The times., 1901-05-12
THE INFLUENCE or COMETS
Their Supposed Relation TO Floods,
Droughts. and Disasters.
The Superstitious Filled With Fore
bodiBg when One of Them APP
pears-ConGictiDgiT Theories of As
tronomcrs About the Wanderers


The announcement a week or so ago
by the press of the country that a new
comet had come to visit our planetary
system has aroused an interest in these
astronomical freaks of varying intensity.
according as the interested mind is prone
to superstition or TO ratiocination. 1t is
reported that this celestial traveller is
visible at Cape Town, and to vari-
Gus other parts of the world, which
means that the chances are the comet
will not be visible from any part of the
United States. Nevertheless. comets
have been seen by Americans still youth
full, and once seen are never forgotten.
and are always objects of more than
passing interest to everyone.
The stars and planets have ever exerted
universal fascination. Their immensity
as to distance, velocity, and volume has
always appealed irresistibly to our sense
of wonderment, which increases in pro-
portion to our ignorance No phenomena
of the heavens have appealed so strongly
to our imagination and curiosity as
comets, and there is no heavenly body
which has received careful study which
has yielded so little knowledge as TO it's
nature, purpose, and composition
The history of the comet is practically
history of what the ancfents thought
about it. a mass of useless irrational
superstition and myth, which the inven-
ton of the telescope has scarcely been
able to entirely destroy 1t is a pity that
any thing so interesting as a comet should
offer nothing. or next to nothing, of
positive knowledge leaving curious man
to satisfy himself as best he can with
fhpDrizfpps I,t
up and tells lis all about his theory,
which other starry experts proceed to pick
to pieces. while the ever-patient and long
suffering public keeps on hoping that
before death comes its curiosity concern
ing these celestial visitors will be salts
fed.
The telescope has, however, revealed
the fact that comets are constructed
practically alike; that is, that they have
a nucleus. a coma, and may or may not
have tail. When they do not appear to
have a tail it is because the brilliancy
of the comet is so faint. or because the
comet is so far off that the tail is not
visible to the telescope. This is the ex-
PLANTATION offered
There are various theories as to the
composition of the comet Some astrono-
mers regard it as a sort of disarticulated
nebula which got lost4in some way, and
not having density enough to hold it's
own, becomes the sport of eyery compact
body into whose orbit ii happens to whirl
Even its nebulous hypothesis is open to
theorizing. 1t is not known whether
comet is a solid. of EXCEEDING density but
of small volume, or whether it is a solid
mass of extremely light and airy com
FACTION so light. in fact, as to be unable
to produce any disturbance in planet
into whose orbit or vicinity it may chance
to come. Still other authorities regard
the comet as a small masS of matter in
a state OF transformation, in which the
nebula is the most condensed part, but
still diaphanous, and surrounded by a
cloud of matter of the s9rpe composition
as the nebula: that is. the coma; but be-
tween the particles Of which there is con-
siderable space. This is the latest and
the best explanation offered as
to the physical character of the comet.
Because the tail of the comet is always
directed in line opposite to the sun it
is argued that it is simply the light of
the sun shining through the nebulous nu
cleus and coma upon train of exceed
ngly fine cometary matter which trails
along after the head for millions of miles
in space.
The appearance of a comet has ever
filed men with foreboding. In ancient
times it was regarded as an omen of evil,
4 harbinger of disaster and death. either
TO the nation or to some illustriOus per
sonage as the king or ruler. 1t never was
4 welcomed visitor, except to the aStrono-
mer. AS recent as 1S43 the great comet
IF that year brOoded like an evil spirit
,ver the minds of Europeans. This comet
vas, perhaps, the largest one that had
been seen since the dawn of history. 1t
vas of great brilliancy and its tail extend
"a almost from horizon 10 horizon.
Every description Of influence has been
attributed to comets. Droughts. epidem- |
cs, weather conditions, dry fogs, etc,
ave been laid TO the charge of comet. |
In 1883 there was what was called a dry |
'og, which settled upon vast area Of |
he earth S-surface and which presented |
ome curious manifestations. 1t came all |
1t once, and on the same day 1t lasted |
he action of winds which might have !
,arried II to these places. 1t was so dense !
hat objects only few yards away could |
Tot be seen at all. There was q blush |
'olor to the haze and a faint luminosity. |
I was as dense on the top of the Alps |
IS at the sea level, and succeeded in in |
ipiring awe and terror TO pretty much |
veryone in Europe. Wise men and as |
ronomers were appealed to for an eXpla- |
lation of this strange phenomenon. |
Finally it was explained that the earth |
vas passing through portion of the tail |
# comet and that the dry dust which |
ung mOtionless over the land was COM
ecame luminous when the sun shone |
pon it. Vegetation shriveled and died |