The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-18


ri Boyd of Indianapolis de-
+ = clared that the world will be
Z =. eeAao-.sA--.S destroyed by a comet with
/ which it will collide in 1888. DR..
| Boyd's article is extremely interesting
and highly Instructive and is fortified by
| quotations from a number of eminent
! astronomers who concur in the doctor S
belief AS a further proof of this prom
ised calamity, he refers to chapter IN
the Book of Revelation wherein the
J coming destruction of the earth through
! this agency is, as he claims clearly pre-
| dicted. After carefully perusing his ar
ticle. however, [ find that the doctor
4 has been guilty of an oversight which
to nv mind raises a question as to the
/ reliability of some of his deductions. AT
/ the outset he indorses Prof. Pierce,s in
ference that the nucleus of this great
Genet consists of a solid metallic sphere,
an opinion in which many prominent as
i trononlers seem to concur. But in this
assumption 1 think they are in error, as
the following facts and deductions go to
show.
., The leonids and other meteors that
have fallen from time to- time from this
and from other comets have invariably
been at red heat when they reach the
earth, a fact that would indicate that the
parent bodies from which they came
were likewise superheated. Now in order
that these meteors could become de-
, tached, one of three conditions must nee
essarily prevail = either they musthave
melted off. or have been split off under
+ the influences of contra ction due to rapid
cooling, or they must have been thrown
off as the result of volcanic action. AS
says that have been made of these rnete-
ORIG productions have in every case dis
closed the fact that they are composed
of a large percentage of magnetic iron.
n variable percentage of nickel and a
small amount of non-metallic matter.
This fact indicates that all these comets
would be highly magnetic bodies under
normal conditions. and the fact that they
are all travelling in clearly definite orbits
goes. to strengthen this belief Now, it
Is an indsputable fact that iron loses its
magnetic influence at or just below red
heat, and if so, the nucleus of these
comets could not be solid spheres hot
enough TO detaCh their leonids from the
outer surface without being extremely
hot at the center. a condition that would
preclude the possible presence OF in1u-
entail magnetism; without magnetic re-
sistance they could neither build nor
maintain their orbits. nor respond to the
force that is driving them along The
first great axiom of solar law declares
that all bodies travelling In magnetic or
bits must be themselves magnetic; and
We can therefore safely conclude that
the nucleus of the great comet to which
DE-. Boyd refers is not solid but hollow;
not only IS 1T hollow, but it is provided
with a hollow metallic core extending
through its entire diameter and termi-
mating in open holes at each end; and
the ether that is constantly rushing into
this central cavity is condensed and
evaporated, producing sufficient moisture
TO keep its metallic wall constantly cool
and therefore magnetic.
Iadic atoms are that this comet is tray
cling at much higher rate of speed than
is our earth, and. therefore owing to the
lack of cooling atmospheric influences,
We must conclude that it is extremely
hot or the exterior surface any excess
of moisture that may be generated in
the interior chamber would have a ten
dercy to creep to the outer surface on
account Of centrifugal force, where it
would tend to build up and solidify the
outer crust, the reaction from which pro-
cess would result in cracking loose and
G tipping off the matter which comes to
us in the form OF meteors and leouids.
Asseyers have proved the leonids to be
magnetic, and if the exterior Shell of the
nucleus were not red hot, they could not
leave it. but would be held fast to the
parent body through the agency of CO.
hesive magnetism; instead of doing So
however. they trail along in the comets
wake for time. fact that is probably
due to capillary attraction and the lack
of a dense atmospheric resistance
Naturally the question will arise as to
whence this. and. in fact, all COM
els derive their superficial heat as the
apparent lack of a condensed atmos-
phere would seemingly indicate a corre-
spending lack of FRACTIONAL resistance.
This is deep question and one that can
mt this time only be met by conjecture,
the most probable likelihood being that
these comets, travelling as they Go over
very extensive orbits, come from time to
time within the radlal influence of the
suns Of several other systems
We may also infer that the space he
tween the inner core and outer shell in
cosmonic formations is filled with SUI
perheated gases, and if this is the condi=
ton these comets like our earth, was
during it's early life, are doubtless SUBJ
JecI TO volcanic disturbances.
In advancing this hypothetical theory
as to the probable construction of COM
cts, I reason that the Creator has or
dained that uniform solar law shall
operate i'll the construction and main
tenarce of all bodies of like nature in
this and all other solar systems; and it
is my belief that the comets being, as
they are, equipped with definite and def
FOL
in time satellites to some of the fixed
planets and that at the present time
they are going through the preparatory
stage in order to be ripe to begin their
work when the predestined time arrives
All nature is the result Of a gradual pro-
cess of growth and constructive develon-
ment- and why should we look for diff
ferent conditions in the solar system?
If this great comet is hollow and also
magnetic, then it must be revolving on
Its axis; this being condition, / fail to
see how it is going to collide with the
earth, since another solar axiom NAV
safely be recorded to the effect that no
two magnetic bodies can come within
their respective repellent lines of force.
If the astronomers are correct in their
calcula tons, and there is every reason
to believe that they are, this comets or
bit got into the earth's attractive field
some months ago, and the earth being
the more powerful of the two bodies be-
gan to absorb the comets orbit a fact
that was demonstrated by the volcanic
disturbances tina began at the time, and
which are due to the excitement Of the
earth's magn atic core under tile excess
I've influx of magnetism from this new
source-and figure that these disturb
ances will continue with more or less
frequency until the magnetism stored in