Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-12-31
WHOLE NUMBER 1871.
VERY IMPROBABLE.
ANOTHER LEARNED PROFESSOR
"CALLED DOWN."

Miss Proctor, Daughter of the
Great Astronomer, Demonstrates
How Unreliable Star.Gazers Are
From Scientific Deductions -
What Would Probably Be the
Result of a Collision With a
Comet.
Professor Falb of Vienna announces
that on November 13, 1899, a comet
will strike the earth, and that the end
of the world is to be the result. Mean
while (writes Miss Proctor, daughter
OF the late Richard A. Proctor), he is
probably making calculations to as
certain whether the violence of the
shock will reduce our planet to dust,
or whether it will be enveloped in an
atmosphere of poisonous gas, which
will kill all living beings. Fortunate
ly science treasures us as to our pos
sible fate, the chances being one in
fifteen millions that the earth will be
destroyed by colliding with a comet.
1t has also taught us to look forward
to the night of November 13, 1899, as
the date of a regularly occurring event
every thirty.three years. On this
night the earth will encounter
myriads of meteoric particles travel
ing along the same path as Temples
comet of 1866, and the two are proba-
bly, closely associated. We shall be
undoubtedly treated to a grand dis.
play of celestial fireworks, and the
history of their appearance in 1888
and 1866 has prepared us for the
glorious spectacle we may look for
ward to in 1899. At their former ap-
pearance the uncultured, far from be-
holding the sight with admiration,
considered it fearful portent, herald
ing the end OF the world. This fear
led to many quaint scenes and sayings
on the eventful night of November 13,
1888. Probably no display of falling
stars has ever attracted greater at
tention than that which took place in
1866. At times the whole heavens
seemed ablaze with stars, and those
who witnessed the shower described
the meteors as great balls of fire
falling from the sky" At present the
great meteor shoal of the Leonids has
nearly accomplished its long journey,
and the year 1890 will again bring it
to the earth's track. The shoal is of
such enormous length that it will
take more than year for the mighty
procession to pass the earth's track,
SO that in 1900 another brilliant
meteoric shower may be considered
probable.
In 1882 some of the people of Paris
were almost frantic with excitement
in consequence of the announcement
that o comet was about to destroy the
earth, and time and time again the
danger of comets collision with the
earth has been seriously considered.
The great French astronomer, Arago,
estimated that out of 281, 100000
chances there was only one single
chance Of collision. This amounts
to little more than bare possibility.
Should a collision take place, evil
results might or might not follow.
If the nucleus encounte red was in
mass and solidity equal to that of
DonatTs comet, as estimated by M.
Faze and Professor Pierce, its impact
with the earth would develop heat
enough to melt and vaporize the hard
est rocks. If the comet were composed
OF small meteoric porticles, the result
would be brilliant shower, exceeding
such showers as we have seen only in
degree. Were the colliding body a
hydrogen comet Of sufficient size to
encompass the entire globe, it might
so mingle with the oxygen of our
atmosphere as to form such an ex-
plosive compound that the lighting of
a single match would produce a
mighty flame, which, in an instant,
would consume every living thing on
the surface of the earth.
Still further, since water is the re-
suit Of burning hydrogen gas in oxy-
gen, this same fierce and terrible flame
would be as speedily followed by a
mighty deluge of water, enveloping
the entire surface of our planet. If
the body of the comet were not of an
inflammable nature, but composed of
noxious gases, it would poison our at
mosphere, render it unfit for respira-
ton, and thereby entail the most SER
ious consequences. Were it an in
noxious gaseous body, owing to its
extreme lightness, it would float in or
upon our atmosphere as do the clouds,
without reaching the surface of our
globe. But the actual risk of the de-
struction OF the earth by q comet is
very small indeed. A scientist ad-
mits that the event OF the collision of
the earth with a comet is possible. In
fact, if the earth last long enough, it
is practically sure to happen, for there
are several comets orbits which pass
nearer to the earth's orbit than the
semi-diameter of the comets head, and
at some time the earth end comet will
certainly come together. Such ell
countors milI bowo,,o, - ..o.