Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-10-02
FOSTERS WEATHER.
A Storm Wave Will Reach Us
About October 8.
NOT A VERY GREAT AFFAIR.
u viii Be Of Average Dimensions and viii
30 at It's Greatest Force On The
Pacific Something
About Comets.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo-, Oct. Especial.
My last bulletin gave forecasts of the
storm wave to cross the continent from
October to 5, and the next will reach
the Pacific coast about October 8, cross
the Western mountains by the close of
October G, the great central valley
from It'll to 9th and the Eastern states
about the 10th.
This disturbance will be OF average
dimensions and will be at its greatest
force ON the Pacific coast and in the
Western mountains on the 9th and 9Th,
while the storm preceding II will be ut
its greatest force in the Eastern states
at the same time.
The cool wave will cross the western
mountains about the Sth, the great CEN
trail valleys about the 10th and the east
ern states about the 18th.
ABOUT COMETS.
In discussing collisions OF comets
with our earth it is necessary to refer
to the history and general characters
tics of these strange visitors.
The length Of good large comets
tail is seldom less than 10000, 900 or
l5,OOO,0O0 miles, and frequently reaches
from 30,000,0 900 TO 50,000,O00 miles. In
many eases it has been known to ex-
tend 100000 600 miles. and at the end
TO be several million miles across.
The great comet OF 1852 had tail more
than 100000, 600 miles long, about 2OO-
600 miles in diameter at the comets
head and diameter OF 10000, 900 miles
out at the end.
The tails OF comets are formed by the
gas on the side nearest the sun escap-
ing and going around the comet and
away. For this reason the tail Is hol-
low conOid and the center naturally
looks fainter than the edges. The ordl-
nary form OF tail is OF hydrocarbon
nature, and the spectrum, when
examined with spectroscope, is SINH
lar to that of oliticant gas, which is
practically about the same thing as
common burning gas. Then there is
the hydrogen tail, straight and long
and slender and the iron tail which IS
the shortest and stubiest OF the three.
The exact nature OF comet is not as
yet fully known, but in general way
1t is supposed to be composed of n swarm
OF solid particles OF an unknown size
and widely separated Each particle
carries with it an envelope OF hydrocar-
bon gas, which gaslight Is produced
either by electrical discharges between
the particles or by some other light
evolving action due to the suns in
huence. This is before the comet
puts forth a tail, which is done
only as 1t approaches the sun. The in
teresting process Of putting forth tail
Is due to the action OF the sun, which
warm up and liberates the gas on that
side OF the comet nearest TO IL, The
liberated gas is supposed To be electri-
ned by the sun, and the electricity in
the sun repels the gas and drives Ii of
into space In an opposite or nearly
opposite direction, allowing for the
movement of the comet in It's orbit.
Oi the comets that have been drawn
into our solar system, IL Is known that
saturn has captured two, Uranus three,
Naptune six and Jupiter some sixteen.
Sometimes a comet separates or split.
into two parts. Such was the case with
Bielas comet, discovered In 1926 a
comet Whose orbit comes near that oi
the earth. On its return in 1876 il had
divided into two parts, which part.
travelled along side by side for more
than four months, being about lGO. OOl
miles apart. On the comets next re
turn, In 1852, both parts were seen. bur
they We're l,5OO, 600 miles asunder.
The comet OF 1860 has a period Of ~,
years and will be looked for about 2255.
History saws 1t appeared A. d. HOG
59i and a B. c. This comet viii prob
ably strike the earth sometime in the