
universe would slowly evolvs.'
All these are coatingencies many
years or
Well. yes. I do not think anybody
now living need 10 pass any sleepless
niehts on account Of them
Nor on account of the discovery o'
the new cometr
Nor on that account Aud fese tht