The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-02
End of the World in 1899.

Professor Falb. of Vienna, announces
! that on November IS, 1899, a comet VIII
1 strike the earth, and that the end OF the
world IS to be the result. Meanwhile. ne Is
| probably making calculations TO ascertain
| whether the violence of the shock VIII re-
| Guce our planet to dust, or whether II VIII
| be enveloped in an atmosphere OF poisonous
| gas, which will kill all living beings Fort
unately. science treasures US as TO our pos
| sble fate, the chances being one In fifteen
| millions that the earth viii be destroyed
by colliding with a comet 1t mas also
taught us TO look forward to the night OF
November IL, 1899, as the date OF reg
ularly occurring event every thirty-three
years. On this night the earth viii encoun-
ter myriads of meteoric particles travelling
along the same path as Temples comet
of 1866 and the two are probably closely
associated. We shall be undoubtedly treat
ed to grand display OF celestial fireworks,
and the history of their appearance in 1898
and 1866 has prepared us for the glorious
spectacle we may look forward to in 1889.
At their former appearance the uncut
tured, far from beholding the sight with
admiration, considered it fearful por-
tent, heralding the end of the world This
fear led to many quaint scenes and sayings
on the eventful night of November Is,
1893. While travelling through South Caro-
lima, In 1874, my father Orchard A Proc
tori met some of the plantation owners,
who told him that they had much ado IN
controlling the excitement among their
saves on this night. Hundreds OF them
cried for mercy, praying that the end OF
the world might be put of little longer.
a Southerner whose slaves were overcome
80 no.
world rushed to his house and. knocking
at the door, cried out: Get up, massa;
the Angel Gabriel will have done blown his
trump if you amt up soon" However, he
assured them that there was no cause for
immediate alarm, and the world was left
unframed that time.
Probably no display of falling stars has
ever attracted greater attention than that
which took place in 1886. At times the
whole heavens seemed ablaze with stars,
and 1 have heard one who witnessed the
shower describe 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 1899 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 beyond the earth's track, SO that in
1900 another brilliant meteoric shower may
be considered probable. In the case of the
Leonds, the meteor swarrs follow the
comet Temples comet of 1880 with which
they are associated, while many believe |
that the comet itself Is simply the thick |
est part of the swarm. Probably on this |
fact Professor Falb POUNDS his sinister pre- |
diction. Even so. the chances are slight |
Of the earth actually colliding with the |
comet.
At the instance Of the government the |
French Academy Of Science carefully est
mated the chances Of collision between the
earth and these celestial wanderers
through space. In 1882 some Of the people
If Paris were almost frantic with excite
nent in consequence OF the announcement
hat a comet was about to destroy the
,arth, and time and time again the danger
If a comets collision with the earth has
,een seriously considered. The great |
french astronomer, Arago. estimated that
,ut of 2S1, 10000 chances there was only
me single chance for collision. This
to little more than a bare pos
Utility Should a collision take place evil
esults might or might not follow. IF
ne nucleus encountered was III ULtSS anu
oiidity equal to that of Donatis comet, as
stimated by NJ. Faze and Professor
Pierce, its impact with the earth would de-
elop heat enough to melt and vapor,Ze
he hardest rocks. II the comet were COM
osed of small meteoric particles, the re-
ult would be brilliant shower, exceeding
UGH showers as We have seen only in de-
rec Were the coliding body hydrogen
af Siz IN bz |
ntire globe. it might so m.ngle with the
xygen of our atmosphere as TO form such |
n explosive compound that the lighting
{ a single match would produce a mighty
anne which in an instant would consume
very living thing on the surface of the
arth. Still further, since water is the
ssult of burning hydrogen gas in oxygen.
lis same fierce and terrible flame would |
e as speedily followed by a mighty del
sc Of water, enveloping the entire surface
our planet. If the body of the comet !
ere not of an infammable nature, but
imposed of noxious gases, II would poison
1T atmosphere. render it unfit for respira- ,
on, and thereby entail the most serious .
)nseQuences. Were Il an innoxious case
is body, owing TO its extreme lightness. | ,
would float in or upon our atmosphere as
, the clouds. with out reaching the sur
ce of our globe" But the actual risk
the destruction of the earth by a comet | {
very small indeed. !
Professor Young admits that the event Of
e collision of the earth with a comet is 4
,ssible. I'm fact. II the earth lasts long ?
ough. ii IS practically sure TO happen;
r there are several comets orbits which :
ss nearer 10 the earth's orbit than the a
OF the comets head. and at !,
me time the earth and comet Will Ger
ialy come together. Such encounters =.
u. however. be very rare"
Nothing which is known about comets in | :.
neral. or about Temples comet in par
ular, suggests the slightest danger to .
e solar system, though everything leads
10 infer that the comets career as an ! L
dependent body Will before very long C
me 10 an end. II the comet ever was
dangerous one. owing 10 the concentra- j
n OF its neteoric components. K is not =
now. II II really has eyer been check a.
in its career, il is evident such inter- II
ption can take place without harasins us.
j therefore the Anal throes OF the come; CO
ed not trouble Us Al the least At each VI
>cessive return 10 the neighhorhood OF :.
: solar system It Is shorn OF part OF It's a
endor. and the end OF its career. whether
O4i OF near AZ n6hI. VIII N al prooa- 1 81
ity take place in such s way tina, ter -
trial astronomers viii never know OF the :,
ant Nevertheless, there are always Eco
ready 70 circulate dismal reports ana
ert that the tine is drawing near when
prediction Is 20 be fulfilled. !
Il er
e great globe Itself Gu
a. al which Il inherit. shall dissolve, o.
q. Ike this .nsubs;antial pageant fade. | 81