Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-21

Miss Nora PASSIONS, Rivera, Shower OF Pearls;
Mr.. Hetne.
Miss Regina Bachelor, San Bernardino, Waltz
Chromatique; Mrs Lancaster.
Miss Lancell, Anaheim, Rondo Brilliant
(Weher); Miss Bancroft.
Miss Georgia Wesner, San Bernardino, Fan
tasia Caprice (Mendelssohn); Mrs. Lancaster.
Mr.. Kellogg followed with one of his
delightful bird warbling, after which
the feature of the evening was an
nounced. the lecture of Prof. E. E. Bar
nard, on Comets and Meteors.
The frat part of the lecture was illus
trated by means OF charts and the latter
by stereopticon views. He first treated
of the origin of comets. Very little is
positively known about them and theory
has to supply the deficiency. The
Chaldeans had some idea of comets and
believed that they we're bodies moving
like the earth, around the sun, and were
only visible when near the sun. These
bodies were held in great superstition
by the ancients. The Chinese had
records of them 2500 years B. c., which
have since proved very useful.
Mr.. Proctor's theory is that comets
are gaseous matter thrown out by some
of the giant suns in the heavens, An
other theory is that when comet is
attracted by some other heavenly
body and comes in contact with the in
huence of our sun, it is drawn from its
former course and is impelled toward
the SUD, moving toward it with a
velocity of 800 or more miles second.
Making an half revolution around
the sun, it is then impelled from that
body, and starting on course parallel
to the one by which it approached the
sun then goes off into space never to
return again. Another kind when it
receeds from the sun is attracted by one
of the planets of our system and is
again impelled toward the sun, thus
keeping up continuous revolution
around the sun and the planet that first
diverted it.
The composition of comet is sup
posed to consist of gaseous matter.
There are three divisions of them--frst,
hydrogen; second, hydro sodium third,
iron-these all in gaseous form. The
distinguishing feature of each of these
orders is, in the first the tail of the
comet will be straight, in the second the
tail will be curved, and in the last it
will be short and jagged.
Comets are the largest bodies that
have any connection with our own sys-
tenn, and it has never been possible to
detect any mass or solid to a comet. The
tail of comet is 30 highly attenuated
that Sir Isaac Newton calculated that
while the tail might be millions OF miles
in breadth or length it would weigh only
few pounds.
When comet is first seen it is sort
OF foggv matter, and as it nears the sun
a part of it solidifies, this being the star
or head. The sun attracts the comet up
to a certain point, when repelling
force is exerted that acts against the
tail of the comet; and to this force is
due the fact that when approaching the
sun the vaporish matter about the star
follows the comet, while on the contrary
when receding from the sun the tail is
in advance of the head or star of the
comet, it always being forced away from
the sun.
The lecture was unfortunately inter
rupted about half-past nine O'Clock, so
that Professor Barnard could catch the
San Francisco train from Los Angelee.
A number OF stereopticon views greatly
enhanced the talk, and ensbled the au-
dience to appreciate more clearly the
mysteries of the heavenly bodies.
Tonight the special train, at the con-
clusion of the evening lecture, will be
run over the Terminal railroad to Los
Angeles.