The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1882-04-28

CHAIRMAN.
The Coming Comet.
Next week the citizens or the United
States may all Be gazing at the new COM
e., and some OF them who have nervous
constitutions. with anxious hearts, be-
cause Of the dire results 70 q earth pre-
dictcd By some a. to follow il its path
vsy. This will be its first appearance
IL public for . long number Of years. and
the citizens or the earth generally have
not expressed any warming for Il, as the
calamity Of its falling into the sui looked
upon by astronomers = not improbable,
Prot. Proctor predicts It would 50 in
crease the heat Of that luminary that the
earth would melt away ii fervent
beat! and in support q his theory cites
the destruction Of several stars BY fire,
which are known to have disappeared
sftere short time Of unwonted brilliancy.
caused b. their combustion.
But on the other hand many astrono-
mcrs contend that Z comet falling into
the Sun By attraction, or even into our
e<rth, would produce no appreciate of-
feet. and taking this view Of Il the New
York Graphic ssys the ofT-hand waysin
which astronomers talk to the world
shout comets il amazing and amusing,
for the reason that they themselves say
that they know next 10 nothing about
comets OF what their nuclens IL they
judge partly from the case Of one comet
which, some years ago. coming near the
oon OF Jupiter, did not IN the least
disturb The orbits Of those satellites ; and
Cf what the comets are composed they
Judge By mcans Of the sp~ectroscope, TAX
ing Il for granted that the lines n the
spectrum which are produced BY an cle-
Ue1t g the distance Of IN inch or two
1rt necessarily the Sign that at the dis
tazce Of ~uncalculable millions Of miles Z
particular metal ID present. The die
placement OF lines the astronomers a.
tribute now to the fact that Z certain stat
fs rcce6ing from the earth. and now "a
tho fsct that Il il approaching DC. n
bis late revision Of his ssPopular Astron.
cmy' Professor Simon NcWcomb makes
2oirt Of saying that Il il only BY max.
INC sn Gnaicgical Judgment that astrono.
ners can tell anything q I'll about remote
celestial bodies, 90 that II happens thai
Al the 1boasted science Of modern days.
IN regard TO such interlopers as comets
y not certainty, but conjecture. The
new comet that il approaching the SUI
may accomplish work which Il not cx'
pcctcc cf II though, a. Professor Henry
Draper recently said 70 : Tribune repor'
Ger, we shall await the approaching will
interest Or course, al astronomer
will await the result with. interest, AMI
weuid do 20 il they knew absolutely tina
eight or ten minutes after contact will
the SIN Eli human things should mel
and dissolve but jewellers on the esrtI
are 10 the position OF Carad0c, III julie
lerre's book, who had regard rather Il
tha stability Of the world than 70 th'
course Of the comet. Az : matter Of fac
We AL shall next month Be able 10 81
that = comet u IN the sky, and We shal
take u for granted that astronomers know
what they ere talking about when the,
assert that the comet - approaching III
sun. Quofiug from Professor New
combs recent review Of Judge Stallo'
absurdly overrated Concepts and Theo
r;es or Modern Science We should a.
that the proper policy of writer's sfs 4
let such scientific critics severely alone.
but The fhct Is that II such : crisis Is pos
sibly r approaching, people do not wis
% q Zen alone, either severely or sar
c<sticziiy. lt IL possible, according 3
some astronomers, that Il the come
should strike the sun trouble would b
ahead FOR rs. According to other u
tronomors the comet, even should Il in
pilgo upon the central luminary, coul
DO " % possible harm.
Between the men OF science who hay
dlfercDt opinions IN regard to such sui