The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-05-26
PARls|ANs FEARED
COMET WOULD KILL
Many Bought Supplies of Oxygen To
Prolong Life II Poisonous Gas
Swept the Earth.

PARIS, May 2J.-There is mol
nearly so much of thrill in ilS walt
ing upon the coming OF the Genet as
Paris had expected, and IL is not Toe
much to say that Paris was deeply
disappointed. To be sure rain poured
in a deluge in the small hours when II
anything dire had been predestined' IL
= should have taken place. but Mont
+ martre was en- fete just the same, ana
I shamed the halfhearted gayety or the
4 grand boulevards, where the principal
I cafes we're only q little more livery
after midnight than before, only Few
OF them remaining open until dawn.
Many so-called comet suppers
were served; but not even in the
/ Montmartre district was there any
! thing like the wild cheer OF Christmas
! eve or OF the last night In the ola
year.
! Possibly the astronomers were large
iiy TO blame for the certain degree Oh
Hrresolution which was observable III
the matter. At the eleventh hour IL
lappeared that they were far from
agreeing as to the exact date OF the
4 caress which the comet was expected
Ito bestow upon the earth. One authoft
tative opinion placed the palpitatlng
moment "a hours later than the NTH
erto anticipated time.
II followed that there was a kind Oh
kreyeillon from Tuesday midnight until
bsunrise on Friday morning, but 1t was
even less enthusiastic than the other
Zone.
Aside, however, from those who al
lfected to treat the possible death OF
hour planet and It's Inhabitants as a
huge Joke, many thousands OF persons
undoubtedly looked forward to the ar
Trivial OF the comet at It's point OF near
est approach to the earth with some
fear.
Many instances OF private purchases
sof tanks OF oxygen for use In case the
atmosphere became vitiated by the
deadly cyanogen were reported. and OF
course in the nature or things the vast
majority of such instances were unre'
ported Home people who were In the
lpossession OF cellars prepared them
carefully as q last refuge. gluing up
ian apertures through which the
death dealing gas might enter and In
etalling an oxygen supply in instant
readiness for the dread emergency.
The theory OF these persons was
that. given the tremendous combined
speed OF the earth and the comet, II
might be possible for them, II thus
well provided, to survive the brief
period OF contact Of the two atmos-
pheres, and they saw before them In
this event a wonderful future OF new
experiences In a thinly populated
world, for II was impossible for them
70 believe that there would be a great
number OF other human beings as for
tunate as themselves.
Certain curious counter facts have
been noted. One 10 that, as compared
with the same season In other years,
there has been no appreciable lessen.
not be legitimately attributed to the
persistence, until barely a week ago
OF the cool weather. This, argued
the hatters, showed that the fear OF
the end OF the world was not so wide
spread after all. Furthermore, a credit
house which fits out young couples on
the installment plan for their first
venture In housekeeping found itself
overwhelmed with orders beyond ali
precedent. To the cynic this fact
may be interpreted In two ways: one
Is that persons who were expecting
lfhe final cosmic commissions and who
lare OF dishonest turn OF character
would be particularly apt to enjoy
running deeply into debt without the
prospect OF ever being called upon to
hay. The theory would be robbed OF
hts ridiculous side II Il could be proved
that these same persons had laid in a
copious supply of oxygen, but, or
lcourse, right here information is In
complete.