Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-12
A GREAT RELIEF.

rno Greenwich Observatory authorizes
have come forward 10 relieve 'he WORN
NJ great apprehension. To morrow inc
owe Of the commencement OF the great
November meteoric showers, was the Gay
on which. according to Professor FAB the
earth and Temples comet were 10
r,,sb into collision. It IS due TO PROBES
sor Fab to say that the press "heh il
first gave publicity to his prophecy re-
gacding the collision, did him an injustice
NV not reporting him in fun. The papers
simply quoted the eminent sclehliS' "9
asserting that this terrestrial Dali Oh ours
and the comet would come together ana
the impression naturally left was tha'
Inc Garth would be knocked into smith
Green's" This suppression or g"iD-
ling. on the part Of the papers clear
N put Professor Q Fab in the posi-
ton of catering to yellow Journalism
Hence. he has seen fit TO explain or
lterate what he really did say. His
"prophecy." he now tells us, was merely
an announcement that on the date IN
question "Tempers comet would be due
at a point in the earth's annual orbit
where the earth, according to its regular
schedule, would arrive at the same time
Yet he felt pretty sure that the material
of which the comet is composed Is so Ight
that owe, Us & Co." might antici-
pate emerging from the encounter
without serious Disagreement or dis
comhture. unless. indeed, the comets
atmosphere should prove to be of
noxious character and overwhelm us with
a torrent Of carbonic gas.
This is a decided and consoling modih-
cation Of the prophecy as originally pub
hshed. In it is held out the hope Of an
escape altogether from humiliation, and,
barring that, we have the sweet reflection
that in case of humiliation it will be
by the asphyxiation rather than the pull
verization process.
However, as we have minated, the
Greenwich Observatory authorities come
forward with a statement which is cal
culated to afford the public mind still
greater relief. In fact, for the present,
at least, this statement cannot but re-
heve the public mind entirely. 1t can
hardly fail TO prove absolutely reassur-
Ing to all who looked forward to to-mor-
row in dread and trembling-the class
that wouldn't relish sudden wholesale
taking off in a blaze of celestial pyro-
technics as well as the class that want
the earth and are working to gobble it.
The assurance of the Greenwich OBJ
foY nrrfl f- no 4
of Temples comet is not known with sufii-
cient accuracy to justify Professor
Falb's announcement, that the best de-
formations Of its period Indicate the
middle Of March as the time Of its near
est approach TO the sun-the perihelion-
and. therefore. IL is safe to assert
that there will be no collision tomorrow.
The same authority says further that
nothing OF general interest respecting
Temples comet has been discovered. save
the fact Of its being closely associated
with stream Of meteors known as the
LeOnids
Il VIII be noticed that the Greenwich
Observatory star-gazers and comet and
planet timetable keepers leave some
what IN doubt tho question whether there
Wiz be collision between the earth aud
Temples comet in March. They confess
that the latter runs wild, and avoid risk
Ing their regulations by assuming to know
what as the result Of this Wild running.
viii happen in the coming month Of the
war god. But why take dread I'm adj
vance? Temples comet may, I'm the
mean time, collide with one Of our big
brother planets aud BE- completely knock
ed out or may got rs tail cutangled I'm
the points Of hred star and become a
life prisoner. There are various and
suudry chances ~ favor Of our not having
to engage "a n bufting match with Tenn
pels comet IN March and we might as
well extract from these all the inspira-
ton for taking the philosophical and op-
timistic view possible 1t IS sufficient
to know that IN all probability the earth
is all right for tomorrow, and that those
interested may. with reasonable degree
Of confidence. contemplate enjoying on
the mornings of the nth and 15th-wea-
ther conditions prOpitous-one of The
finest displays Of LeOnids that have been
witnessed since the falling stars" of
1885 scared all the darkies and many OF
the whites of the country pretty nearly
to death.