New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-04

period would bring the central part Of the swarm
back into the earths neghborhood alternately
in November and May so that in 1879 and 1872
the remnants of the comet were at the junction
when the earth was around at the opposite side
of the circle fully 1S5. 100000 miles away. or
course. nothing could be seen of the swarm In
May under those circumstances. But six
months later. and fully seven years after the
big display. the earth would again be at the in
tersection of the two orbits only to find that the
main procession had passed and only few
stragglcrs we're lettering in that vicinity.
Now. this year was the one which should have
afforded good show. because the earth and
the wrcckage of the comet were both due at
the crossing at substantially the same time. To
be sure. the attractive influence of jupiter had
apparently shifted the path of the swarm a lit
tie in 1892 and altered the date from the 9th
to the ODD But Professor Barnard. Of the
Yerkes Observatory: Mr.. Denning. a high Eng
lish authority in such matters; DR.. Palisa.
German expert and other wcll-known astrono-
mers felt a considerable degree of hopcfuness in
regard to a possible encounter with the meteors
in the latter part of the month just ended. In
the eastern part Of this country the weather was
rot favorable to observation. The sky was
Wisconsin. and at the Ycrkes Observatory a
sharp lookou. was kept without result. No
mctcors appeared that night In the East a
watch was maintained on the 2Ith. and only a
few motors. not enough to signify. were de-
tected The brightness Of the moon interfcrcd
with the search to some extent. but the skies
were clear enough to reveal a big display had
one occurred SO far az America is concerned.
then the Andromeda show Of 1898 was a dis
tnct failure.
Three explanations OF the event suggest them
selves Perhaps the other side Of the earth was
presented to the swarm at the time OF the col
lisiOn The correctness Of this suppostion
would be established il in the course of the
next few weeks reports should be received from
Europe or Asia telling Of me showers in other
parts Of The globe. But until such evidence Is
Forthcoming the first Of these explanations can
not be accepted Secondly. 1t IL within the
range OF possibility that the swarm has met
with another accident. and has been broken up
or thrown all out OF its old path. In that case
It may never be heard from again. The mate
rial composing it-milons OF bits of cold stone
and meta-Inay go on crcllng in space for end
less ages without ever coming near the earth
again.
Still third conjecture Is that the Garth got TO
the meeting point several weeks ahead OF time.
Although IT has been customary TO speak Of
the period Of this swarm az approximately six
ard half years. the more exact computation
puts It At So years. Now, q tenth OF year IS
thirty-si,: days. And II this estimate IS accu-
rate the remnants OF tho comet are more than a
month later IN arriving at the intersection OF
the two orbits or each occasion. One may con-
cfiYc, for instance. that tho swarm IS much
longer ihsn e IS vide: that IS length IS about
five millions mi!es. and that tbc yelccity Of rs
eight, morn than twenty miles a second, car
r!ns It forward two million miles day, In
thirty-ejx days II would travel at least seventy