Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-04
COMING OF COMETS.
A Physicist Explains Their Origin,
Nature and Destiny.
UNLIKELIHO0D OF COLLISIONS.
The Slow Evolution Of the Earth, the Sun
and the Mighty ArctumA
THE SECONDS IN UNIVERSAL HISTORY
WRITTEN FOR THE DrsrArou.i

WRITTEN FOR THE DrgPAroH.i
The recent advent into our solar system
Of one of those harmless celestial wanderers
known as q comet has again directed to that
class OF phenomena q considerable amount
of attention. But we can now regard and
discuss these visitors with good deal more
equanimity than did our predecessors in the
centuries further back It was then that
these flaming swords of the sky inspired
mortal terror. And back in those earlier
times there were some very robust specimens
of the tribe, so fierce and bright that they
would not altogether hide from the gaze of
the sun.
While they were visible during part of
the day, at night they shed pale, weird
light that lacked the fine solar quality sup
piled by the great orb of day, and things
looked shadowy and spectral-like. The
long, curved blade. as it was swung across
the heavens, seemed anything rather than
the peaceful phenomenon that 1T was, and
it required no keen observation to discern
in that sweeping arc the similitude to the
scimeter OF the fierce Turk, and much Of not
very far back history bad been carved with
that swift flashing blade. 1t was then not
so surprising that this misunderstood appa-
rition on the sky smote the Western ma
tions with terror, for to them 1t symbolized
further contests between the Crescent and
the Cross and the memory of Saladln still
fingered.
The Comet as a Beginning.
And yet it is likely that all the spheres
in space, except such as are of planetary
origin, began, developed and reached frui-
tition from q cometic beginning. These ex-
ceptions are where inferior worlds were
thrown in rings from parent orb and thus
became q member of planetary family.
We may conclude then, when we see q
comet, that we see world in embryo, an
infant, which, while it may meet with mis-
haps to bring it to an untimely end, still
has before 1t, down the long flights Of ages,
the chance to make the mighty race tor
worldhood.
It is we'll known that We derive heat and
light from the sun and this is q something;
it is form of force, and while it may be
only motion, We may say that it is another
form Of matter. What becomes OF this
something that the suns throw into space?
If we are 90, ,Oo0, 900 miles from our sun,
then the diameter of the orbit, not reckon
ing the elliptical form nor the suns mass,
is 1874, 00O, 900 miles Then the circum-
ference is expressed by about 552, 900, 600
miles Since our earth has o diameter of
only 5000 miles, a ring of such worlds
could be strung along the earth's path
amounting to $4,000. Now consider, not
only ring of such worlds around the sun,
but a complete shell of worlds whose
diameter is 1874, ,OO0, 900 miles, what becomes
of all that something that is thrown toward
all these points when there is only one little
insignificant speck of a world 10 hit2
Where does it 20 to? It cannot annihilate,
that is demonstrable, and we may con-
clude that this is what makes the nuclei of
meteors in their various forms and is also