Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1881-06-30
The New Comet.
EXCITEMENT CHEATED BY ITS APPEARANCE
BOSTON AND ELSEWHERE.

EXCITEMENT CHEATED BY ITS APPEARANCE
IN SCIENTIFIC CIRCLES N WASHINGTON.
BOSTON AND ELSEWHERE.
Washing on Special t. y. Y. sun
Just before O'Clock Thursday morning
the writer was summoned to an upper story
window by a night watcher in the hotel.
Pointing to the horizon just east of the
Georgetown Heights. the watcher said :
Don't YOU see that distant fire ?"
Shooting up from the horizon was a
bright. sIlvery. perfectly defined and steady
stream Of ght. fan shaped. 1t was wholly
unlike the light of distant conhagration.
The stream seemed 10 reach further and
further up. pointing to the pole star. The
boundary lines were we'll defined. and CON
,erged. II was no FIRE. There were none
of the waves Of light Sugge sting an aurnrIl
display. lhe distant glitter of moving
electric light vas the only explanation that
could be- gwen of the singular phenomenon.
suddenly there arose from the horizon a
brilliant disk Of light. bright A. Venus at
her brightest. and fully a, large As that
planet appears. Into this disk or nncleu,
the fan-Shaped stream of light convcrsed.
There Was no longer any doubt; it was the
bursting into view of a comet. the Ike of
which has not been seen since DonatI'>
comet oi tWcnty-thrcC Years ago
The comet rose rapidly and became a
splendid object. At 3 O'Clock il was about
fifteen degrees above the horizon and FORTY
FIVE degrees north Of the moon. At this
altitude the tail was about ten degree, long.
1t moved apparently rapidly IN an easterly
direction, and was visible tail after sunrise.
When Prof. Simon Newcomb heard of the
visitor TO-DAY he expressed extreme surprise,
as did his assistant. Mr.. Mason. They were
not disposed to credit 1t. believing rather
that a meteor had been seen.
If YOU really saw such an object, then
you have brought Us extraordinary news, es-
pecialll so as We have not heard Of the d--
co,cry from any other place" said Mr.
Mason.
The small telescope was put in order. the
books and records Of comets we're searched.
and preparations were made for study Of
the comet tonight.
Al the al observatory the astronomers
who we're figuring over their logarlthms
quilted their work and gathered around in
such excitement a. Mathematician arr not
supposed 10 emo, a. they listened to the
news. 1t happened that th, only uh>cr, A.
tons that were being mad, a, the cb>-r,a-
tor, last night were Of planets IA another
part of the heavens. and great regret was
expressed that the astronomers had not
made the discovery. Tn, telescope was
fixed, and every thing made ready for an
obseT, alton to night.
This SAID one Of the astronomers. is
clearly one OF tho. rare comet, that burst
upon us at once IN a. their hrl.l5lncS. This
l. an exceedingly, Fare occurrence. GENERALLY
comets art first discovered by the telescope.
aud then increase IA size a. they come nearer
the earth. From thc description. TIN, Will
L. a comet Of remark able hri,liancl. and
will be regarded with terror. no doubt by
the supcr>titious. It, arrival was wholly
unen peclet We have heard Of dlsco,-
eries in South America. and Of Prof Swlii's
discovery Of telescope comet al Rochester
hat no astronomer, we're locking for any
such VISITOR as this one appear, to be
Na>h1uglnu despatch Ia the Boston
Journal Of June oath ,at,. The new
comet va seen last night b, the Official, al
the Naval Oo,ers 4iury. although under rath-
er uutayorabie circumstance. OWing To
the C.oud.ne,s. satisfactory observation
could not lee made. /; va, determined
however. tina; toe nucleus Ia, q hr!l.ilBCN
equal 10 tina: Of til, sta lap,l.a. which =,
the brish;c>, star IN '4r hc4,,u,. and s.,
large appafcutl, the plane; Mar. with q
Ia. nc4ri, fifteen degree, long. Il, notion
j. about eight degrees. nr,.,t..l. tina, Of
Cape.ll and : from uurtt.Wc., o. northeast.
l. should be ca>l., seen immediately after
sunset. If clear. " hen il ulli disappear below
thu hurlzun t1 rise a-Au airal' tVH u'gsugk
IN the morning !, ], pnl"ub',GI, .l,. sam,
comet that M, d.>co,,r.! b, nr. Gould az.
South America. auI promise, a. D, IF cN-
;raordinar, brll.au-,.
Al thu Cambridge Ob>,r4:ur, .U-cg pn.
ser, alton, we're maj, luu5>ul1. Iu..A, al!
SATURDAY.. hui cloud, prevented 20. Obtain
ina, much valuable, information al. 81