Birmingham state herald., 1895-11-17

Rain of Sb0ottng Stara-Engiands Wab-
 ply Moon LJets -df Da1ziing Flame.
 What M. Fiarnmarion~ Says of It.
 KEEL sept. 2s-THe periodical comet of Faye was discovered by Prpfessor Javelle of Nice on -Sept--2o. It is only, faintly visible.
 In connection with the above special dis patch the European edition of the New York Herald continues toppblish interest ing parallels between the unusual atmos- bheric conditions experienced throughout central and western Europe within the last month and those set forth in M. Flammarion' S., absorbfng scientific novel, %La Fin du Monde, ' as preoursory to the collision abatween his comet and the earth in the twenty fifth century.
 With the remarkable beat and dry at mosphere in Europe for weeks past, con dition unrecorded heretofore in the wealth :, CT annals, tue comparisons presented are sufficient to greatly Interest not, alone the world of science, but the multitude of lay readers, and it is not surprising that the discussion has enlggaiSedda the attention of the Paris public.
 EnQlaud and France, for instance, have endured such 'intolefisble weather that horses have collapsed in the Street, and numerous Cases of .suiIstroke have been reported-this in so late a month as Sep tember. --. - -.s>-
 Cautiously like this is the situation pre- sented so graphically in M. Flammarion's work, and following which this admirable writer thus leads up to the final approach of the comet to the esIrth s surface:
 During the night of July l3-14 the comet spread over nearly the entire sky, and whirl- ing winds of fire could be seen by the naked eye eddying about an axis oblique to the zenith. The -appearance was that of army of flaming meteors in whose midst the flashing lightning produced the effect of n furious com bat. The burning star had revolution of its own and seemed to be convulsed with pain like living thing. Immense jets of flame is- sued from various cePters, some of a greenish hue others red as blood, while the most bril- liant were of a dazzling whiteness. It was evi- dent that the sun was acting powerfully upon this whirlpoolof gases, decomposing certain of them, forming detonattng compounds, electri- flying the nearer portions and repelling the smoke from about the immense nucleus which was bearing down. upon tho world.
 The orb of day seemed to go down in sea of gold and purple. It's red disk disappeared below the horizon, but the stars did not rise, and night did not come. To the daylight suc- ceeded a day of. cometary and lunar splendor, illuminated by dazzling light, recalling that of the aurora borealis, but more intense, ema- hating from an immense blazing focus which had not been visible during the day because 1t had been below the horizon, but which would certainly have rivaled the sun in brilliancy. Amid the universal plaint of nature this lumi- nous center rose in the west almost at the same time with the full moon, which climbed the sky With it iikea saerihcial victim ascend ; ing the funeral pyre The moon paled as it mounted higher, but the comet increased in brightness as the sun sank below the western horizon, and now when the hour of night had 5s at sum- with flames of yellow and green, like i'm mense extended wings. To the terrified spec T tator-i seemed some enormous giant taking sovereign possession of earth and sky a
 Suddenly as the terrified spectator gazed si- lent and awsstruek, holding his very breath in stupor of fear, the vault of heaven seemed rent asnnder from zenith to horizon, and from his ysxning ehas,n as from an enormous mouth was yomiteds forth jets ofsdazzling greenish flame, enveioping tie earth in a glare so blind- ing thai. nIlowho-hsd not already sought shel- 2 ter, men and women, the old and the young, tho bold 'as well'As the tiInid, all rushed with the iinpetuosity of an avalanche to the cellar ways, already choked with people. Many were crushed to death or succumPed to apoplexy, aneurismal ruptures and, wild delirium re- sulting in brain fever.
 Computation had indicated that the earth would penetrate the heart of the comet as a bullet would pehstfste p eloud, and that the transit, TeckpRing from athe' first instant of contact of -tho outer zones of the comets at mosphere with thosero the earth. would con sume AZ hohrsa-a fact easily established, in asmueh as the comet having diameter 65 times that of the earth, would be traversed not centrally, but at one-adarter of the dis tance from the center, with Q velocity Of about 173Q00 ldlometers per hour. Nearly 40 min utes after the first instant of contact the heat of this iucandescent ,furnace and the horrible odor of sulphur becaIne so .suffocating that few moments more of such torture would have suficed to destroy every vestige of life.
 The crisis had passed. Little by little men recovered their self possession, rejoicing in the mere fact of living.
 While Paris has been discussing the ap- preaching comet and tho theories of M. Flammarion about the fin du monde, England has had peculiarly interesting excitement about a lunar phenomenon no- ticed by several observers. In short, the moon has been caught wabbling, and the official record of Luna eccentricities have been chronioled day by day in the Thun- derer. The exciteInent began on Sept. G. when letter appeared in The Times from correspondents signing himself E. A. Simpson Gray of Stoneham House, dated Sept. 3. The correspondent wrote asking an explanation of a remarkable lunar phe- nomenon which he had noticed tho night before. At ten minutes to 8, just after dressing for dinner, he went into his gar den and noticed a distinct and unsteady motion of the moon on a plane perpendic- ular to her apparent course.
 ''Not being willing to rely on my own eyes,, says MT. Gray, 1T called the head gardener, MT. c. Hall, and drew his att tention to the moon, saying, Is not that lovely sightr Yes, sir he replied, but what's the natterg 1t1s all wabbly' I then went in and related my observations to the various guests numbering 15. Such tale naturally gave rise to flow of in- credulous wit, but, in spite of their first disposition to ridieule. the idea they all, ! without exception, agreed in acknowledg- ing that there was apparently jerky dis placement from time to time. I have new CT seen anything of the sort before and am very far from accounting for it now"
 On the following day The Times pub, lished number of letters about this re- markable lunar phenomenon. A Con. stant Reader,"' writing from Westlake Surrey, says that at the same hour "his little boy came running into the house, breathless with excitement; to say that the. 4... z.e.. | l.I..