The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-10-16
I'lie Comet.

Those who have remained up until four
o'clock in the morning, or those whose
business, like that OF newspaper men, has
compelled them to remain up until that
hour, have been rewarded by tue sight Ct
the great comet that Is careerng through
the heavens, and that for three weeks
past has been so plainly visible about the
hour named. 1t looks to be about 800 feet
long, but Of course II is millions Of miles in
extent, and it $50 FIR away that astronomers
tell us that it hes only c:caped collision
with the sun, and the sun is 100000 OF
miles away the earth. .5to
This comet is travelling at the rate Of 400
miles per second, or $4,000 miles per
minute, or 100000 miles per hour, or
W,5GO,0O0 miles every twenty.four hours.
This is rate Of speed rs well rs a distance
that detics the human mind to appreciate.
But the mere statement gives one some
vague idea Of the immensely OF space,
especially when We say that this comet
can travel at this rate for not only months
but years, aud be no nearer the end Of
space than it is to-day, or than it was any
number OF days ago. There is no end 10
space. No rate Of speed, no length Of
years, no eternity OF time, can reach its out
eide limit, for there is no outside limit. 1t
)! on and on and on ior thousands aud
millions Of years, and then on and on for
ever and for ever The universe is simply
illmitable and immeasurable and without
length, width or depth, except as these
terms are expressed by iuinity. No
comet could travel inst enough and no
time could endure long enough to reach a
point OF beginning or ending in any dircc-
ton up or down, or upon any horizontal
plane described Fast, Wet, North or
South.
Then what is the earth, or the sun or the
moon or the stars? Mereily specks in the
universe. They do not amount to 30 much
as pin point in this world. There is pos.
sibly some mathematical relation, although
no figures could express it, between a pin
point and this globe Of ours, but no posi-.
Bile refinement Of the science Of Calculus,
even imaginary Calculus, as it is called,
could give mathematical proportionate
relation between the earth and the universe.
There is none whatever.
These comets are caroering through sys.
tens OF worlds iar beyond the reach OF the
astronomical telescope. They appear and
reappear after long intervals Of years, per-
haps hundred years, and where have
they been meantime, going ut the rate OF
400 miles per second? Have they so much
as ncared that mysterious center OF the
boundless and illimitable universe that is
fathomlcss and unreasonable. and I'M.
movable and unthinkable, where we are
accustomed to locate IN all creative and all
sustaining and all regulating Personality.
Or us they approach, ifapproach were pos.
sble, that mysterious center, do they meet
an emanation Of the shekinah, that radi.
ates IN aureole, within which nothing SO
material as n come! may enter. Thus
warned away, do these comets circle in
their course and at the end Of a hundred
years, travelling at rate faster than thought,
come again within the circle Of observation
from this Insignificant planet Of ours. The
question is too profound for the most ab.
stract speculation. We simply know
nothing about it. Space and its great
Entity and Entirety, which we call the
Power,is something Of which the
subtlest and greatest intellect can take no
rational cognizance. We are accustomed |
to talk OF millions Of miles to the sun, and
greater millions to other suns, and beyond |
these suns there are endless beds OF suns,
and fixed stars whose light has been
travelling since the original fiat aud that
asonly become visible Of late,and what do
We formulate rs Il conception out OF all this |
talk as to the imlneasureable distances OF |
the universe. Nothing whatever. 1t is
beyond imagination. Great rs is science
it is a piymy indeed when it grapples with |
the mysterious career Of a comet. But
what must be the awe OF great astrono.
mer's mind rs he scans the realms OF the
nnknowable for light. Well may great
poet have said, "the undevout astrono.
mer is mad,"-made mad by the Elusive
thoughts of his own oYcrstrained imaninp.