The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1910-05-26

suspected fetatudCOu IN ltS W.
locity in December. Such a piece
of news was scarcely calculated to interest a
world the greater portion Of whose inhabitants
were unaware of the existence OF the planet
Neptune nor outside the astronomical PROBES
sion did the subsequent discovery OF faint
remote speck Of light In the region Of the per-
tarbed planets cause any great excitement
Scientific people, however. found the intel
nsence remarkable enough. even before 1t be-
came known that the new body was rapidly
craving larger and brighter, that its motion
was quite different from the orderly progress
OF the planets and that the DETECTION of Nep-
tune and its satellite was becoming now OF
an unprecedented kind.
Few people without training In science
csn realize the huge isolation of the solar sys-
tenn. The sun with its specks of planets. Its
dust of planetoids and its impalpable comets
awims In q vacant immensely that almost de-
feats the Imagination. Beyond the orbit OF
Neptune there Is space. vacant so far as hui
man observation has penetrated. without
warmth or light OF sound, blank emptiness. for
twenty million times million miles That il
the smallest estimate Of the distance to be
haversed before the nearest OF the stars ts
attained. And. saving few comets more I'M
substantial than the thinnest fame, no matter
had ever to human knowledge crossed this
gulf Of space. until early in the twentieth CEN
fury this strange wanderer appeared.
vast mass of matter 1t was, bulky. heavy.
rushing without warning out OF the black mys-
terry Of the sky into the radiance of the sun.
BY the second day It was clearly visible to any
decent instrument. as a speck with barely
sensible diameter, in the constellation Leo
near Regulus. In a little while an opera
glass could attain 1t.
On the third day of the new year the news
paper readers of two hemispheres were maze
aware for the hrst time Of the real Importance
Of this unusual apparition in the heavens "A
Planetary Collision" one London paper headed
the news, and proclaimed Duchaines opinion
that this strange new planet would probably
collide with Neptune. The leader writer's en-
larRed upon the topic. So that in most OF the
capitals Of the world on January 3, there was
an expectation. however vague, OF some immi-
nent phenomenon In the sky; and as the night
followed the sunset round the globe thousands
Of men turned their eyes skyward to see
the old familiar stars just as they had always
been.
Until it was dawn in London and Poliux
uetting and the stars overhead grown pale.
The winters dawn 1t was. sickly. hlterine
accumulation Of daylight, and the light OF gas
and candles shone yellow in the windows 10
show where people were astir. But the yawn-
ing policeman saw the thing. the busy crowds
In the market stopped agape. workmen going
tn their work betimes, milkmen, the drivers
of news carts, dissipation going home 1aded
and pale, homeless wanderers, sentineis on
theil BEATS and in the country, laoorers truos-
ing afeld poachers sinking home. all over the
,1u.kv ouickening country It could be seen
and out at sea by seamen watching for the
day-a great white star. come suddenly into
the westward sky!
BRIGHTER 1t was than any star In our skies;
brighter than the evening star at It's origntes'.
It still glowed out white and large. Ho mere
twinklinx spot of light, but small. rouho:
clear shining disk, an hour after the day had
r08CQe0,
men stared and feared. telling one another OF
fha vars and pestilences that are foreshad-
owed BY these fiery signs In 20 heavens.
Sturdy Beers, dusky Hottentots. Cold COAST
uexroes. Frerchmen, spaniards. Portuguese.
stood In the warmth Of the sunrise watcnins
the setting of this strange new star.
Ana In a hundred observatories there had
han suppressed excitement. rising almost to
shouting pitch, as the two remote bodies nao
rushed together, and hurrying to ana ITO
to gather Photographic apparatus ana spectre
scope and this appliance and that to record
this novel, astonishing sight. the destruction
Of a world For 1t was world. sister planet
~ our earth far greater than our earth indeed.
that had so suddenly flashed into naming
death. Neptune it was had been struck, fairiy
and squarely by the strange planet i.oa
outer space and the heat Of the conclusion nad
fncontinently turned two solid globes INTO one
vast mass Of incandescence. Round the world
",
psllid great white star. fading only as 1t sank
westward and the sun mounted above 1t. Ev-
erywhere men marveled at it. but Of all those
who saw 1t none could have marveled more
than those sailors. habitual watchers OF tne
stars, who far away at sea had heard nothing
Of it's advent and saw 1t now rise like pigmy
moon and climb zenithward and hang over
head and sink westward with the passing OF
the night
And when next 1t rose over Europe every
where were crowds Of watchers on billy slopes.
on house roofs, in open spaces. staring east
ward for the rising Of the great new star.
mae with a white glow in front Of It. like the
xiare of q white IRE. and those who had seen
It come into existence the night before cried
out at the sight of it. 1T 10 larger. they cried.
1T Il brishter!" And indeed the moon q quar-
tpr full and sinking In the west was In its
apparent size beyond comparison. but scarcely
IN al it, breadth had It a. much brightness
now a. the little circle Of the strange new star.
TT u brighter!" cried the people clustering
- .tr~nta T4rf In dim hg0rvatorfAg