The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-17

1866 this little comet should have returned.
but 1t did not. 1t was lost. 1t was dissipated.
That its material was hanging somewhere in
fragments about the earth Is proved by the fact
tffat when in November 1872 1t was rediscov-
cred moving of from the earth into space 1t
had decided nucleus. but the tail was gone.
The meteor shower experienced in Europe In
November. 1879. is unhesitatingly ascribed to
the fall OF gravel stones once belonging to the
trail OF the Bela comet. but which, as they fell.
blazed and consumed themselves with the fric-
ton Of our atmosphere.
one word moro boforo we take leave OF Mr..
Donnelly's interesting hypothesis. 1t may bv
said that the case OF tho Biela comet seems to
tell against this theory. II the hugo Drift de-
posts on the surface OF our earth fell from n
comet. how did it happen that this clay dust
and these pebbles werc not consumed before
reaching the earth by the friction Of our atmos-
phere. like the metcoroids believed to have
been detached from Bieas comet2 Here. ac-
cording to Mr.. Donnelly. is the difference. A
moteorite is detached. isolated. lone wander
ing, lost In space; it comes within the tre-
mendous attractive power Of our globe II has
no parental attraction TO restrain it; and 1t
PUSHES headlong with lightninglike rapidity.
burning itself away as it falls. But suppose,
says the author. two heavenly bodies. each
ing its own scattered materials In place
90 its own force. to meet each other; then there
is no more probability of the stones and dust
Of the comet flying to the earth than there is OF
the stones and dust OF the earth flying to the
comet" lie goes on to contend that the Mt
tractive power OF n comet like that of 1911. or
that Of 1Si3 vast enough to hold the gigantic
trail in place through reaches OF space 100 600.
600 miles in length and even close up to the
eye Of the sun itself. would hold its dust and
pebbles and stones together until tho very mo-
ment Of impact with the earth. Thereafter the
dust and stones would cease to follow the
comet. for no other reason than because the
solid mass OF tho earth had got in
their way and arrested them. According
to Mr. Donnelly's theory 1t was the ter
rifle force, Of the comets attraction that tore
and pounded and scratched and furrowed the
earth's face in the way disclosed BY the crushed
and striatrd rocks that underlie the drift ,
,Postulating the truth of this hypothesis that
collision of the earth with one OF the wander
ing lumnares OF space. the inquiry at once
casion during ali the thousands Of millions OF
years in which our planet has been circling
around the sun that such catastrophe has oc-
CURED? In one Of his last chapters Mr.. Don
nell essays to demonstrate that written in the
rocky pages of the geological volume are the
records of repeated visitations from comets.
tho huge unstratiiled, unfossililerous deposits
of clay and stones and bouders locked away be-
tween great layers OF the sedimentary rocks
belonging to geological eras, severed from one
another by vast periods of time. Are We. then.
TO CONCLUDE he says. that there wandcrs
through immoasurable space upon an orbit of
such size that millions of years are needed to
complete it. some comet so stupendous that
when ii returns TO us it occupies u large part
the sun. and showers down upon US deuges OF
debris while it ILLS the world with flame.