The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-01-22
END OF THE WORLD PREDICTED

NAVAL OBSERVATORY, WASHINGTON, IN
REGARD TO A RECENTLY PUBLISHED
ARTICLE-INTEREsTIN FACTS ABOUT
METEoEs AND COMETS.
Washington. Jaa. 1G.-An article. Of
which the following is 4 synopsis will be
published in The Washington Post to-
morrow morning:
y startling prediction has recently been
made that there was great danger of the
worlds coming to an end sometime dur
ing this year. 1t was stated that there
is at present in the universe Il body. of
almost incoIceivablc density, which is
going directly toward the sun. Sometime
during this year. the prediction alleged.
this mass would fall into the sun and the
immense heat suddenly generated there
by would destroy all the higher forms of
life on the earth. 1t was very soberly
stated that the people at the poles. al
though the temperature there wouid be
greatly increased, might possibly survive
this terrible heat and thus repeople the
eartl.
In order to obtain some light on this
question. Il Post reporter has been obtain
ing the views of the Government Astron-
omers on the subject. The Naval Oh
servatory was the first place visited
Professor Hall, though able to discover
Mars satellite, has not yet found the
comet which is to play such an important
part in the destruction of the world. at
is the first time have been made aware
of the impending danger" he said.
but can there be any foundation for
such prediction -
"Only in this, that have seen some
where a statement that the comet Of 1912
was to return about this time. but the
likelihood that it will fall into the sun or
strike the earth. even if it did return, is
intinitesimal. There is just about one
chance in millions and millions that the
earth will be struck by comet
land if it dido"
In my opinion, no one need fear the
consequences in the least
Then you are not concerned about
this prediction
Not much. do not care even to
speculate about it, for there are many
matters of far more value to which my
time can be better devoted"
Professor Eastman was found in his
room busily at work. lie laughed as he
read the article which the reporter show
ed him. Il don't know anything about
it, he said. as he laid it on his desk
"You see there are periodic waves of
speculation among amateur astronomers,
and l suppose this is the latest. These
gentlemen speculate ingeniously, and
people always read that sort of matter
without once endeavoring to ascertain
the real facts in the case. For instance
there is an apparently well authenticated
tradition that Tycho Brahc. an early
astronomer, predicted that this year
would be one of great sickness and sew
eral other terrible things, because four
planets-Nenus, Jupiter, Saturn and
Neptune-would be in conjunction.
is that not so?''
The Professor laughed more heartily
than ever. ''Of course not" he said.
The planets do not come into con June
ton this year at all. In addition to this
Neptune was not discovered until Tycho
Brahe had been dead about 800 years,
and he could not. therefore, have pre-
,licted its conjunction with any thing.
My idea is that this article, if it did not
originate altogether in some imaginative
brain, was based on a statement regard
ing Swift's comet
What was that?'
THAT it was moTing directly toward
the earth Three comets have been dis
covered recently, one of which was
Swift's. 1t was announced from the
first that two of the comets were NOV
ing in an orbit which would never come
near the earth, but Swift states that he
could detect no motion in his comet, and
he reasoned therefore that it was NOV
ing directly toward the earth. Had his
would have been justitiable. When, how
ever. We looked at it through our glass
we detected very rapid motion visible,
even without the aid of the measurements
ordinarily used. Professor Frisby, who
has been making a study of the orbit of
Swift comet, finds that it has a period
of about five and a half years, so there is
no danger of it striking the earth or fall
ing into the sun. II there is any other
comet coming do not know it,
Professor darkness was also busy with
some astronomical tables, but took time
carefully to read over the article. What
do you think of it p asked the reporter.
Il can dispose of it in three sentences.
In the first place there is no evidence
that any comet is about to fall into the
sun. Secondly, if a comet did fall into
the sun, it is not likely that it would in.
crease the heat of that body sufficiently
to cause serious damage to the earth
And lastly, physicists do not believe the
article states that the falling of meteor
ties nto the sun is the principal sources
Of its heat. So far as is now known the
only adequate source seems to be til,
shrinking of the sun diameter produced
by the action Of its own gravity. think
that articles of that kind" lie continued
pointing to the extract, "are not worth
a moments consideration, except to ex
pose their very absurdity.''
Professor Ncwcomb, who was fount
at his house, did not see why people
should get interested in such "unmiti
gated nonsense But they do get in
terested, for the other morning | iDunt
on my desk 4 letter from gentleman
who had read this article. and who want
ed to know whether it was true. Igues
you might as well tell your readers wha
told him-that he ought to know bet
ter than to trouble himself about mat
ter which, on it's very face. is nonsense
cal aud absurd.
THE LEAKY ROOF.
There is trouble in the household whel
the cook comes raging up the back stair