The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-05-14
THE WORLDS APPROACHING END.
DOUBTING THE AUTHENTICITY OF PROC
TORS ALLEGED PREDICTION.

TOR ALLEGED PREDICTION.
The destruction of the world is mat
ter of such grave interest, and as Profess
sor Proctor was long ago credited with
the prediction that the comet of 1912
would reappear this year and destroy the
world in next July, and as Professor
comet. a reporter questioned VI. B. Sny-
der. Professor Of Astronomy in the High
school of Philadelphia. to discover any
facts pertaining to the subject in posses
sion OF that gentleman. The result of
scientific Investigations would seem to
place the exact date in doubt. but as it is
some billions of years in the future. pre-
cisencss as to time is not of great import
ance to the present generation of men.
Professor Snyder said he did not believe
that Professor Proctor had said the dis
covcry of comet this year would augur
the destruction of the world. The re-
cent discussion of the matter is simply
Que Of those revivals of interest in an in
eyplicable subject which have taken place
with a good deal Of irregularity Cor thou
sands Of years. The only curious thing
about it is that so much superstition
should still be abroad in this century of
enlightenment.
In answer to questions Professor Suy-
der said: THE destruction of the world
is a very silly matter to talk about in the
present state OF science. do not believe
that Professor Proctor was foolish enough
to make the statement that she discovery
Of II comet would presage the worlds
destruction, and if he did he must Ger
tainly be 4 veiy foolish man. 4 half
dozen comets plunging in upon us would
result in no disastrous consequences even
if the world should come in direct COLI
sion with them. In 1913, the earth is
supposed to have passed through great
comet, and beyond certain haziness of
the atmosphere, which was attributed to
the fact, no one knew anything about the
presence Of the cratic heavenly visitor
Science can assert with more than proba-
hlity that the world will never come to
an end by collision with comet. There
is not enough matter in a comet to pro-
duce such dreaded catastrophe. Peo-
pie have always been superstitious about
comets in former times because of ignor-
ance in reference to them. But science
has So far advanced and knowledge ill.,
creased that it is more than marvellous
that tn public and the newspapers
should be discussing this subject in the
latter end of the nineteenth century,
People had better be attending to their
daily duties instead of bothering about
the end of the world"
Glow about the coniunctions of the
great planets
"All the great planets. except Uranus,
are now in the neighborhood of the sun,
and rise or set within few hours of each
other. They are said to be in perihelion
that is they are nearest the SUM-
Does the fact that the great planets
are in perihelion have the effect of caus-
i'm epidcmics or disaster of any kinds in
the earth 90
In what respect we are affected by
the perihelion of the planets we must de-
termine by the forces which they exert
upon us, either directly or indirectly, and
those forces are purely gravitational. So
far rs what may be termed the direct
gravitational forces are concerned, it has
been shown that all the bodies in the
polar system moving according to the
laws of gravitation, do SO in manner
perfectly and eternally balanced. The .
is, as researches thus far go, no known
force which will at any time disturb this
balance
Does this fact that the planets are in
perihelion have an influence on the suns
spots and thus indirectly affect the
earth?
1t is supposed by some astronomers,
and With probability, that the arrange
mcnt of the planets does affect the suns
spots. There has been. as some suppose,
a relation shown between the situation of
the planets and the number of spots on
the sun. 1t is known that Simultaneous
ly with the variation of sun spots occur
variations in terrestrial phenomena. such
as magnetic and electrical variations, and
it has. indeed, been attempted to be
shown that cyclones occurring in equa-
turial ATTITUDES vary in extent with these
changes in the solar spots. Even these
matters are still called in question by the
more cautious, and in any event the sug-
geStion Of such relations are, as fur as
science has gone, in the direction Of the
subject.
SIS there. then. nothing of which Won
are aware as an astronomer which points
to the final destruction of the word ?''
Yes, the SUMS light and heat, eva'