The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-24
If THE COMET STRIKES US
The Impact Might Strew the Earth
with Dust and Fill the Air with Gas.

II Perrine's comet, which Is said to be
| travelling toward the earth's orbit at the
rate OF twenty miles or so a second, about
100000 miles a day. should hit US,
which isn't likely, there would probably be
| bad smell for awhile, and a fine display
| of pyrotechnics. and that would end the
| matter. Some persons might think that
| the world was coming to an end, but good
| advice for them to follow is: Keep your
| jewelry and your property; don't part with
anything You have; you'll need IL after the
show Owners of tall buildings need have
no fear, even IL the comet should be head
| ing to come slap down on the concrete
roofs. Though the comet may be as big
as the earth itself, or half dozen times
| bigger, and If it's speed should increase 10
| 100000 miles a day, nobody need worry
| about il. It's all right, the astronomers
say. Every one may not know it, but in
1861, 1t is asserted, a comet a great deal
bigger than the one coming at us. and with
a tail hundred million miles long. and
travelling great deal faster than this one
is travelling, swished it's long tail clear
AROUND us-enveloped US with it, but 1t
| didn't do US bit of harm. Garrett p. Ser
viss, the astronomer, talked with Sun re-
| porter yesterday about the possibilities of
collision.
Il haven't seen this comet yet" he said,
| land all 1 know of it is what have read
| in the papers. / judge ii is a small one.''
How small?" asked the reporter.
We'll, it might be as large as our earth.
| That would not be very large for a comet
II probably is not coming toward US, as
the dispatches say, for If it is, then there
is no possibility of its hitting us We are
| travelling nineteen miles a second, and by
| MARCH, IA, the date they talk about it's ar
4 Il ma CHI ha ltDx 81
where we are now. To hit us it must be
| travelling toward the spot, about 40, 900 900
| miles from here. where we shall be on
| March IA. Whether or not the calculations
| that have been made about the present
position or the comet, its velocity and it's
course are are exact, depends on whether the
| likely that they are exact, for q comet is
a hazy body. and ii is difficult to get good
observations. If IL was point like star
| IL could be told with mathematical certain
| ty just where il would be at a certain min
ute or hour, but being hazy thing, it is
| est point of condensation, and to tell exact
| ~ what the comet Is doing. You remember,
in 1872, it was thought for some days that
/ was discovered that the comet was going
away from US. instead OF coming toward
well, assuming that this comet is cor
| rectly observed, and will hit on March ii,
what N Viii happen asked the reporter.
ability
But what would become of us?"
| I'VE would probably be out looking at the
| fireworks and enjoying the spectacle"
And that's all the damage a body as big
or bigger than the earth would do if it hit
| the earth?'
That's all the damage body of the ma
| ture OF comet would do" said Mr. Ser
viss "A comet. you know. is not a solid
| boiy like the earth. II is made up of minute
bou.e ). We might compare Ii with dust
cloud. While in size II compares with the
1 arfn lie no orr,ra rfc in fha cnli itxr
| OF the two. SO far as we have been able to
learn there are no large particles of matter
| in a comet. They are made up of atoms OF
| dust of iron, nickel. or some other metal.
/ Ous atmosphere is practically impervious to
such a body. Seventy or eighty miles above
| the earth, where the atmosphere is so rare
that the. vacuum is almost as good as that of
| Crookes tube there Is still enough
resistance to disintregate and destroy body
| with which a comet travels. The particles
| would become infinitely fine, no larger than
/ the ultimate atoms of matter. They would
ultimately reach the earth.
IF q body as large as the earth Is dis
integrated. and falling spreads over the
| earth, wouldn't the dust be pretty deep when
| ii had all settled?"
Don't you see," said Mr.. Serviss. that
while in bulk or space 1t occupies the room
| the earth, II is not packed solid like the
! earth? Take an ordinary dust cloud for ex-
/ ample; Ii may cover mile square of space.
| but II all the particles were compressed in
| the smallest possible space they would occupy
| very little room, So comet as large as the
| earth might not contain more than enough
matter 10 make layer one ten-thousandth
Of milometer deep II spread s over the earth.
| ter the result would be different.
'.The heat generated by the contact with
| the atmosphere would be sufficient to melt
| iron might burn a hole as big as the State
of New York. Under the tremendous heat
| the earth ard stone In the immediate
neghborhood would be vaporized immediate
| no large particles OF matter In the makeup
| of a comet There Is just one possibility
| earth. That is the subsequent effects on
| the atmosphere. II would seem likely that
the atmosphere would be filled with gaseous
matter. and II the comet was very big
| one made up in part of gases, as they
are IL might introduce matter into the
| atmosphere that would be deleterious TO
health. 1t might give US the grip or pre-.
! dispose us to the attack of other diseases"
The reporter asked how comets were
/ made, or where they came from. Mr..
Seryiss laughed as he replied:
some say that comets consist OF what
| was left after the creation. After the uni
| verse, comprising the sun, the world, the
stars and all else was ,n made there s was
Comets entirely independent of the
solar system.
| Speaking of comets that had struck the
i earth. or had come near il. Mr.. Serviss told
OF the comet of 1861. which swished us
| with it's tail The skies were illuminated
4 AT night. There were no other known ef-
fleets. In 1852. he said. a comet was sup
| posed TO have grazed us. IL is supposed that
| piece of Bielas comet struck us, too.
| Biela's comet was a big one 1t disap-
/ peared In 1910. and was lost for a long time
| Then il came back in two pieces-double
/ These pieces kept getting further and
/ further apart. In 1872 they disappeared
/ There was concident brilliant meteoric
display
suppose this comet strikes us, how long
/ will the display last?' asked the reporter.
That will depend said Mr.. Serviss
1T might last two or three hours. 1t might
| last all night. Suppose 1t as big as the
| second. Ii might last while the earth was
| travelling eight thousand miles,
Astronomers are anxious that II should
strike US"
They are" said Mr.. Serviss, with some
| enthusiasm. at will be a great display
| The possibility OF increasing knowl-
edge Is great"
Would they all crowd to the observa-
tories?'
observations would be OF no use on that
occasion" was the reply. 1.-The place TO
| see II would be outside with an unobstructed
sky TO watch"
.'of course it would strike but one side
CT tie earth"
1--WE can't tell which hemisphere ii might
strike. When know exactly the time IL
VIII strike, IL h should strike: then we
can tell where AZ will strike, that is, which
side OF the earth Is exposed to It,"