The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-12

| for alarm but, In spite OF all this, gen
eral panic ensued.
or course ii was shown that the as.
tronomers were correct and nothing more
was heard of the comet until July, 1879
when 1t was billed to return again. ms
time. however II passed so near 20 tht
sun that IL was not observed. It's neNl
passage was fixed for February Il, 1876
and by this time 1t was seen TO have spill
up into two separate and distinct parts
which were constantly going further IRON
each other In March. 1876, The dis
lance between these two parts had be-
como 157.240 miles and when the comet
returned in 1852 this distance had been
increased TO 1,250000 miles,
In 1859 the return Of the comet was
again unobserved and In 1866 nstrono-
mers watched for its coming with great
anxiety as they desired to see IL 1t woti1
appear as two distinct comets or 40 'oht
comet divided into two pieces. In spite
of all the caro- that was exercised, how
ever, the comet was not seen and II was
supposed that It had at last disappeared
from human vision. On November 80,
1872. however. NJ klnkerfues, OF Got
tingen discovered the comet In the form
Of circular mass, but without any tail.
Before he had time to observe Il closely
iit was lost IN the suns rays and never
since that time has 1t been seen.
In all probability the fate Of thus comet
has been that Of all comets that approtch
the sun too closely, In which ease they
either fall into the vast mass of heot aud
are consumed Hike moths IN the lame Of
a lamp. or their substance is dissipat0d
in forming tails of such extreme ieagtl
that they become so attenuated as 70 be
no longer VISIBLE In other words all
that now remains Of Biea's comet is
probably a vast stream OF meteoss or
shooting stars and the worst that IS lihe-
ly to happen to this earth. should We
again cross its pathway, Is that we shall
have u good opportunity to witness a
brilliant meteoric display. a display THAI
will surpass anything that the world has
yet seen.
Such is the history of the comet, that,
In the opinion of Prof, Falh, is so soon
10 put the quctls upon our tolls and
pleasures In proof OF his theory h. adj
vances many arguments and cites many
Instances in which comets have been
known 10 have come In contact with the
earth. In addition he insists that he Is
not prophet hut that HIS theories are
nothing more than scientific investiga-
tions made public.
"The reaeon why I was able to predict
the appearance Of the earthquake" he
says "Was that | have made closc study
of mundane anatomy. Tho inferior Of
the earth Is filled with molten mass,
subject to ebb and flow Just like the wa
tiers of she ocean. Between the surface
of the earth and this molten mass, which
is slowly cooling, there Is nothing nime
than shell that does not average ncrt
than eighteen miles in thickness In
some places 1t is thinner than IN Others
and from these places the conhn ID forces
! escape in the form of .,as. If no sGoh
I outlet Is found the influence Of the moor
/ is such that a tidal wave sweeps rount
| tho inner crust of the earth and 1t is this
I that produces the terrible phenomena
that L, popularity known as, the el.eth,
Z quake
4 Such scientific arguments are impress,
I sive and when men of the stan ling Of
Prot talb commence to predict the
end Of the world It is not strange that
timid people tremble. In spite of this,
however, there seems to be no reason why
his prophecy should cause alarm and Prof.
Falb will probably 20 down into history
rs another one of the many prophets of
evil whose predictions have come to
naught.