The Washington times., 1910-05-18
Appendage Contains 265
Sextillion Molecules, Yet
Weighs Half an Ounce.
SKY SHARPS SAY
THERE'S NO DANGER
Noxious Gases So Rarihed and
Molecules So Small That No
One Can Perceive Them.

OncS n every EeVelly-IiVe years the
zephyr-Iike tan or HaHey's comet takes
perfectly friendly and Tes-rneaning
/ fling at Mother Earth-and touiEbts the
night
/ There are lots Of things one can't do
more than a few tines in q lifetime
and there are other things that one
doesn't care 10 do very often-such as
getting married and the Iike-but the
one sure best bet is that no human BE-
ing ever took more than one intelligent
peep at AIr. EaIIeys exclusive comet
As for passing through its taiI-weu.
tha It's an experience OF lifetime and
there are some supeTstftious toIk IN mid
/ China, IN Darkest Africa. In Washing
/ to1. D c. and other points who assert
( that we won't live 70 tell the tale On
eidentaIly it VIII be hard 10 tell the tai
unless the moon is darkened and II Is
I otherwise clear)
I In as much as that Is a condition
that IS extremely hard TO arranEe. even
Ior comet night, may be this day and
/ generation viii not see 8Tr ETsTsv-.g
comets precious tail al an VVhfr6
excitement
= ~
enc must realize the Importance Of thfs
TAI In order 10 relish Il there rer-a5-7
a feW lllumina ing facts 20 be told abo7st
{ tae appendage
Tail Is Without Guide.
All astronomers agree that whatever
/ be the faults OF the comet tse tan fz
strictly cIrCumspect- without danger and
without guile. This tan won't hit the
earth II Il can help IT. There are z few
Z billion mete0rs in its S5.og0c98 miles OF
switch. but these are so wen s-ztse-ez
tnat the chances Of eHcoUHtering one OF
] them are about as dim as the chance
) OF seeing the tail al al
The earth hits the comet srridSrf--
passes right through the thick or tf-e
I Jhi1, Of II. as II were, but even that
3 lSn dangerous When one EeeuS f-r--T7-
/ IN mind certain dgures-ff one esr-=t
can easily be seen why even the wash
lngLOn Monument IS comparatively safe
Just remember that though this pIa7et
VIII encounter some 5000 000 600 009 miles
/ Of the comets tail, and viii fostfe rizh-
I through 80 seItilIiOHs Of comet mole
I cules. that the weight Of this whole
4 segment Is but oue-EzIf OF one ounce
! Be further. assured 'Tis true. science
( says So and Dr. Wiley admits Il, that
( comets wake zone hates 10 be techu5-
I cal, but such a cyaneEnOus subject de-
4 rnands scientific treatmeut-) These gases
are deadly, but they VIII be 50 rarifef
I that one can't even have the satisfaction
Z OF tasting or smelling them, and with
I only one-half an ounce 10 50 around.
1 what can be'ezpected2
No Sizzling Demonstration.
/ Some folk fear-or hope-it's an ths
way one looks at these things-that
4 there viii be = sizzling demonstration
{ when this carbob, azote, and cyano-
/ gen touches the outer atmosphere.
/ Many seem to expect a harinE up OF a
noise like an insurgent caucus. but
! astronomers mildly deprecate this
/ There viii be no Fourth Of July FIRE
/ works: IL viii be a perfectly safe and
! sane celebration OF course. there Is a
disagreement about this some scien-
tific men are going out prepared 20
hunt a luminous glow from the gas
eOus tail, and some expect TO see a
large edition Of the aurora boreaIfs-
Z Observers at the Naval Observatory
Z think they saw aurora Screa ks this
{ morning Apparent streams of light
Slot hither and thither on -la comets
tail. and each seemed 10 quote the
! observstorys description, Like
/ comet within a comet"
/ The Weather Bureau isn't considering
! the comet IN its forecast but IL wants
( its employees and the public in general
/ please TO make note Of any observation
/ they make about the tail tonight and
/ turn them in
TAN Passes About II O'clock.
age OF the tail between 1879 and II-s1
! o'clock this evening The time neces-
sary for the complete passage is var
ously estimated at from one TO seven
I hours
/ If the comet Is not embarrassed b.
ile scrutiny directed toward It tonight
its tail may b seen again tomorrow and
Friday night Saturday may disclose 2
weakened view OF it, and Sunday night
VIII find it has disappeared for its sew
| e-ty-ffve-year jaUnt through space
| The fear Of meteors is hooted at by
those who know At best they say, the
/ particles in the comets tail are about
the size OF a fieclz OF dust. and the only
danger, apparently. IS Of getting one Of
| them in The Observers eye
/ II any larger meteOrS land on this
/ sphere 1t win be pure accident Other
I comets have dropped unwelCCme Eodie5
! down. but HaIley-s comet has been pass
/ ing and repasSing since 2910 and then
! some E c. and has been well behaved
/ in that respect
/ The earth's magnetic pole may be dis
/ II So Dr. Cook may yet prove 70 have
been the real 6iscoverer OF the northern
! axis
Comet Parties Tonight.
Curious chemical changes are expected
by some and electrical demonstration
are confidently anticipated by others
Be that as = may. Comet NIGHT WI
/ be something OF a holiday in Washing
ton Comet par--cs VIII be numerous
Continued on Page Fourteen.y
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