The Detroit times., 1910-05-19
NO SW|sH|hG OF
COMETS TAIL HERE
Detroiters Fail To Connect With
Even a Suspicion Of the Ad-
vertised Excitement.

The astronomers tell us that IL same
and went. Maybe II did.
But all have the 20. K" stamp
ready for one star-gazeT Of high re-
nown, who hit a wonderfully close
deduction when he announced that
'the tail Of Halley's comet Is the
veriest approach to nothing set In the
midst OF naught.' Il was closer TO
II than that, Detroiters are willing I'd
swear. Detroiters didn't even see the
midst OF the naught In which II was
set, nor did they observe the veriest
approach to the nothing.
Wednesday night. May IS, varl-
ously touted as day OF general suf-
location, OF still more horrible and
indescribable uncertainty, and finally
toned down TO the very guarded
statement OF most astronomers that
something might happen, bloomed
forth as an ideal early-summer night.
with beautiful sky, tranquil, bright
moon. and a baby atmosphere such
as Detroit has pinned for, for 10 these
many weeks. There was nothing ex-
cept the earnest statements or the
astronomers to give the slightest In
dication OF comets presence. And
there Is a marked Copenhagenish at
mosphere in Detroit today, and the
townfelk are In receptive mood for
anybody who wants to stand up and
doc Cook the astronomers. II Theo-
dore Roosevelt saw any trace OF the
comets tail and says so, all will
probably be well, but IL he ever hap
pens to come out with the shorter
and uglier," astronomy will have an
awful Job to keep itself In good health.
In fact, as far as Detroit was con.
cerned, II looked very much as though
Halley's comet, like any other bashful,
retiring star, had felt some hesitancy
about appearing, feeling It's inability
to live up to the wierd and wonderful
things mapped out for II by its press
agents, the astronomers.
It didn't even consent to come on
for a slight aurora borealis. There
were no meteoric shoyers. There was
no brilliant, dull. phenomenon, nor
any other kind of glare.
The only thing that doomed large
In the Detroit horizon, Wednesday
the late p. T. Barnum, circus man,
about the American people and hum
bugs.
The jingling telephones in police
headquarters and In the various news
paper Offices, were proof Of the man.
ner In which many Detroiters had re-
fused to take the safe and sane view
Of the more conservative astronomers,
and had thrown themselves into a de-
licious state Of nervousness ana fore.
boding, by clinging to the theories OF
the sensationalists. Through the long
hours that Detroit--the astronomers
tell us-was wrapped in the tail OF
the comet the telephones were over
worked by nervous persons who want
ed to hear the final word on whether
they might expect to wake up again
ii they should go to bed. There was
a note Of disappointment, almost of
sadness, when they were Informed
that the worst had already happened,
the worst being nothing at all.
But the astronomers are far from
being downhearted. They cheerily
arise, Thursday morning, after vain,
all night vigil, Wednesday, and an
nounce that we shall see the comet
going, Friday or Saturday, II we didn't
see IL coming, Wednesday.
But the receding comet will carry
with it most OF the chatter about
molecular particles. cometic pressure,
miles set to the music of hundreds
OF millions, and all of the other "gas
talk In its going, the comet will
be mostly spectacle. We may see IL
for a month, beating it thitherward,
and we may not.
Seventy-five years hence 1t will be
back again. At least the astronomers
use the word again"
Meanwhile, there is food for for re-
fiectlon on the manner in which all
altogether unsatisfactory attraction
can create an awful stir.
II pays to advertise.