Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-11-19
The Approaching Comet.

The approaching Comet.
The monster comet. which was dis
covered less than ten days ago and is
now growing larger and larger night
by night, has excited the astronomical
world to an unprecedented extent, be-
cause Of the mystery surrounding its
appearance and the results which are
likely to follow its approach to the
earth There is illimitable room for
speculation as to its origin and destiny.
One thing, however, was quickly dis
covered. As the new comet was OBJ
served from night to night in Berlin
and elsewhere, it was seen that the
monster was approaching the earth at
incredible speed. Every night the as
trolomers looked OF it it had increased
in size from the previous evening, and,
while at the time Of its discovery it
could only be seen through the very
largest telescopes, it is now visible
through a glass of very small magnify
ing power. This increase has taken
place during a period Of about ten days,
and the comet not only grows constant
ly larger from night to night, but it
does so in constantly increasing ratio,
which will in very short time make
it the most conspicuous object in the
heavens.
Prof. Boss, from what he had seen of
it, is likewise convinced that there is
likely to be very close approach be-
tween the comet and the earth, and he
mentions the 2Sth of this month as the
date when the two bodies are likely to
be closest together. He estimates the
outside nebulosity Of the comet TO be
$4,000 miles, which shows it to be
monster Of the largest size. 1t has
moreover been authoritatively stated
that the comet is now approaching the
earth so rapidly that within two weeks
it will appear in the heavens many
times larger than the diameter of the
full moon"
Much of this, it must be remember
ed, is gucsswork, for until the comet is
identified ii cannot be positively known
how closely it will approach the earth
or when it will begin to swing away.
One thing, however, is certain, and
upon this ali the astronomers are
agreed, that the fiery comet is now
coming directly toward the earth. 1t
is pointed for this globe as accurately as
if it had been shot out Of a gun. For
this reason the full length of its tail
cannot be accurately Y measured. 1t is
known, however, that the comet is
coming this way ut the rate of several
thousand miles second. On any as
-. Of
monster there is no denying the fact
that it is coming very close to the earth.
In any event the two bodies are certain
to have close shave. The most con-
scrvatiYe estimate of the new monster
Of the heavens is that OF the astrono-
mers who say that it is the. famous
comet of Biela which upon q former ap-
pearance split in two.
Prof. Elias 7. Colbert, well-known
astronomer, says the comet and the
earth will collide. But il is the tail of
the comet that will be knocked into
everlasting smithereens by the earth,
while tie head, 100000 miles away.
will continue its vagrant career. Prof
Colbert outlines some startling posi-
bilities should old earth come full tilt
against the crest of the comet. He is
certain that Mr.. Biela's discovery is in
for a good, hard punch. Prof. Colbert
SAYS: From Theta Centauri TO Beta
AndromedT is long distance to be
travelled in twenty years, even at com
ctary velocities, yet the comet named
after Biela was believed to have been
seen near the first then and is not far
from the latter now. 1t has passed
through q vast gap Of space in the in
terim. If the computations of various
astronomers be correct we shall be
dangerously near in few days. 1t is
really probable that the earth will
come in contact with portion Of the
comet and no great danger need be ap-
pretended. The celestial wanderer is
a small one. At the time of its dis
covery it did not amount to mach III
magnitude. Since then it has been
split up at least twice, and it is con-
sidered probable that the material sepa-
rated from the main body is scattered
to great distances along the orbit.
Some of this matter may enter the
earth's atmosphere. as other por-
tions arc believed to have done twenty
wears ago. the result then being show
er of Shooting stars The debris en-
ters the air as small particles, which are
soon heated to incandescence by the
friction and burn up, leaving the result
ing minute quantity of ashes to settle
slowly to the ground weeks or months
afterwards Death to human beings be-
cause of collision with 4 comet might
occur in more than one way. First,
there is the direct contact, of which
some pretty we'll authenticated in
stances are on record. Second. there is
the indirect mortality on much larger
scale than may be conceived of as pos
sible from poisoning of the atmos-
phere by admixture of great quantities
of gaseous matter that had belonged to
the comet. Some people have argued
that only in this way can we satisfac-
torilv account for some of the pestilen-
tial visitations. such as the famous
black death, which have swept the
earth as with the besom of destruction
in the past. and moved from place to
p'acelmore rapidlythan couldbe explain
ed by reference to the slow travelling of
former days. Neither the aerolitic
shower nor the poisoning of the atmos-
/ phere can occur except from collision
with the head of the comet, and the
calculation shows we are to be spared
that by gap of abouta million miles"