The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-02-10
THE NEXT CENTURY.
AN EXTRAORDINARY COMET.
Other Days-HIost Leap Years Pos-

There was queer genius at the Hote
 Calhoun yesterday, and he had a fat
 that is stranger than those usually en
 countered in faddists. His name wa
 Riley V. Moore, and he hailed from Bat
 tie Creek, Mich. Mr. Moore's favoritt
 occupation during his odd moments i!
 to collect all sorts of information ant advance statistics concerning the twen
 tieth century. He has a large scraI book full of newspaper clippings con taining many interesting facts concern ing the next one hundred years. Besides the book of clippings he has notebook in which he has written a great deal of matter that was told him.
 MT. Moore allowed a reporter for the News and Courier to look through his scrapbook, and cull the following bits of information, which may prove inter- esting:
 The twentieth century will commence on January 1, 191. It will open on Tuesday and vii lclose on Sunday. It will have the greatest number of leap years posslble-twentyfour. The year 1904 will be the first one, then every fourth year after thtat, to and including the year 2O00. February will have three times five Sundays-in 1920, 194S and 1876.
 HOLIDAY DATES.
 Tn 1901, Federal Memorial day, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving day will oc- cur the same day in the week. Then, after that the same thing will happen at the following intervals: 6 Il, Il, G. H. Il, years, and so on, or in 1907, 191S 1929, 1885, and so on
 In the years 1912, 1914, 1869 and 1896 there are four holidaye that will fall Oh the same day In the week--the three already mentioned and Washingtons s Birthday anniversary, as also the 18th of February.
 Thanksgiving day and Christmas will occur the same day in the week In 1906 and then at successive intervals of Il, 6, Il, ii, 6, Il, years, and so on; also in 1923 1856, and 1884. March will fall on Sunday in the inaugural years l9lf, 1945, and 1878. The same yearly calen- dar that was used in 1895 can be used again in 1901.
 EASTER NEWS.
 The following years, in order, begin ming with 1901, the dates of Easter for the first twenty-five years of the cen- tury: April 7, March 30, April 12, B. 2S, 15, March 31, April 19, Il, March 27, April 16, ', March 23, April F, 4, 2S, 8, March s1 April 20, 4, March 27, April 16, 1, 20, 12 The earliest possible date on which Eeaster can occur is March 2S. The last time it occurred on that date was in 1913, but it will not occur again until after the twentieth century. The r,- ic Ar,1-i it will, thus occur but once in the com- ing century-in 1943. The last time it occurred was April 26, 1886. Whenever Easter occurs on March 27, or April 5, 19 IT, or 24 Christmas also occurs on Sunday. Though one of the objects aimed at by the church authorities who fix upon the mehtod of determining the date of East CT was to prevent it's occurring on the same day as the Jewish Passover, nevertheless the two events will occur together four times in the twentieth century April 1903; April 1, 1928; April 1T, 1927, and April 19 1881.
 FEW MONDAYS. The twentieth century will contain 36525 days, which lacks one day of be- exactly 5,21S weeks. The day of the 1 week that will not occur as often as each of the others Is Monday. Fifteen out of the hundred years will begin on Wednesday and the same number on | Friday. Fourteen will begin on each of | the other days of the week.
 Several announcements are made of | changes to be inaugurated with the l opening of the new century. The first | of importance is that Russia will adopt | the Gregoran calendar. This will be | done by emitting thirteen days, the amount of the error that will hace accu- mulated after the close of February | 1900. The Russian will the write Janu ary 1, 19O1 instead of December IS, 1900.
 The other important announcement is that 1t is not at all likely that the as- tronomical day, which now begins at noon of the civil day, will begin with the civil day at midnight. The present method of having the astronomical day to begin twelve hours after the begin ming of the civil day is apt to be confus- ing. On\ the otherd hand, to have the former begin at midnight, will be to them somewhat inconvenient.
 ECLIPSES.
 As to eclipses in the coming century, there will be about 3S0 of them, the number of solar being to the number of lunar in about the ratio of four to ( three. What is the very rare occurrence in a calendar year that will happen in 1885, i the first time since 1923, viz, seven i eclipses, the largest number possible l that can happen in year. t There are eight total solar eclipses z predicted to occur visible in the United l States in 1s19 1928, 1945, 1879, 1884 and i 994. There will also occur twelve trans t ts of Mercury. A transit of Venus, 2 however, which is of much more im- ( )ortance, will not occur within the next ( century, The earliest date predicted is e tune 2, 20O4. l While it is claimed at least, 1000 com l it's come within visible range of the t arth within a century, there is reason c lble certainty of the recurrence of but f me extraordinary comet in the next 1 i entury. That one is known as Halleys c t was last seen in 1885. It will be due [ gain in 1910 or 1911 The exact time is f lot known, owing to slight modification l, n its orbit, due to planetary influence. 2 If course, 1t is not impossible for some V